Hazelnut Espresso Cake

You will have a hard time believing this cake is entirely plant based. I think the cream topping alone is quiet unbeielvable. It’s so creamy, deep and delicious that you want it on its own.

The cake is not very sweet. This was deliberate because the espresso cream top is sweet and rich in texture. I call this espresso cream though there is no cream or dairy in it, the texture is somewhere between caramel and chocolate frosting, and is luscious like whipped cream. Thanks to the 2 avocados, trust me it really works.

This cake for sure is a treat to be celebrated.

 

 

Hazelnut cake with Espresso Cream 

Dry ingredients
1 cup spelt cake flour sifted
¼ cup cocoa powder
1.5’teaspoon baking powder
½ cup roughly chopped roasted hazelnuts save some for the garnish
pinch of salt
Wet ingredients
1 cup hazelnut milk or any plant milk you have
⅓ cup homemade or store bought hazelnut butter
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Espresso Cream
2 medium ripe avocado ( trust me it works really well.)
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup about 2’espresso shots or (3 teaspoons instant coffee mixed with ¼ cup hot water)]
2 tablespoons smooth almond or any nut or seed butter (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (optional)
Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients for the espresso cream in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix them well.
2. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before you top the cake. This helps to thicken the cream .
   Cake
3. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
4. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix and set aside.
5. Place all the wet ingredients in a high speed food processor and blend till smooth and creamy.
6. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix together to combine.
7. Pour the batter in a prepared cake pan. I used a 8 inch round cake pan.
8. Bake for about 35 40 minutes. Till toothpick comes clean from the middle.
9. Cool the cake to room temperature, spread the espresso cream on top dusted with chopped hazelnuts and espresso beans. Makes 10 servings.