Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 1/4 cups (160g) superfine oat flour (use a scale! see NOTE, use certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (48g) tapioca starch/flour (this is the ONLY starch that works, do not sub)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (200g) pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature, or slightly warm
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) warm water
  • 1/4 cup (60g) warmed and melted liquid coconut butter
  • 1/2 cup (120g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
  • 1 cup (180g) mini semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 4 tablespoons canned “lite” coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 bar dark chocolate
  • Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
  • I use this scale.

Instruction

  • As I always recommend, use a scale for accurate results. If you must use cups, make sure to scoop the flour with your cup, lightly pat down and then level off, so there are no gaps. If you want to make cupcakes, then I would suggest making these with my Truffle Frosting instead. Double the recipe for a double layer cake.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8 inch round (9 will yield too short a cake) cake pan with nonstick spray. Place a round piece of parchment paper on the bottom.
  • Add the oat flour, tapioca, baking powder and salt to a large bowl and whisk well.
  • It is important to make sure your liquids are not cold, or it will cause the coconut butter to harden. The oil tends to separate from the coconut meat in the jar and be very hard, and it's imperative that it's mixed back up properly before measuring. Otherwise, you run the chance of getting too much of just the oily part or just the meaty part, which will affect the end result. So I like to slightly warm up the jar (like 10 seconds) and empty the coconut butter in a separate container, warm up for just a few more seconds if too chunky still in the microwave until it is warm and soft enough to stir. It should be soft, but don't overheat the coconut butter or it will burn and ruin it. As you stir it, the warmth will melt it and make it more runny. Stir until completely smooth and runny, like the consistency of oil, then measure the weight.
  • Make a well at the bottom of the bowl and pour in the syrup, applesauce, vanilla, warm water and lastly, the melted coconut butter. Whip with an electric whisk or beater, starting slow and then gradually increasing. You only need to mix it for about 15 seconds, just to ensure it’s a smooth batter. Otherwise, use a large spoon to gently mix the batter until all moistened and no more flour is visible. Do not over-beat the batter. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before removing to firm up.
  • Place the cooling rack over a large plate before adding the ganache. This is necessary so that the excess ganache can drip through the cooling rack and keep your cake mess-free.
  • For the ganache, add the chocolate chips and milk into a bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir and then another 15-30 more seconds until it’s almost melted. Stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
  • Pour all the ganache over the cooled cake, directly over the center. Using the back of a spoon, gently spread the chocolate out to the sides evenly, dragging the spoon gently back and forth, while guiding it along to drip down the sides. Take a knife and drag along the sides to smooth the edges.
  • Place in the fridge to firm the ganache for about 30 mins. Then keep covered in a cake dome container or loosely secured with foil at room temperature until serving.
  • To make the chocolate curls, simply place a bar of dark chocolate on a plate and place in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, just to soften it enough to make the curls. Use a peeler and drag it along the sides of the chocolate, making curls.