Mini Coffee Crunch Layer Cakes

This chocolate cake is as similar to cooked cake as I have managed to create thus far. It’s rich, soft and much lighter than any nut based cakes I’ve ever made or tasted. The mocha frosting is a well loved, tried and true recipe that I have messed around with for several years now and it’s like magic against the darkness of the cake. Chocolate Covered Coffee Bars add the most lovely texture to the cake without overdoing it or ruining the softness, just giving your mouth a different texture to enjoy. We don’t want our mouths getting bored, do we? No, no we don’t.

Coconut Coffee Bars

These will be used for texture inside the cake and as a garnish on top.

200g ( 2 cups) desiccated/shredded coconut
125g ( ½ cup ) water
30g ( 2 tbsp ) maple syrup
100g ( ¾ cup ) coconut sugar
30g coffee beans, coarsely ground
½ tsp vanilla powder or extract
30g ( 2 tbsp ) coconut flour

Method

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands.

• Spread the mix onto a teflex lined dehydrator tray using an offset or cranked spatula.

• Dampen the spatula as needed to keep the mixture from sticking to it.

• When you’re ready, use the spatula to score the mixture into the shape you desire. I made rectangles, like bars, but you can do any size and shape you’d like.

• Dry the mix for 8 hours on 115f and then, carefully, transfer it to a mesh tray to dry a further 8-15 hours or until dry and crisp.

• Allow to cool before enrobing in chocolate.

• Follow this video to learn how to enrobe these in chocolate.

Chocolate Coffee Cake

The cake requires dehydration, so get this started when you start the Coconut Coffee Bars.

Wet
115g ( ½ cup ) coffee or water
15g ( ⅛ cup ) cold pressed sesame or nut oil
75g ( ¼ cup ) coconut sugar
75g ( ½ cup ) cashews, soaked 1 hour and rinsed
50g ( ⅓ cup ) cacao powder + more for rolling if needed
8 drops coffee Medicine Flower Extract ( optional )
1 tsp tamari ( optional for depth )

20g ( ¼ cup ) psyllium husk ( not powder )

Dry
45g ( ⅓ cup ) oat flour
60g ( ½ cup ) ground almonds
15g ( 1 tbsp ) coconut flour

Method

• Blend the first set of ingredients until smooth.

• Add the psyllium pulse to incorporate.

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

• Add the contents of the blender to the dry ingredients and mix well with your hands until it comes together.

• Allow to set 5 minutes to firm up.

• Form the dough into a ball and dust with cacao powder.

• Roll out to a ½ – ¾ inch between two pieces of teflex or greaseproof paper and cut using a ring mould 3 inches in diameter. They will shrink a little when dehydrated.

• Continue until all dough is used, this will make approx 6-8 rounds depending on how thick you make them.

• Transfer to a mesh dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115f for 10-15 hours or until they’re firm, but still soft inside.

Mocha Frosting

100g ( ¾ cup ) cashews, soaked 1 -2 hours and drained
15g ( 1 tbsp ) lemon juice
100g ( ¼ – ⅓ cup ) brewed coffee
100g ( ½ cup ) coconut sugar, powdered
½ tsp vanilla powder or extract
½ tsp tamari

50g ( ¼ cup ) coconut oil, soft or melted
50g ( ¼ cup ) cacao butter, melted

Method

• Process all ingredients in vitamix until very smooth

• This mixture should be smooth and silky.

• Split between two bowls.

• Smash up 2 coconut coffee bars covered in chocolate
  ( optional ) and fold through one of the bowls of frosting.

• Put both bowls into the fridge to firm up, about 2-4 hours. You can use the freezer to speed this up, it’ll take about 30 mins in the fridge, depending on the temperature of your freezer.

Chocolate Coating

50g ( ¼ cup, melted ) cacao paste
40g ( 2 tbsp ) coconut oil
25g ( 1-2 tbsp ) maple, or your choice liquid sweetener
½ tsp tamari

Method

• Melt the cacao paste and coconut oil down together over a double boiler.

• Add the maple syrup and tamari and whisk.

• Set to the side while you assemble the cakes.

Assembling the cake(s)

What you’ll need

• Cake bases – cooled before assembling

• Both frostings – firm

• Coconut Coffee Bars – dipped in chocolate and smashed up into
  a few large pieces for decoration / garnish on top of the cake

• Piping bag – disposable or otherwise, fitted with a tip, if
  you desire.

• Small offset/cranked spatula

• Glass of hot water

• Kitchen Towel

• Cooling rack or an oven rack – for when you drizzle the
  chocolate coating

Method

• Match up your cake bases into 3’s. If you need to, you can cut them with a ring cutter to be sure they’re all the same diameter.

• Using an offset spatula cover two of the bases in the frosting with texture through it. You might want to dip the spatula in hot water so the frosting spreads easier. Just be sure to wipe the water off of it before applying to the frosting.

• Spread this layer of frosting right to the edge of the cakes. Don’t worry about it looking pretty at this point.

• Once you have completed this step, press one base on top of the other and then the final cake base on top, sticking it to the frosting from the previous layer.

• Gently press it down, don’t press too hard or you’ll break the cakes. Easy does it.

• Pop these into the freezer to firm up, about 30 mins.

• Next, you’re going to cover the cake in frosting. I did a “naked” cake, meaning I allowed the underneath to show by not applying a thick layer of frosting, but you can do whatever you please.

• Apply the smooth frosting with an offset spatula. Dip the spatula in hot water to keep the frosting smooth and easy to work with.

• Once you’re happy, pop the cakes in the freezer again to firm up, about 30 mins.

• Place the cakes onto a cooling rack.

• Using a teaspoon, cover the top of the cakes in chocolate and coax it down the sides by swirling the top layer around with the back of your spoon.

• Pop them back in the freezer to set, about 5 mins.

• Get your leftover smooth frosting into a piping bag, fitted with a tip – if you’d like, and have a practice run piping to make sure you’re happy with the look and feel confident.

• Get your cakes out again and pipe some dollops on top in whatever way you’d like. You won’t really see these. They are more for overall height and to act as a glue for your Coconut Coffee Bars.

• Once you’re happy with the frosting design, stick some broken pieces of Coconut Coffee Bars on top, rather haphazardly, aiming to create height and expose the light sides of the cookies, not the dark.

• Pop these in the fridge to set completely before slicing up and diving in.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge or a few weeks in the freezer.