Guys, I’m having a quarter life crisis! I thought that I’d be fine, but apparently not. Age is just a number. Age is just a number. Age is just a number. That’s the mantra I keep repeating to myself, but it’s not doing much good in keeping me calm.
25! I’m 25! Ew. I liked being 24 more. I am officially in my mid-twenties. I’m no longer a young adult. No longer young, period. Cue the hyperventilation.
Just in case you guys couldn’t follow my mini meltdown up above, today is my birthday. Last year, when I turned 24, I attempted to make my own birthday cake out of black beans. Let’s just say that it smelled great, looked great, and I was so incredibly excited to dig into it only to discover that it tasted not so great (inedible and disgusting would be more accurate descriptions of it).
This year I knew I had to redeem myself and I was determined to be successful at baking my own birthday cake. And guess what? This year’s birthday cake was considerably more successful than last year’s. Maybe 25 won’t be so bad? I mean, I am a year wiser, technically.
Made with almond flour and dates, it’s texture is slightly more dense and less moist than your average cake, but it’s still just as rich and chocolatey! Not to mention that it’s packed with protein and is naturally sweetened. This batter allowed me to make 1 larger 8 1/2-9 inch cake (not very thick) and a 4 inch cake that rose to look more like a muffin. Both tasted great: cake-like consistency that isn’t too dense. Most people that have gotten the chance to try both cakes have preferred the 4 inch cake. The springform pans for the 8-9 inch cake are here
Along with baking the cakes, I decided that a birthday would be the perfect day to indulge, and so I bought a carton of heavy whipping cream and whipped up some fresh whipped cream. There’s nothing tastier than fresh whipped cream, folks! NOTHING! Except maybe chocolate cake, like this chocolate cake, because it’s pretty darned tasty, too.
Look at the cake being slathered in home made whipped cream. Oh. My. Gosh. It’s equivalent to what I’d imagine eating fluffy clouds would be like. If there’s any day to indulge, it’s your birthday. Also, the healthy cake totally offsets the amount of heavy cream being used, right?
The rich whipped cream balances the sweetness of the chocolate cake extremely well. The two of them go hand in hand. Like peanut butter and jelly, or pita chips and hummus, or coffee and breakfast.
The recipe was adapted from Sprouted Kitchen and couldn’t have been made so easily or quickly without my handy dandy Kitchen Aid
Note: When baking the cakes, you’ll have to pay attention to them near the last few minutes of the baking time. You don’t want to over bake them and cause them to become dry or burnt.
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 4 oz. 66% cacao bittersweet baking chocolate -(one 4oz. bar of Baker's bittersweet baking chocolate-66% cacao)
- 3 oz. dark chocolate chips
- 35 soft pitted medjool dates
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup almond milk mixed with ⅓ tsp lemon juice (let sit for at least 5 minutes)
- 5 eggs separated
- For the whipped cream:
- ½ pint of heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 Tbsp honey
- Fresh berries to top the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a mixing bowl (I used my kitchen aid), add the almond flour and salt. Set it aside.
- In a food processor, add the dates. Process until they're smooth. Then combine the egg yolks, almond milk mixture, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Blend until it's smooth and evenly combined.
- In a glass or metal bowl, combine the chocolate and coconut oil. Heat up a small pot of boiling water and set the bowl over the pot. Don't allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth.
- Add the date mixture and melted chocolate to the almond flour and stir until everything is combined.
- Beat the egg whites until peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture. You might have to stir for a little while because it's quite thick, but will loosen up a little as you fold the egg whites in.
- Grease an 8 inch springform pan or several 4 inch springform pans. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Check on it by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out with a few crumbs and no batter, then it's ready to be removed from the oven. Be careful to not over bake it! (Every oven is different; therefore, it's really important to check on your cake).
- Remove your cake from the oven and let it cool.
- Meanwhile, for the whipping cream topping, pour the heavy whipping cream into a bowl (or kitchen aid bowl), add 2-3 Tbsp of honey, and beat it until it is a thick whipped cream. Spread it over the top of the cake. Top the cake with fresh berries and then serve it immediately.
Results of the mini cake and full cake below! I’m so happy guys, even as I go through my quarter life crisis, I’m just so happy. This cake worked out just the way I wanted it to!
Top the cake with some berries and you’ll have some delicious flavors exploding inside your mouth.
And then just for kicks, I made a Pinterest friendly photo! I’m learning how to make these long pins, and it’s quite fun.
Anyways, have a good night, folks! Stay happy and healthy!
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Happy Birthday!! Jonty had the same quarter-life-crisis moment, too 🙂 It passes, and the years just keep getting better! The cake looks amazing – birthdays should always involve chocolate + whipped cream.
Thank you! And I totally believe you. Your lives seem awesome! And yes, chocolate and whipped cream are musts on birthdays 🙂