Cacao Honey Pecan Cake

This is by far the most complex recipe I have created since starting on GAPS. It is a special treat for those special occasions (or severe chocolate cravings!). I like to slice it up, package each slice individually for the freezer, and then take them out when I need a special treat. It freezes well.

Cacao Cake:
10 eggs
1/2 c. coconut milk
1 1/3 c. almond milk ricotta
1 c. honey
3 c. almond flour
1/2 c. coconut flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla powder
1 c. cacao powder

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Blend the wet ingredients in a blender. Add dry ingredients and blend until just incorporated. Pour the batter into two layered cake pans, splitting evenly. I use silicone pans to ensure successful removal. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick just comes out clean. Do not over-bake or the cake will be dry. Remember, it will continue to cook a little when it comes out of the oven. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes in the pan. Then, remove from silicone pans by gently inverting onto a clean plate. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Pecan & Honey Topping:
1 c. pecans
1/2 c. honey

Prepare each separate bowls.

Coconut Cream Frosting:

I weigh these ingredients with a kitchen scale, since they need to be pretty exact.

6 oz. cacao paste
2 oz. coconut oil
6 oz. honey
6 oz. coconut milk
1/8 t. salt

In a double boiler, gently melt the cacao paste and oil over low heat until just melted. Do not overheat! Stir together, then cool to room temp. Chill the coconut milk in the refrigerator until very cold. Once everything is cooled and chilled well, including the cake, add the honey, milk and salt to the cacao paste and oil mixture and whisk together by hand until it thickens up and turns creamy. Do not over whisk, or it may cause ingredients to separate and ruin the texture of the frosting.

Spread about 1/3 of the frosting evenly on top of the (cooled) bottom layer cake. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the pecans over the frosting. Place the next layer cake on top of this bottom layer. Next, spread the entire cake with the remaining frosting, including the sides (If you like a very generous amount of frosting, then you may want to make a 1.5-2x batch of frosting). Sprinkle the pecan pieces over the entire cake. Lastly, drizzle the honey over the entire cake in a criss-cross pattern. Chill until well-set.

Serves 14 pieces.

Specs per Piece:

3.5 t. honey
20 g carbs