One Divine Slice Of Cake…

For my birthday (in November), I attempted my first all-natural cake. I opened Pandora’s box. Now my mission is to transform any mouth-watering, processed sugar-laden dessert into a natural-but-equally-delicious version.  (Click on the purple link below for the recipe.)

When I eat cake, I want it to be amazing…especially if it’s for my birthday!  In past years, I’ve purchased my cake from Magnolia Bakery, which has some of the best frosting I’ve ever tasted in my life…but this year, it was important to me that I instead celebrate my natal day with a cake that symbolized my turn towards natural, whole foods.  Most recipes, even those on organic/natural websites, contain processed sugar and flour, but I finally found what I was looking for at 101 Cookbooks.  Instead of sugar, the recipe uses maple syrup, which is a great sweetener because it contains vitamins and minerals, especially in the less processed Grade B form.  So I had the perfect recipe…now the question was “How would it taste?”   Well, the only way to answer that question was to start baking!

Chocolate chopped and ready to be added to the batter

Mixed batter

Mixing the buttercream frosting…

Frosting complete and ready to dress the…

Naked cake!

Finished cake with candles

My cat fancies the cake is for him.  Who am I to burst his bubble?

I like my cake after it’s been in the refrigerator because it firms up, and this particular cake benefits from being cold as well.

The Verdict:  Delicious!  Decadent!  Delightful!  I was extremely pleased with my birthday cake, my husband loved it, and my cat was intrigued…a success all around!

Using coconut oil instead of butter in the cake batter further infused a “german chocolate cake” taste, which I enjoy.  Next time, I will substitute grain-sweetened chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate so it truly will be without white sugar.