GUILT-FREE BIRTHDAY CAKE 🎂

You're all gonna like this recipe! 🍰

I decided to bake my husband's birthday cake at home because no one believed me it was possible to do a beautiful and delicious gluten free, sugar free, grain free, flourless & all plant-based cake! 🎊

All the ingredients I chose are organic, I made the almond milk and coconut cream at home. 🥥

It seems like a rich recipe and indeed, it's full of nutrients, you will only need a tiny piece to be satisfied - no empty calories here! 🤩

So, here it is! After a few trials I have now the perfect recipe ready for you. ✨

Enjoy! 

Love, S ❣️

Pro Tip: Prepare the crust, ganache, cake, and frosting the day before your event, let the preparations sit in the fridge for the night and make the cake in the morning of the event. Make sure it has at least 3 hours in the fridge to rest before eating it!

CRUST INGREDIENTS

• ½ Cup Brazil Nuts
• ½ Cup Pecan Nuts
• ½ Cup Walnuts
• ½ Cup Coconut shredded
• 1 Tbsp Coconut butter
• 1 Tbsp Coconut oil
• 2 Medjool Dates
• ½ Tsp Cinnamon
• Sprinkle or salt

GANACHE INGREDIENTS

• 16 Medjool Dates (very soft - if they seem hard, you can place them into hot water for 2 minutes so they soften)
• 2 Tbsp Tahini
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Butter
• ½ Cup Sesame Seeds
• 2 Tsp MCT
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Cream
• Sprinkle of Pink Himalayan salt
• Sprinkle of Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp Cacao Powder

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 6 Cups Coconut cream (easy to make it at home!)
• 4 Cups Tahini
• 4 Tbsp Coconut Butter
• 8 Medjool Dates (very soft)
• 3 Tsp Vanilla extract (non-alcoholic)
• 6 Tsp Agar Agar powder

Steps to prepare the Frosting: 

1. Blend all the ingredients except the agar agar for 30 seconds in a high speed blender.
2. Heat in a small pan with medium heat for 2 minutes, add the agar agar and stir well.
3. Lower the heat for 5 minutes.
4. Place the mixture in an airtight container and let it cool down.
5. Place it in the fridge.

CAKE INGREDIENTS PER CAKE >>> X2 in TOTAL FOR 2 CAKES (I made 2 cakes and cut them in the middle of the height to have 4 layers of cake)

WET INGREDIENTS PER CAKE

• 1 ⅔ Cup Almond milk (homemade)
• 1 ½ Tsp Lemon juice
• ⅓ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce (Very easy to make at home)
• 1 Tsp pure Vanilla Extract (no alcohol)

DRY INGREDIENTS PER CAKE

• 3 ¼ Cups Blanched Almond Powder (buy blanched almonds and make it)
• ¾ Cup Arrowroot powder
• ⅓ Cup Coconut shredded
• 4 Medjool Dates mixed(high speed blender) in 1/3 C hot water
• 1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 ½ Tsp Baking Soda
• ¼ Tsp Salt 
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Beans 

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly grease (coconut oil) two standard 8-inch round cake pans. Remove excess and set aside.
2. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the almond milk and add the lemon juice. Let set a few minutes. Then add the applesauce and the vanilla. Stir well to combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated and no large lumps remain. The batter should be thick but pourable. Add more almond flour if too wet or almond milk if too thick.
4. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pans and repeat the operation for the second cake.
5. Bake the cakes on a center rack for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges and surface appear golden brown.
6. While cakes are baking, prepare your crust: in a food processor, mix all the ingredients for 2 minutes. Use a 8-inch baking circle to spread it on a baking sheet. Set aside in the freezer for 20 minutes then place it in your fridge until you use it to assemble the cake - at least 3 hours.
7. Prepare the Ganache: in a food processor, mix all the ingredients until you have a soft paste. Store it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before assembling the cake.
8. Prepare your Frosting and place it in the fridge.
9. Remove the cakes from the oven. Let them cool for 15 minutes in the cake pans. To remove from pans, run a dull knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cakes. Then place a plate or cooling rack on top and quickly invert.
10. Cut your cakes in the middle of the height to have your 4 even layers.
11. Let cool completely (preferably overnight or at least 6 hours on a wire rack) before frosting. I covered them with a clean kitchen towel overnight and they stayed super soft.
12. Start the cake assembling on a flat surface - I use the final round where the cake is going to be presented so I can move it easily after.
13. Place the crust, add the first cake, add some ganache between, the second cake, some ganache, the third cake, some ganache, the fourth cake, some ganache.
14. Frosting: When assembling the cake, leave it in the fridge until the last minute, then blend it again for a few seconds so it’s smooth, choose the icing piping tip you want to use (or none), place it in the pipping bags and fill in the pipping bags with the frosting.
15. Time to frost! Add the frosting and cover all parts of the cake, add the decorations, and VOILA!
16. Place the cake in the fridge until it's celebration time!
17. Store the cake covered for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Now, it's your turn to try! 🎂