Mothers’ Day…. I never made a cake for this particular day as I had never the possibility. My mother lived far away from where I lived and it was high season as I was a tourist guide. No chance to get off and go to see my mother.
This year I was invited for dinner to my boy-friend’s mother’s house. Oops… can’t go without bringing something though. I thought about a cake. This way I could eat also a treat after dinner. Like many people his parents are not familiar with the paleo or gluten-free diet and it’s always good to bring something. It takes away the panic: ‘What can I offer her?’ And normally everyone likes the cakes I prepare.
Unfortunately I had some advertisement about Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte on my Facebook time-line that gave me the idea of a cake for Mothers’ Day. And my boy-friend thought the idea is great, especially this particular cake. I never made it before and especially not in paleo version…
OK, now it was too late! I looked up the original recipe and just converted the ingredients into paleo friendly ones. And I think it worked out well. The only concern was that the sponge cake was a little too dry for my taste. I guess it came because of the no fat recipe. Next I try with olive/coconut oil or ghee (which will give the better taste).
If you don’t have fresh cherries use frozen cherries like I did. Or if you have cherry jam from last year, that works perfect as well.
The whipped cream I made from simple coconut milk, just the solid part after you let the can overnight in the fridge. To be sure that the whipped cream ‘stands’ also after an hour, I added some tapioca, just a little bit, not more than a teaspoon for two cans of coconut milk cream. It was perfect, nothing melted! I am always surprised that the coconut whipped cream with a little sweetener and vanilla has no coconut taste anymore. It becomes ‘neutral’ like milk whipped cream.
Hope you enjoy the cake, it is a great idea to bring with for a special event. My boy-friend’s parents liked the cake a lot.
- 75 g all purpose paleo flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 75 g starch (tapioca,corn or potato starch )
- 25 g cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 180 g granulated sugar (e. g. coconut sugar, erythrol,...)
- pinch of salt
- 4 egg whites
- 4 egg yolks
- 500 g fresh or frozen cherries
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- pinch of cinnamon
- small glass cherry liquor (optional for soaking the cake base)
- 2 cans fullfat coconut milk (leave them over night in the fridge in order the coconut water separates from the coconut cream)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsbsp granulated sugar (e. g. coconut sugar, erythrol,...)
- tapioca flour (optional)
- Prepare a round spring form pan with oil and flour to prevent the cake from sticking when baked. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Divide the eggs and beat the yolks with a fork.
- Beat the egg whites together with salt and half of the sugar until stiff.
- In a bowl mix all the remaining dry ingredients. Add the yolks and stir. Add the egg whites and slowly fold them in the flour-egg-mixture.
- Transfer the batter into the spring form pan and even with a pastry scraper. Slide into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Get the cake out before the toothpick comes out completely dry.
- While baking the cake base prepare the cherry filling. Just put all the ingredients (except a few cherries for decoration later) in a sauce pan and let them cook on low heat for about 15 - 20 minutes. Let the cherry mixture cool out.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes and then transfer the cake base on a cooling rack.
- When the cake base is cool, try to cut the base horizontally in two equal halves. Open the cake and on the bottom part spread the cherry mixture. If you want the cherry liquor then put that first.
- Close the cake with the upper part.
- Put the ingredients for the whipped cream in a bowl and beat the cream until stiff. If you are afraid it will not stay on the cake put some tapioca flour.
- Now decorate the cake with the whipped cream, the remaining cherries and the grated chocolate as you like.
- Store in the fridge until you serve.
