Almond Meal Chocolate Cake

This Almond Meal Chocolate Cake is rich, soft and sweet with lashings of luscious thick cream cheese frosting. Sweetened with juicy medjool dates this is a cake that is super moist and keeps for a week in the fridge.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Australian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings slices

Calories 415kcal

Author Kim

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup Unsalted butter softened
1 cup Almond meal
¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
⅓ cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup (see note 4)
⅓ cup Brown granulated sweetener that measures like sugar (see note 3)
10 large Medjool Dates, room temperature, seeds removed
6 large Eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

Frosting

1 cup Smooth firm Ricotta
½ cup Cream cheese, softened
½ cup Brown granulated sweetener that measures like sugar (see note 3)
⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla essence

Instructions

Preheat fan oven to 150 degrees C. 300 degrees F. Line an 8 inch springform tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides. Use a little extra butter or cooking spray to make it stick to the sides if necessary.
Make the chocolate Fudge: Add butter and vanilla to a pot on medium heat. Stir for a couple of minutes until butter is soft and melted. Add in the cocoa powder, and stir in with a spatula until combined. Set aside.
Blitz: Add the dates (seeds removed), maple syrup, and chocolate fudge mixture to a food processor. Blitz on high until smooth.
Move: Transfer chocolate fudge mixture to a large mixing bowl, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
Fluff up the Eggs: Add all the eggs to another large bowl, along with the granulated sweetener. Use Electric hand beaters to beat the eggs and sweetener together for 5 to 7 minutes. It should triple in volume, become fluffy, bubbly, pale and creamy.
Mix The Batter Together: Add half of the egg mixture into the chocolate fudge mixture. Use a spatula to mix together. Add the almond meal and remaining egg mixture, and fold through with the spatula until combined.
Pour cake into tin: scrape down the edges of the bowl with the spatula to get all the cake bater into the bowl
Bake: Bake for 45 minutes in fan oven to 150 degrees C. 300 degrees F. Cake ill continue to cook a little once removed from the oven. If you poke a skewer into the centre of the cake, it may not come out clean, and this is a fudgy cake with a moist centre. Remove ake from tin after 10 minutes, cover and cool on a wire rack.
Frosting: Mix softened cream cheese and ricotta together in food processor until smooth. Add sweetener, cocao powder and vanilla, and blitz for another minute. Move frosting into a bowl. Use a blunt knife to spread the frosting generously over the top of the cake.
Storage: Store cake in an air tight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 5 days. Alternatively you can freeze the cake (without frosting) for upto 2 months.

Notes

Almond Meal: almond meal is fabulous for creating dense, yet light and filling baked goods. Its also packed with protein. The consistency of almond meal is different to flour as it is courser, and it’s not the same as almond flour.
Cocoa Powder: I love using unsweetened cocoa powder. I usually find it in the health food aisle of the supermarket. Using a sweetened chocolate powder may result in an overly sweet cake.
Granulated Sweetener: I use Lakanto Monkfruit “Gold” which is natural alternative to brown sugar. Its low carb and measures like sugar. Any brown sugar substitute would work. Natvia also has a brown sugar alternative that I sometimes use.
Sugar Free Maple Syrup: I recommend Lakanto sugar free Maple Syrup, however there are other sugar free syrups out there you can try. Just make sure to buy a naturally sweetened one. Alternatively, you can just use pure Maple Syrup.
Dates: Plump, juicy Medjool Dates at room temperature are ideal. Having them at room temperature is also kinder on your food processor. Make sure to remove the seeds first. Alternatively, you can also buy pitted dates which saves a little time and they’re about the same price.
Eggs: room temperature eggs are best so that the batter is the right consistency.
Frosting the Cake: Make sure to frost the cake once its cooled so that it doesn't run off become soft and melty.
Without Frosting: This cake is also wonderful without the frosting if you’re looking to keep the calories lower.
Serving: Serve with your favourite berries, and maybe a little cream. If cake has been stored in the fridge, microwave it for 10 – 20 seconds before eating.

Nutrition