Yes, it’s my birthday, in November, during the peak of the fall season, which means hazelnuts are in! One of the most popular treats during the holiday season are Ferraro Rocher’s, which I used to love as a kid, so to replicate that combination of chocolate and hazelnuts, I decided to make a Chocolate Hazelnut Cake that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and made with real and wholesome ingredients. I adapted this recipe from Minimalist Baker’s 1-Bowl Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. I call my cake the “ugly” cake because I didn't put any effort into decorating it to look pretty or visually pleasing, which didn’t matter to me as long as it tasted good. It's my birthday and I didn't give two sh**s. But if you do make this cake recipe, you can take as much time and patience as you want to make it look nicer than I did.
Yes, I could have easily bought a store-bought cake but it would be filled with refined sugars, refined flours, preservatives, and artificial colours, which are highly inflammatory to the body and contribute to health problems. Since I normally don’t eat processed sugar, I wouldn’t have felt good after eating it and it would taste super sweet on my palate. My birthday is one day and then I’d have an entire cake sitting in the fridge that no one in this house would want to eat afterward because it's not healthy.
At least if I make the cake at home, my dad will take the whole thing and finish off the rest of it. (Disclaimer: I did go to The Keg on the weekend and get myself a slice of Billy Miner Pie, which I shared with my mom, so I consider that my annual store-bought birthday cake treat). Remember, life is about balance and moderation, so eating a small slice once a year is not going to kill me but I don’t need to buy and binge eat the entire cake.
As a side note, my top three cakes that I’ll indulge in bought from outside are:
1. Billy Miner Pie from The Keg,
2. Tiramisu (cause it’s hard to replicate the cream and lady fingers texture),
3. Jamaican rum “black” cake (made by one particular lady on Sydney’s aunt’s wedding).
Now, straight to the recipe. This recipe is fairly simple, in that all of the ingredients were already in my pantry and fridge! If healthy baking seems intimidating, remember that you’re just swapping the unhealthy ingredients for healthier options, so once you purchase these flours and sweeteners, you’ll use them again in future recipes. If you try it out, let me know what you think! Enjoy!
WATCH MY CAKE LAPSE VIDEOS:
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake [gluten-free, dairy-free, one bowl]
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Servings: 8 – 10
Ingredients:
Cake:
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup oat flour (certified gluten-free)
3/4 cup gluten-free baking flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill)
Frosting/Toppings:
1 tsp coconut oil
3 1/2 tbsp unsweetened 100% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
3 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup roasted, unsalted hazelnuts
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a round 8-inch cake pan with coconut oil and sprinkle with some gluten-free flour and shake out the excess flour.
2. Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Stir and let sit for a few minutes.
3. Add the baking soda to the mixture in the bowl and stir.
4. Add the honey (or maple syrup), coconut sugar, and eggs to the bowl and whisk together.
5. Add the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and applesauce, and continue to whisk together. Then add the sea salt, cacao powder, almond flour, oat flour, and gluten-free flour and whisk until smooth. The batter should be semi-thick but pourable.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the centre and comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
7. TOPPING: Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 275 degrees F for 15 minutes. Be sure to monitor the oven and be careful not to overdo them, as nuts can burn quickly. Remove from the oven and optionally, you can place them on a tea towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins, or leave them as is (if you don’t mind the skins).
8. FROSTING: Put a medium pot on the stove over low heat. Add the coconut oil and allow to melt. Then add the dark chocolate pieces, coconut milk, cacao powder, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until melted and smooth.
9. Pour the frosting onto the cake and spread evenly. Decorate by adding the hazelnuts on top.
10. You can place the cake in the fridge to allow the frosting to harden slightly for 20 minutes and then place back on the counter at room temperature.
11. Cover and store at room temperature for 3 – 4 days. Enjoy!
SEE THE PICTURES BELOW!
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