Italian Chocolate Cake

As promised, here is the chocolate cake recipe we have been enjoying over the past week. I did originally make it in a flat sheet, but the marscapone frosting would do better between two layers of cake, with the ganache (though it’s technically not a ganache because it doesn’t have cream in it, I am calling it that, because it tastes so similar) on the top layer. This recipe is grain and sugar cane free – except for the ganache (see adaption below to remedy that if necessary).

photo credit

Italian Chocolate Cake

Makes 2 9″circle cake pans

Ingredients:

• 12 pastured eggs
• 1 cup raw cream
• 1 cup melted butter (or half coconut oil and butter)
• 1 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp Real Salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda, aluminum free
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, aluminum free, gmo free
• 2 droppers of Vanilla Stevia (or a pinch of powdered – I use NuNaturals)
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa

Method:

1. Add each ingredient, one at a time in the listed order. Mixing well each new item until well combined.
2. Add the dry ingredients in slowly, allowing for complete uniformity.
3. Allow to mix for a couple minutes, adding more liquid if too dry or more cream if too wet.
4. Pour batter into 2 well greased and dusted (I use brown rice flour) stainless steel circle cake pans (9″).
5. Bake at 350 for between 20-30 minutes – keep checking it, you don’t want to dry it out and over bake it. Better to check it early and often.
6. When done, take out of cake pans and allow to cool on two separate plates.

Marscapone Frosting

This will go in the middle of your cakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cream
• 1 8oz container of good quality marscapone cheese
• 1/4-1/3 cup raw honey
• pinch of stevia or Vanilla Stevia extract

Method:

1. Beat the cream until it peaks (be careful not to go too long or you will have butter, or lumpy cream).
2. In a separate bowl, beat the remaining ingredients until combined well.
3. Gently combine the two bowls, tasting and adding more honey or stevia until desired sweetness is achieved. I like it to be just barely sweet, leaving the super sweet for the ganache topping.
4. Once the cakes are cooled, this frosting will go in the middle of layers – you could also divide the circles into half and create a 4-layer cake with this frosting in between each layer. Add a thin layer on the top – totally optional if you have enough.

Chocolate Ganache Topping

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or unsweetened chips/baking bar if going for no sugar)
• 1/4 cup raw honey (or 1/2-3/4 cup if using unsweetened cocoa + stevia to taste)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Method:

1. Gently heat all ingredients on low until melted and combined.
2. Allow to cool just to slightly warm.
3. Pour ganache on the top of the last layer of the cake and allow to drip down the sides.

Lastly, put cake in the fridge to solidify – or outside (well covered to keep away pesky farm animals). This cake tastes better the longer it is allowed to chill. Enjoy!