Healthy Chocolate Cherry Cake | Vegan & Gluten-Free
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Healthy Chocolate Cherry Cake | Vegan & Gluten-Free
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
For One 9” Cake:
- 1 ¼ cup (133 g) quick-cooking oats, blended into a fine flour*
- ⅓ cup (27 g) cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp water)
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk*
- ½ cup (130g) unsalted almond butter
- ½ cup (75g) coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
For the Cherry Jam:
- 2 cups of pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
- ⅛ tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1 tbsp filtered water
For Serving:
- 1 cup coconut whipped cream*
- Chopped and/or shaved chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Material Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease or spray a 9” cake pan with a neutral cooking oil.
- Prepare the Wet Ingredients: Mix the ground flax together with filtered water to create a flax “egg” in a small bowl. Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in the base of a medium bowl – the vinegar will curdle the milk to create a “buttermilk”. Let both mixtures sit for at least 5 minutes, then add the thickened flax egg to the larger bowl with the almond butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts. Whisk until well-combined.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients together in a separate, larger bowl. Form a well in the center of the mixture, pour in the wet ingredients, and use a spatula to mix everything together until no clumps remain. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 20-22 minutes. (If you are baking multiple cakes, bake for 23-25 minutes).
- Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before loosening the edges with a butter knife and flipping onto a baking rack to let cool completely.
- Make the Cherry Compote: in the meantime, add all of the ingredients of the cherry compote to a large, nonstick pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Let the cherries cook down for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the compote aside and let cool completely.
- Assemble the Cake: top the cake with a layer of coconut cream, then spoon the cherry compote (and extra liquid) on top. Garnish with chopped and shaved chocolate, if desired. Serve immediately – leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- The recipe listed above makes one cake. If you would like to create a layered cake like the photos, double all of the ingredients (compote and cream included)
- Nut Allergies: replace the almond butter with tahini or sunflower butter
- Coconut Whipped Cream: if you don’t want to make it yourself you can replace it with store-bought coconut whipped topping or a vanilla frosting of your choice! You can also use a super-thick coconut yogurt for a completely sugar-free option.
- Other Substitutions: Almond butter can be replaced with another nut or seed butter and coconut sugar can be replaced with brown sugar or another granulated sweetener. I do not recommend replacing the soy milk as other plant milks do not create a good “buttermilk” due to lower protein content. I have not tested this recipe with any other flours.