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Almond Butter Cup Layer Cake


  • Author: Laura
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Description

A decadent dessert with carob or chocolate cake, homemade almond butter cups, almond butter frosting, and ganache to top it all off.


Ingredients

Scale

Almond butter cups/balls

1 cup creamy almond butter

¼ cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

¾ cup coconut oil, melted, for coating

¾ cup carob or cocoa powder, for coating

Cake

2 ½ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)

1 cup coconut sugar

½ cup maple sugar

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon carob or cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk

1 ½ cups hot strong black coffee

¾ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting

2 cups creamy almond butter (I like Barney Butter for this because it’s so creamy)

½ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup tapioca starch

¼ cup coconut oil, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla bean powder

24 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed

Ganache

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more as needed

¼ cup carob or cocoa powder

1 ½ cups carob or dark chocolate chips

2 tablespoons coconut butter

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

Additional milk and water as needed


Instructions

Make the almond butter cups.  In a medium bowl, stir together the almond butter, syrup, tapioca, and vanilla until completely combined.  Form into roughly golf ball sized shapes.  In a small bowl, stir together coconut oil and carob or cocoa powder.  Dip the balls and place on parchment lined sheet tray to set.  An additional coating of carob or cocoa may be necessary.  Balls may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Make the cake.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, 325 degrees F convection.  Oil 2 8 or 9 inch baking pans, and a ramekin if you want to make a mini cake, and line the bottom only with parchment.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, carob or cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt.  Whisk in the eggs, milk, coffee, oil, and vanilla until a lump free batter comes together.  Divide evenly between the pans, saving a little for the ramekin if desired, and bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely in the pans.

When ready to assemble the cake, make the frosting.  Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the almond butter, maple, tapioca, coconut oil, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  This takes time and patience, lots of scraping down the bowl, but it will come together.  Add milk slowly until the desired fluffy, spreading consistency is formed.

Place one cake on the serving platter of your choice.  Top with a smear of frosting.  Dice some of the almond butter balls and press those into the frosting.  Place another cake on top, and cover the entire cake with frosting.  Repeat with mini cake if desired, the only difference is you’ll need to slice it horizontally.

Final step!  Make the ganache.  In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the milk, carob or cocoa powder, chips, butter, espresso, and vanilla.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted.  If the mixture is separated or too thick, slowly whisk in up to ½ cup additional milk, and then up to ½ cup additional water.  This should be more than enough for a glossy, spreadable ganache.  Pour on top of the cake, gently pushing it to the edges so it just drips over.

Allow to set in the refrigerator about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  Cake may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil, and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the microwave 1 minute or at room temperature 1 hour.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes