So last week Hurricane Ian rocked pretty much all of Florida. While we had tons of wind and rain, and a very loud, restless Wednesday night, my family and I are fine. Our house, our friends, and the businesses we frequent all came through the storm well.
Because the Orlando metro and central Florida is a large area, not everyone fared so well. Flooding is still plaguing some areas and not all power has been restored.
Obviously what has been going on around these parts is nothing compared to the devastation in Southwest Florida. Naples, Fort Meyers, and the surrounding communities are shells of what they were only a week ago. It is nearly impossible for me to wrap my mind around what has happened. I feel so bad for those communities and my heart goes out to them. I hope that area returns to its former glory one day soon <3
Though the weather has turned ironically beautiful since the storm and shows no signs of changing in the forecast, it’s hard not to feel kind of crappy with horrible news story after horrible news story about places only a few hours away no less.
In fact, I do feel kind of like dirt, so I am sharing this homemade dirt cake I made before the storm for Spooky Season, and it’s still so perfect for Halloween. And it’s perfect for just about any other occasion. Because with layers of flavor and texture, it’s everything I want in dessert, and it totally serves a crowd.
With my favorite carob/chocolate cake as the base, a decadent and silky smooth pudding on top and Milk Bar style crumbs to finish it off, this dirt cake has definitely picked me up off the ground.
Homemade Dirt Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12-15 servings 1x
Description
A classic treat elevated with homemade cake, silky, pudding, and Milk Bar style crumb topping.
Ingredients
Cake
1 ½ cups coconut sugar
1 ¾ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
1 cup carob or cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup strong coffee
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup olive oil
Pudding
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup carob or cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut butter
Crumbs
1 cup paleo flour blend
1 cup almond flour
2/3 cup carob or cocoa powder
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder
2/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 325 degrees F convection. Oil a 9 by 13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, carob or cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder until combined. Whisk in the eggs, milk, coffee, vanilla, and oil until the batter comes together and is mostly lump free.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 40-50 minutes until puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan.
Make the pudding. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and tapioca starch. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cream, milk, sugar, and carob. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Once the cream mixture is simmering, remove it from the heat and slowly drizzle about 1/3 of it into the egg yolks while whisking. At this point, pour the egg mixture into the pot. Whisking constantly, place back over the heat and cook until the pudding is thickened about bubbling, no more than 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and whisk in the vanilla and coconut butter. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the pudding and refrigerate until totally chilled, up to 24 hours before assembling the cake.
Make the crumbs. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, carob or cocoa, sugar, and espresso until combined. Stir in the oil until clumps form. Spread in an even layer on the tray and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 8-10 until slightly firm. Crumbs will continue to harden as they cool. Cool completely on the tray. Crumbs may be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Assemble the cake. Using a serrated knife, slice off the domed top of the cake, crumble it, and combine with the crumb topping.
Spread the pudding in an even layer on top and then sprinkle with the crumbs. Serve immediately or cover with plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Pudding adapted from Pioneer Woman
Cake inspired by The Kitchn
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
What a fun recipe – I’m curious what the orange things are?
★★★★★
Thanks Connie! They are actually Reese’s Pumpkins to add some Halloween vibes to the photos 🙂
So love a great dirt cake and this one fits the bill….Need to stick a small coffin in there for a spooky touch! (-:
★★★★★
Yes, I wish I had more spooky decorations!