Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and looking forward to a great New Year!
Did you miss me?
This pass month was a busy time of ministry, birthdays, family visiting and Christmas. So, I decided to take a step back from my blog and computer in general.
I really needed that break.
Cool, creamy, minty, rich and so nourishing… this cake is simply divine, easy to make, loaded with healthy fats & protein and deliciously grain-free.
Plus, everything about this cake is, well… minty. The cake is minty, the frosty is minty and crushed peppermints topping it off, making it literally a “merry” minty cake.
I had so much fun making this cake… and eating the leftover frosting with crushed peppermints on a big spoon.
Oh, yes I did do that. Yum.
My mouth just tingles thinking about it!
I have to tell you that this frosting only requires THREE ingredients… butter, chocolate chips and peppermint extract. Or for those who need it to be dairy-free… thick full-fat coconut milk, chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is dairy-free) and peppermint extract.
Can you believe that?! Totally fail-proofed and guaranteed to whip up beautifully, oh yesss. That’s my kind of frosting.
To be honest, I typically shy away from making cakes and frostings. They never seem to turn out well for me, but I wanted to give it a go this time around because…
It was for my little man’s 3rd birthday.
I had to try!
My girls’ had lovely rainbow cupcakes for their birthdays this year and I didn’t want him to feel that he wasn’t special enough to have a cake too.
Plus, I am a baker, for crying out loud! I should be able to make a cake… and frosting!
Anyway…
He was so excited to have a birthday cake. He kept running up to me and saying, “that’s MY birthday cake!” and “that birthday cake is for ME!“… then his face would light up with that adorable grin of his that simply melts my heart and I am so sure it will melt the hearts of many young latina girls in the not-so-distance future!
Now, I think it’s time to head into the kitchen and make another one of these double-layer Merry Minty Chocolate Peppermint Cake for our New Year celebration… you should do the same. I’m sure you have some leftover peppermint candies lying around that need to get used up 😉
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3/4 cup cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
8 eggs
3/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted (plus more for greasing pans)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup milk (regular or coconut)
1/4 cup strong coffee (or coffee substitute)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 Tbsp peppermint extract
Chocolate Peppermint Frosting (recipe below)
Crushed peppermint candy
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Mix together coconut flour, arrowroot, cacao, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with whisk attachment, whisk the eggs.
- Add oil/butter, honey, milk, coffee, ACV or lemon juice and peppermint. Continue to mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until ingredients are incorporated.
- Stop the mixer and scrap down the sides (you might need to do this a couple times).
- Turn mixer back on and beat on high speed for about one full minute to make the batter fluffy.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check at 25 minutes with a toothpick… it should come out with a few moist crumbles. Don’t overbake or the cake will be dry. If it is still too moist, bake for another 2 to 5 minutes (the cake was perfect at 27 minutes for me).
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the sides of the cakes from the pans and turn them out onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups butter or full-fat coconut milk
2 tsp peppermint extract
- In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over medium low heat. Stirring frequently to keep from burning.
- When melted, turn of heat and stir in peppermint extract.
- Let it cool completely and chill in the fridge until solid.
- Remove from fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. You will have to eye-ball this as you don’t want it too warm that it becomes more of a gooey mess, but you don’t want it too firm that it just balls up inside the whisk.
- Scoop the mixture into a mixing bowl and beat on medium for about 2 minutes or until light in color and fluffy.
Using coconut milk:
Chill can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. When ready, open can and pour off the water (save it for smoothie or toss out). Scoop only the solid white coconut cream into a medium pot. Add the chocolate chips and follow the instructions listed above.
Putting together the cake (the fun part!):
- Carefully move one of the cakes unto a serving plate of your choice.
- Top it thickly with Chocolate Peppermint Frosting and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy (don’t be shy with this!).
- Carefully put the second cake on top and top it off with the rest of the frosting.
- Sprinkle more crushed peppermint candy.
- Enjoy!
This post is part of the Nourishing Progressive Dinner for the Holidays. Please check out what these bloggers have whipped up for this special event!
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Wow, that looks amazing, Mare! I’ll have to make this for sure!
Thanks Diana! It was sooo good. The peppermint was the highlight 😀
Can’t wait to try this cake. Chocolate and Peppermint are two of my favorites! And thanks for the link to the great candy website. I clicked through from your blog, so I hope you get the free candy. 🙂
Wonderful!! Yes, that online candy store is awesome 🙂 Thank you so much for using my link!! Hope you like the cake and when you make it, let me know what you thought of it. My family loved it so much that they are begging me to make another one, but need to buy more butter! LOL!
Stumbled across this post shared by someone on Facebook, and so glad I did! We are beginning our journey into a grain-free life and I was looking for a cake recipe for my daughter’s 3rd birthday (in a couple of weeks). This one seems oh, so fitting 🙂 Happy to have found your blog and to be a new follower!
Hello Jenesa! That’s wonderful! My 3 year old son loved it and I’m sure your daughter will. It is a great cake for both kids and adults. Glad to have you has a follower! Please let me know what you thought of the cake when you make it and taste is 🙂
I love how thousands of miles are bridged in an instant, by something as simple as a shared recipe! This was the perfect choice to celebrate a birthday here in snowy Michigan, and we LOVED this cake! The recipe was pleasantly forgiving … I decided at the last minute to make it dairy-free (coconut milk in place of butter) and didn’t chill my can of coconut milk. I tried to scoop out the creamier portions as best I could and the frosting still turned out well. I will certainly use the frosting recipe again and vary the flavor oil (I’m thinking raspberry, coconut, almond … yum!) And I didn’t have arrowroot powder, so used tapioca starch instead. No problem. My husband, who hasn’t yet fully embraced the potential benefits of a grain-free diet, applauded this cake! Most importantly, my daughter was thrilled with HER cake 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you, Jenesa, for your sweet praises on the cake. SO glad your daughter enjoyed her cake and that your hubby even enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back and sharing your good results and the changes you made 🙂
Could leave out the coffee or substitute it with something? Thanks!
Hello Michelle, you can replace the coffee with either water or milk or tea. The coffee helps strengthen the flavor of the chocolate, but is not totally necessary 🙂 Enjoy!!
Hi,
I am not allowed to eat honey or any sugar substitute, unless it’s natural (like dates). What can I replace the honey with to add sweetness?
Hello Nikki,
I am sure you can use Date syrup!
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EXLL4O/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008EXLL4O&linkCode=as2&tag=jusmaknoi-20&linkId=M3F2ASPUBVPBRFKH (affiliate link)
Vitacost also carries it… would appreciate it if you would purchase through my banner at the top. I get a small commission through your purchase. Thanks!
Let me know how it goes with the date syrup 🙂
PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE This is pure delight for your taste buds.
great flavour
Would a gf all-purpose flour mix work instead of coconut/arrowroot?
I have no idea. I don’t use GF flour mixes. It would be best if you search for a recipe that calls for GF flour.
Hi I’m looking forward to try this recipe for myself and option to my cake orders. Will this be ok for diabetic?
I’m not sure if it’s okay for diabetics
the no sugar is great and stuff but that is a crazy amount of butter
children need fat but butter is the worst type
Actually butter is ESSENTIAL for growing children (especially grass-fed butter)! Its a very good, healthy fat along with unrefined coconut oil that promote healthy brain growth and development. Here’s one article… https://www.thankyourbody.com/butter-healthy/ Take some time to google the health benefits of butter.