Friday, October 10, 2014

Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ganache cake (Gluten and Dairy-free)


 Gluten-free, dairy-free, fat-free... these are not terms that you will often find me using. In my opinion, anything that ends in '-free' might as well begin with 'fun'. Fun-free desserts just don't do it for me, but, with that said, I think everyone deserves the right to eat a slice of chocolate cake. And if your body has issues with dairy and gluten, then that should not stop you! 

This recipe was given to me by my much-better-half who is a supremely better pastry chef than I am. It is the darkest, richest, moistest chocolate cake you will ever have the pleasure of tasting. It's also low on sugar (excuse me swearing like this, but you could even use ahem... xylitol which would make it Paleo or banting or whatever diet people are going on these days). But because there is no place for sugar-free desserts on this blog, my version will feature in all it's sugary glory. 

If you're not a fan of coconut, then swop out the coconut flour and milk for extra ground almonds and almond milk, although you'll need to add some more oil as almond milk isn't nearly as fatty as coconut milk. If you want a sweeter cake, simply add more sugar or honey but the bitter chocolate is really quite delicious!


Dark chocolate coconut ganache cake

For the cake:
75g coconut flour
30g ground almonds
120g cocoa powder
14g baking powder
250g muscovado sugar
800ml tinned coconut milk
7 large eggs

For the ganache:
200ml tinned coconut milk
60g brown sugar
120g cocoa powder
50g dark chocolate, chopped

Coconut shavings, toasted, to garnish

Combine the flour, almonds, cocoa, baking powder and sugar.
Mix together the coconut milk and eggs and add to the dry ingredients.
Whisk well to combine then pour into a 2 greased and lined 15cm cake tins.
Bake in a preheated oven at 175C for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
For the frosting, combine the coconut milk, sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth then allow to cool.
Assemble the cake by sandwiching with the ganache then topping with remaining ganache. Sprinkle with the coconut shavings to decorate.

For imperial measurements, find my handy conversion chart HERE

24 comments:

  1. Hi there, 7 is a lot of eggs-what would happen if you used less? thanks

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    1. Hi There, yes the recipe uses quite a lot of eggs because it is gluten-free so it requires the additional protein structure. Unfortunately baking is a science and it's all about ratio's, so by reducing the eggs, you're risking a flop. You're welcome to give it a go though; brownies were invented when someone left baking powder out of a chocolate cake recipe, so who knows! If you do, let me know how it turns out. Good luck!

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  2. This cake is stunning!! I love how you've frosted it -- so beautifully unique :) and this coconut flour chocolate cake sounds divine. Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words Cynthia!

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    2. What is meant by g how many cups, spoons or what and what is meant by mi please tell me i would like to make this cake. thanks

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    3. Hi There - 'g' stands for grams which is the metric system we use here in South Africa and also in Europe. Most pastry chefs measure in weight rather than volume as it is more accurate. 'ml' stands for milliletres. I've placed a handy conversion table in the tab at the top of the page which you can use for conversions - http://the-kate-tin.blogspot.com/p/conversion.html Otherwise simply type it into google. Happy baking!

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  3. Oh great! I cannot wait to try this recipe! I haven’t tried this kind of a combination (dark chocolate+coconut) Yesterday I made raw goji berries but it didn’t taste like the goji berries which I buy from Giddy Yo Yo which are super yummy! Anyway, I’ll try out your recipe today itself!

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  4. There are so many products labeled coconut milk. Do you mean the Asian type in a can? or the thin milk in cartons in the refrigerator case? Can you clarify?

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  5. Hi There - the coconut milk I was referring to is the tinned version. Interesting that there are different types of coconut milk where you are. Here in South Africa we only have the coconut milk in tins - very interesting! Thanks for pointing that out :)

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    1. Thanks so much for replying! I have a serious wheat allergy so was anticipating a Christmas without cake. But I will make this, it looks fabulous!

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  6. Can you use gluten free flour for coconut flour? Or would there be a texture issue?

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    1. Hi there - I don't imagine it would be a problem unless the gluten-free flour had the addition of xanthan gum. I think that would change the texture quite a bit. Ground almonds are a great substitute as well! Hope that helps!

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  7. The cake looks divine but living I the U.S. I don't know the m
    easurements or the size of cake pans to use. Also, where do we get the coconut milk equivalent to what you use?

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    1. Hi There - the coconut milk is the tinned kind you use in Asian recipes. As for the measurements, 15 cm is the equivalent of 5.9 inches (google search). Hope that helps.

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  8. The cake looks divine, but could you please redo the measurements and size of the cake pans so we in the U.S. can understand. Also where would I get the coconut milk in the U.S.? Thank you. I can't wait to make this for my G.F. boyfriend.

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    1. Hi there - you'll see I have a conversion tab on my blog (http://the-kate-tin.blogspot.com/p/conversion.html) that you can use to convert the measurements to whichever size you use in your country. As for the cake tins, 15cm is the equivalent of 5.9 inches (google search). Happy baking!

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  9. how the fucking hell are average people supposed to know what grams are equivelent to ...

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    1. by using your fucking phone, moron...

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  10. If you can't convert grams to ounces you don't need to bake this, douche bag.

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  11. Hi Katelyn,
    I'll have to sweeten up the comment section after these last comments ;)
    So, unlike you, I found out that leaving out the fat and flour and play with the alternative ingredients can
    create some perfect desserts.
    This cake is beautiful, and I'll bet it's just the thing you want next to your cup of coffee :)

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  12. Wow, Stunning cake, and looks delicious. I love chocolates and dark chocolate cakes are Awesome.

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  13. I believe tears may be streaming down my face as I am typing this....THANKS Katelyn for including us with totally annoying and life-changing food allergies in producing the most delicious looking and decadent tasting cake ever;
    I can actually eat this and enjoy dessert once again!!! Coconut flours and almond ingredients work for me,
    with several auto-immune challenges, and cannot wait to try this very soon. Plus, my family will be amazed at "My"
    creation, with your help, of course:) Will be checking back on your website on a very regular basis for other ideas!!!

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    1. Aw I'm so glad this cake made you as happy as it made me! Everyone deserves to eat cake and this one is pretty awesome I must say! Happy baking! x

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