This chocolate hazelnut cake is so indulgent, with its rich nutella flavor and chocolate tones from beets. This recipe is easy and flexible, can be made in one bowl and baked as cupcakes, single layer cake, or stacked for a fancy dessert cake. And did we mention it’s gluten-free?
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour or all purpose gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup hazelnut flour or more all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder but the cake will be less sweet
- ½ cup plant milk
- ¾ tsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp brewed coffee
- ⅔ cups organic cane sugar
- 2 flax eggs - 2 Tbsp flaxseed + 6 Tbsp water
- ⅔ cup beet puree or unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Ganache Frosting
- 1 cup dark chocolate 70% cacao
- ⅓ cup full fat coconut milk from a can - not refrigerated, shaken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C
- Prepare flax eggs and set aside for a few minutes.
- Add the baking soda and apple cider vinegar to the milk and set aside.
- Rub butter into one 8″ round cake pan, and dust with cacao powder.
- If using beets, make beet puree. Chop into chunks and boil for 25 minutes or until you can pierce them easily with a knife. Rinse beets cool, drain and puree smooth. Add a teaspoon or two of water to smooth the texture.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the milk mixture plus the coffee, sugar, flax eggs, beet puree, butter, vanilla, and salt. Whisk or use a hand mixer to combine. Then add the flours and cacao powder. Whisk again. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean. The timing depends on your oven variables.
- Cool cake in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool to room temperature before frosting.
- If making cupcakes, fill paper cupcake liners about ⅔rds full, and bake 15 min or until tester comes out clean.
- To make frosting, warm the coconut milk in a pot or in the microwave for 60 sec. Stir in chocolate and nut butter, and swirl until all are melted and combined. If need be, microwave the mixture another 30 sec to finish melting process.
- Store frosted cake or cupcakes refrigerated for one week. The frosting does not freeze well so freeze the cake or cupcakes pre-frosted and make frosting fresh.
Notes
Find more of Dee’s recipes on her website, Green Smoothie Gourmet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
For more vegan gluten-free recipes, click here.
