Layered Chocolate & Blackberry Cake With Cacao & Cultured Butter Frosting

By Carla Oates

Serve this amazing cake with pride to sceptics and watch them eat their words. It looks and tastes just like a traditional chocolate cake, but nourishes, not depletes.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

• 1 cup blackberry jam
• Edible flowers, to decorate (optional)
• Fresh blackberries, to decorate (optional)
• Chocolate pumpkin cake
• 350g peeled pumpkin (or 1 cup puree)
• 10 Medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup (125ml) boiling water
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup (60ml) coconut drinking milk
• ½ cup (125ml) macadamia oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
• ¾ cup (90g) almond meal
• ½ cup (80g) buckwheat flour
• ¾ cup (75g) cacao powder
• ¼ cup (30g) arrowroot
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of Himalayan salt

Cacao and cultured butter frosting

• 8 Medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup (125ml) boiling water
• 100g unsalted cultured butter, softened
• ½ cup (60g) cacao powder
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean powder

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper. 
2. Cut the pumpkin into chunks and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with macadamia oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and caramelised. Set aside to cool.
3. Reduce the oven to 170°C. Soak the dates in the boiling water for 10 minutes, or until softened.
4. Place the dates and their liquid in a high-speed food processor. Add the eggs, coconut milk, macadamia oil and vanilla bean powder and blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin and blend to combine. Transfer into a medium bowl.
5. Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add to the wet mixture and stir to make a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre to test. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
7. Once cooled, slice the cake in half horizontally, making two rounds. Spread the blackberry jam over the base. Sandwich the remaining cake half on top.
8. To prepare the cacao and cultured butter frosting, soak the dates in the boiling water for 10 minutes, or until softened. Cream the butter in a medium bowl using an electric mixer, until pale and creamy.
9. Place the dates and their liquid in a high-speed food processor. Add the cacao and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the chocolate date mixture to the creamed butter and mix until combined.
10. Using a spatula, spread the frosting on top and over the cake, to completely cover. Decorate with edible flowers and fresh blackberries, if desired.

Note: Refrigerate this cake until you’re ready to serve. The frosting will begin to melt off the cake if left out, especially on a warm day.