Gooey Paleo Chocolate Cake |

It was my birthday this weekend- the dreaded “late” twenties have arrived- although to be honest, now I’m a Mrs and all that, I ‘m feeling really rather ready for it. With a handful of friends coming over for a little birthday tea party I decided to try to make as many treats as I could Paleo style. I scoured the internet for Paleo cake recipes and in the end decided to use the uber talented Adriana Harlan’s recipe but with my own little twist. I can happily say that it was a great success and was sinfully delicious, with not a grain, sugar granule or dairy product in sight. I have always been a huge chocolate lover- (diabetes really does not suit me!), however, as you can imagine dairy + gluten + added sugar play havoc on my blood sugar levels and I can literally spend days after indulging in a piece of cake trying to get my levels back to normal…So, being able to make a cake that have none of the nasty ingredients that cause me to feel so unwell is really exciting. Now, that’s not to say that I don’t have to give myself any insulin or that it’s some kind of health + weight loss cake (I wish), but it’s definitely worth it’s weight in chocolate gold by making it.

What you need: Cake

3 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup raw cacao
1/2 cup raw coconut palm sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
4 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large tbsps raw honey

Top layer of cake (or middle layer if you would rather)

1/2 full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons raw honey
4 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Chocolate Frosting

6 tablespoons coconut milk, full fat
¾ cup 80% dark chocolate pieces (your one bit of non Paleo)

Directions: Top layer of cake (get this part started first as it takes the longest)

In a medium pan, bring the coconut milk and honey to a light boil
Simmer on low heat for 1.5 hrs, stirring occasionally. Do not cover the pan. You will know you have cooked it long enough when the coconut milk as been reduced by half and has a pourable (thicker) consistency)
Mix in the raw cacao until combined and smooth
Pour straight on to top layer of warm cake

Cake

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
Grease the bottom and sides of a cake tin with coconut oil
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, raw cacao powder, coconut palm sugar, baking soda and salt
In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla and honey
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients to form a batter, mix a little
Pour batter in to your prepared tin and bake until a knife inserted in to the centre comes out clean (approx 45-50 minutes). If you need to cook it longer, cover the top of the cake with silver foil to stop it from burning. Lower the temp on the oven to 150 degrees C and keep checking every 6-7 minutes with the knife test
Once the cake’s out, allow to cool for 10 minutes, so it’s still warm. Cut of a thin slice of the top layer and cover with the chocolate ganache, so that it seeps in to the cake. Just pour one coating and allow it to sink.
Allow cake to completely cool

Chocolate frosting

Melt the chocolate pieces in a bowl over simmering water (NOTE: do not let the bowl touch the water, there should always be a one inch gap)
Mix coconut milk with melted chocolate until all is combined and smooth
Place in the fridge for approximately twenty minutes or so until set.
Cover over the whole cake (make sure cake is completely cool)
Double the recipe if you need extra

Benefits of raw honey: White sugar and a lot of brown “healthy looking” sugar should be avoided at all costs as these are refined, processed foods which have no benefit to the human body whatsoever. Although these “foods” are for human consumption they are just disaccharides and monosaccharides with a list of zeros; no fibre, no protein, no minerals, no micronutrients, no vitamins and no fat. They have an immediate effect on blood glucose levels and are the leading causes in cravings, addiction and ultimately obesity. However, unlike manmade/ processed sugar, honey is a whole food, an unrefined natural sweetener that’s been around for human consumption from the very start. Honey contains over one hundred different compounds, not just fructose and glucose. It has a small amount of minerals, amino acids and vitamins (nothing to write home about), but the defining point is that it’s not just a sugar as it has a completely different effect on the body when you eat it. Mark Sisson explains in his article Is Honey Good For You that when comparing the effects of honey and refined fructose on rats “feeding fructose raised triglycerides more than feeding honey. Feeding fructose decreased blood levels of vitamin E, while honey did not, suggesting less oxidative stress. Feeding fructose also prompted more inflammation than honey…furthermore, honey resulted in smaller blood glucose spikes (+14%) than dextrose (+53%). Overall honey improved blood lipids, lowered inflammatory markers, and had minimal effect on blood glucose levels”. I certainly noticed myself, with having one (large) slice of cake that my blood sugars didn’t take the usual fly high to the sky effect that they normally do straight after. Whether this is also down to the “no dairy or gluten” in the cakes ingredients – I’m sure a large part was the lack of refined sugar. I also didn’t feel that heavy feeling you usually get after a carb and sugar over load or suffer from the usual carb hangover that I used to the next day. The cake certainly felt a lot lighter and more satisfying, meaning I might have allowed myself to have a very very big bit! One thing I do find is that all these “raw” ingredients, as amazing as they are can become very expensive! If you have any great tips on alternative places to buy ingredients such as coconut oil, cacao and raw honey at more reasonable prices I would love to hear!