Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting

Makes 1 6 inch 2 layer cake

 

Ingredients:

 

2 6-inch cake pans

 

Cake:

 

1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

1 ¼ cups packed soft Medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1 cup of the soaking water reserved

1/4 cup almond butter

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup pureed ripe apples

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

 

 

Frosting:

 

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes (the white-fleshed variety)

1 cup soft, pitted Medjool dates

1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)

1/2 cup raw almond butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

 

Rules:

 

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two six-inch-diameter cake pans by covering the edges with two-inch-high parchment paper. To prevent the cake from sticking and from covering the bottom of the pan, gently grease the sides of the pan and the parchment paper.

 

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Blend together the dates, almond butter, apple puree, vanilla extract, and reserved water in a blender. Blend until smooth, then stir the blended ingredients into the flour mixture until well combined. Once you've added the cider vinegar, stir until bubbles form. Transfer the cake batter to the ready-made pans and bake for approximately half an hour, or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place the pan of cakes on a rack to cool completely after about an hour.

 

Trim the sides of the pan to release. After the cakes are put onto plates, remove the parchment paper. To make four layers, cut each in half lengthwise (be extremely careful, these are delicate).

 

To prepare the caramel frosting, combine the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth (if the mixture is too thick). Then, thin the mixture with a small amount of water.

Set aside To assemble, place one cake layer on a dish and spoon about half a cup of frosting over it.  Cover the second cake layer with more frosting after putting it on top of the first, just like the final layer.  After completing the second layer, top with the last piece of cake. Use the remaining frosting to coat the sides and top of the cake.