I love birthdays. I think birthdays are the best thing ever. Why, you ask? Because CAKE. Every birthday is an excuse to make cake (and stuff in your face).
When I realized it was almost my dad’s birthday, I dreamt up the most magical cake for him [myself]. And this, my friends, is the cake come to life!
It has two darkkkk chocolate layers full of fresh espresso; two layers of fluffy, unsweetened whipped cream; two layers of smooth, shiny chocolate ganache.
You see now why I like birthdays so much, right?
And since my life pretty much revolves around taking photos of food, my mom and I had to photograph the cake at 10:00 am, when the light was good. But I was worried how it would stand up, because we’d be cutting into the cake and eating it around 7:00 pm! I placed it, uncovered, in the fridge for the nine hours… when I brought it out for us to eat, I was amazed; it was even better looking than when I assembled it that morning! The ganache had firmed up a bit, as had the whipped cream, and it was delicious. All this goes to say, if you want to make this a few hours ahead of time, by all means do!
The cake is not only scrumptious, but it’s free of gluten, grains, refined sugar, there’s a dairy-free option, and also a Keto one. To make it really low-sugar (I believe you should be able to eat gigantic amount of cake with no sugar crash!) I used this Lakanto monk fruit. Use the code “Sadie” at checkout for 20% off! And this is the almond flour I love to use.
ENJOY THE CAKE!!
Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake
- Prep Time: 35
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
Low-sugar, keto option, simple, Primal, dairy-free option
Ingredients
Cake
- 9 large eggs
- 1 cup almond milk (or coconut milk)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (I use Equal Exchange bittersweet)*
- 2/3 cup grass-fed butter (or ghee)
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbs tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¾ cup Lakanto granulated classic monk fruit sweetener (or sub coconut sugar)
- ½ cup cacao powder
- 3 Tbs finely ground espresso or coffee
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
Whipped Cream
- 2½ cups heavy whipping cream (you could probably sub coconut cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line two 9” springform cake pans with a round piece of parchment. I also recommend greasing the sides with a bit of butter or coconut oil.
- Using a double boiler or a small saucepan on low heat, melt together the butter and chocolate. Then let it cool for 10 minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, you can heat the butter and chocolate together for brief intervals in the microwave.)
- In a stand mixer or a handheld mix, whisk together the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the almond milk, melted butter-chocolate mixture and the vanilla.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the rest of the cake ingredients. Slowly, whisk the dry into the wet and stir until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between the cake pans. Both should have about 730 grams of batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes completely cool before frosting. I like making them the cakes the night before so they can cool overnight!
- To make the whipped cream: whip the heavy cream using a hand or stand mixer starting on the lowest setter, and gradually turning it up to the highest. Add the vanilla and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- To make the ganache: heat up the coconut milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave until it reaches a simmer (a few bubbles). Pour in the chocolate chips and let it sit for 10 minutes without stirring.
- Now, stir the ganache with a whisk using swift circular motions. It should become glossy and very smooth. Let it cool completely to room temperature.
- To assemble: gently remove one cake from the springform pan and place it on your cake stand. Scoop half of the whipped cream on top of the cake and spread it around, to the edges. Spoon on half of the ganache on top and gently spread it around with an offset spatula until it drips over the sides.
- Place the second cake on top of that, then repeat the process of whipped cream and ganache. Top with edible flowers if you want. Enjoy!!*
- *After taking this photo we refrigerated the cake for nine hours before eating and it was actually even yummier chilled, so you can make it ahead of time if you want!
Notes
- *To make this cake Keto-friendly, use your favorite sugar-free chocolate bars, chopped up
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
