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Chocolate Cherry Cake

chocolate cherry cake topped with coconut cream with slice cut out on gray background
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5 from 3 reviews

This Chocolate Cherry Cake tastes decadent and indulgent, but is actually made from wholesome, unrefined ingredients! 

Ingredients

Scale

For One 9” Cake:

  • 1 ¼ cup (133 g) quick-cooking oats, blended into a fine flour*
  • ⅓ cup (27 g) cacao powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 5 tbsp water)
  • 1 cup unsweetened soy milk*
  • ½ cup (130g) unsalted almond butter
  • ½ cup (75g) coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond extract (optional)

For the Cherry Jam:

  • 2 cups of pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
  • ⅛ tsp almond extract (optional)
  • 1 tbsp filtered water

For Serving:

  • 1 cup coconut whipped cream* 
  • Chopped and/or shaved chocolate (optional)

Instructions

  1. Material Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease or spray a 9” cake pan with a neutral cooking oil.
  2. Prepare the Wet Ingredients: Mix the ground flax together with filtered water to create a flax “egg” in a small bowl. Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in the base of a medium bowl – the vinegar will curdle the milk to create a “buttermilk”. Let both mixtures sit for at least 5 minutes, then add the thickened flax egg to the larger bowl with the almond butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts. Whisk until well-combined.
  3. Mix the Dry Ingredients together in a separate, larger bowl. Form a well in the center of the mixture, pour in the wet ingredients, and use a spatula to mix everything together until no clumps remain. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 20-22 minutes. (If you are baking multiple cakes, bake for 23-25 minutes).
  4. Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before loosening the edges with a butter knife and flipping onto a baking rack to let cool completely.
  5. Make the Cherry Compote: in the meantime, add all of the ingredients of the cherry compote to a large, nonstick pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Let the cherries cook down for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the compote aside and let cool completely.
  6. Assemble the Cake: top the cake with a layer of coconut cream, then spoon the cherry compote (and extra liquid) on top. Garnish with chopped and shaved chocolate, if desired. Serve immediately – leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • The recipe listed above makes one cake. If you would like to create a layered cake like the photos, double all of the ingredients (compote and cream included)
  • Nut Allergies: replace the almond butter with tahini or sunflower butter
  • Coconut Whipped Cream: if you don’t want to make it yourself you can replace it with store-bought coconut whipped topping or a vanilla frosting of your choice! You can also use a super-thick coconut yogurt for a completely sugar-free option.
  • Other Substitutions: Almond butter can be replaced with another nut or seed butter and coconut sugar can be replaced with brown sugar or another granulated sweetener. I do not recommend replacing the soy milk as other plant milks do not create a good “buttermilk” due to lower protein content. I have not tested this recipe with any other flours.

Find it online: https://frommybowl.com/chocolate-cherry-cake/