Author Notes: A note on the frosting: If you only have a stand mixer, prepare the carob and coconut oil mixture in its companion metal bowl. Sun butter, for those with allergies to almonds, works as a substitute for the almond. This frosting is vegan, too! —Caroline Wright
Food52 Review: Featured in: After I Survived Cancer, I Celebrated With a Birthday Cake. —The Editors
Makes: one (8-inch) two-layered cake
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients
For the cake
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Room temperature butter or vegetable shortening, for greasing pans
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2
cups cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, homemade or store-bought, plus more for pans
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1
teaspoon baking powder
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1
teaspoon baking soda
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1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
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1
cup unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
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1/4
cup liquid honey
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4
large eggs, at room temperature
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1/4
cup melted coconut oil or butter
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1/2
cup apple juice concentrate, thawed and at room temperature
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1
recipe carob frosting, follows
For the frosting
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2
cups ground carob, toasted preferred
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1 1/2
cups melted coconut oil
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1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
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2
pinches ground cinnamon
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1
cup almond butter, raw preferred
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2
teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two (8-inch round) baking pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients– applesauce, honey, eggs, coconut oil and apple juice concentrate—until well combined. (Add the coconut oil slowly while whisking, so it doesn’t re-solidify.) Whisk together the wet and dry ingredients, then divide batter between prepared pans.
- Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a skewer tests clean when inserted into the center of a layer, about 30 to 35 minutes. (They will not dome or become uniformly golden.)
- Let layers cool in their pans set on a wire rack 5 minutes, then invert to release them from their pans. Cool cake layers completely before frosting.
For the frosting
- In a large bowl, stir together carob and coconut oil until glossy and smooth. Set aside in refrigerator, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the top layer hardens slightly, a little like a frozen lake (about 30 minutes).
- Add almond butter; use a handheld mixer set on high speed to whip until it pales slightly and glossy peaks form, about 1 minute. (If it gets too soft, chill in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.)
Photo by Bobbi Lin