The only thing Biz asked for for his birthday this year was some sort of Paleo cake, and given my love for baking, I was happy to oblige. Before we shifted to a Paleo lifestyle, I baked apple pies and chocolate chip cookies like they were going out of style, and in all honesty it has been hard for me to get the baking bug back -- mainly because so many so-called Paleo desserts are a combination of applesauce and blueberries and supposed to turn out like pancakes. Thumbs down.
I have raved about Elana's Pantry on here before and I am about to do so again, because she was my first and only stop during my chocolate cake recipe search for Biz. This was my first attempt and it turned out perfectly {probably because I had such a great helper!}
Chocolate Cake
3/4 c coconut flour, sifted {I did not sift}
1/4 c cacao powder {the natural, unsweetened kind of course}
1t celtic sea salt
1t baking soda
10 eggs
1 c grapeseed oil
1 1/2 c agave nectar {NOTE: I used honey, as agave nectar raises your insulin levels in the same way high fructose corn syrup does. Elana posted this recipe in 2008 when she was only gluten-free, but has since switched to full Paleo and eliminated agave nectar from her recipes}
1t vanilla extract
1/4 t orange zest {I don't have a zester and could not cut the peel small enough so I just squeezed the juice from half of a large orange into the batter instead}
1. In a small bowl, combine flour, cacao, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl, using an electric hand blender, blend eggs, oil, honey, vanilla and orange zest
3. Add dry ingredients into large bowl and continue to blend
4. Oil (2) 9-inch cake pans and dust with coconut flour {I use a spray coconut oil from Whole Foods for greasing}
5. Pour batter into pans and bake at 325* for 35-40 minutes
6. Remove from oven, allowing to cool completely then remove from pans
7. Frost and serve
Chocolate Frosting
1c dark chocolate chips {the higher % of cocoa the better. Some are in the 40 range, some are in the 60 range, and I try to find at least 72%}
1/2 c grapeseed oil
2T agave nectar {same applies as above. Honey worked great}
1t vanilla extract
pinch celtic sea salt
1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil
2. Stir in honey, vanilla and salt
3. Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to cool {I had to do close to 30 to get it to whip properly}
4. Remove from freezer and whip frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy
5. Frost over cake and serve
*I would DOUBLE the entire recipe for ample frosting. I barely had enough to cover it in just a thin coat, and some areas were still spotty.
Enjoy!
