2TablespoonUnsweetened Cocoa Powderfor dusting the top of the cake
Instructions
For the cake
Grease 3 x 6-inch cake rounds and then line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine gluten free flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil and sugar. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl.
Add the vanilla and beat for 60 seconds.
Add the eggs, one at a time beating for about 60 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the bowl, ensuring all ingredients have been combined.
Turn the mixer to the lowest speed. Add half of the flour mixture. Once it is nearly incorporated, add half of the milk. Repeat with the remaining flour and then the remaining milk.
Give your bowl a scrape to make sure everything has been mixed in.
Divide the batter between 3 x 6-inch cake rounds. Let batter rest while you preheat the oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Once oven is preheated, bake the cake layers for 28-30 minutes, until they begin to pull away from the sides and the tops spring back when gently poked.
Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes in the pan. Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If your cakes have domed on top, put the domed side down on the wire rack, they will flatten a little on their own while cooling.
For the coffee syrup
While the cake is baking, prepare your coffee syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over medium high heat.
Cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then stir in the espresso powder. Once dissolved, remove the syrup from the heat.
Cool the syrup while the cake is cooling. Do not apply to the cake until both are completely cool or the cake will crumble.
For the frosting
While your cake is cooling, prepare the frosting as follows
Combine vegan butter, vegan cream cheese and coconut cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
Add the sifted powdered sugar to the creamed butter mixture and mix on low until it's combined. Once all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 5 minutes.
Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble cake.
To assemble the cake
Place a dab of frosting at the center of your cake plate to hold the cake in place. Then put the first layer of cake on top of it.
Soak the cake with ⅓ cup of the coffee syrup, giving it time to soak in. You can cover the same area multiple times until your portion of syrup is used up.
Add ⅓C of the frosting on top of the soaked cake layer. Spread the frosting to the edge of the round.
Repeat the steps above for the 2nd and 3rd layers of the cake.
If your frosting becomes too soft at any time or your cake begins to squish around, place both in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before proceeding further.
Use a portion of the remaining frosting to coat the sides of the cake. And then if you wish to decorate the top with dollops as shown in the photo, place the remaining frosting in a piping bag fitted with a 2A tip and create dollops by squeezing a larger blob of frosting and then pulling up to create a small pointy tip.
Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Place an unshaken can of full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator a few hours before baking. The coconut cream from the frosting will be scooped from the solid portion in the top of the chilled coconut milk.This recipe makes a 3 layer, 6-inch cake OR a 2 layer 8-inch cake OR 24 cupcakes