Three-Layer Paleo Cake: Maple-Almond, Coffee-Chocolate Chip, and Vanilla

Happy birthday to me! And to celebrate, cake!  Not just a maple-almond cake. Not just a coffee- chocolate chip cake. Not just a vanilla cake, but ALL of them combined, and topped off with a luscious chocolate frosting!

Seriously, people! This cake wants to be in your mouth. And you know you want it. Do you want to know the most tempting thing on the face of this earth? A giant slab of this cake just sitting there, on your counter, all. day. long. I speak from experience.

Three layers of paleo cake are just a necessity for any proper birthday celebration. Okay, fine: one or two layer cakes are awesome, but this cake is just special; three layers, each containing a different flavor and texture. This is the best cake I’ve ever (and ever will) have.

I know, I know, this cake seems a bit labor intensive; it is. But I made my cakes over the course of two days, and froze the cakes once they had cooled. Then, I took them out of the freezer about two hours before we were going to eat them, and then frosted them.

Easy as pie! And delicious as cake.

Ingredients:
For the maple-almond layer:

114 grams (about 1 cup) blanched almond flour

7 grams (about 1 Tbs) coconut flour

21 grams (about 3 Tbs) tapioca or arrowroot flour, plus more for dusting

½ tsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

2 large eggs

½ cup maple syrup

2 Tbs almond milk

2 Tbs coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing

1 tsp almond extract

½ tsp vanilla extract

112 grams (about 1 cup) shaved almonds

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9” round spring form pan with some coconut oil. Dust the bottom and sides with some tapioca flour.

2.     In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.

3.     In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

4.     Stir the wet into the dry, then fold in the almonds.

5.     Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid, then give it a gentle stir.

6.     Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 16 minutes.

7.     Let the cake cool fully before handling, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until assembly.

Ingredients:

For the coffee-chocolate chip layer:

96 grams (about 1 cup) blanched almond flour

24 grams (about 3 Tbs) tapioca flour or arrowroot flour, plus more for dusting

8 grams (about 1 Tbs) coconut flour

2 tsp finely ground espresso

1 pinch sea salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbs coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing

3 Tbs almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9” round spring form pan with some coconut oil. Dust the bottom and sides with some tapioca flour.

2.     In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, espresso, baking soda, and salt.

3.     In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

4.     Stir the wet into the dry, then fold in the chocolate chips.

5.     Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid, then give it a gentle stir.

6.   Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 16-18 minutes.

7.     Let the cake cool fully before handling, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until assembly.

Ingredients:

For the vanilla layer: 

88 grams (about ¾ cup) blanched almond flour

31 grams (about ¼ cup) tapioca flour or arrowroot flour, plus more for dusting

14 grams (about 2 Tbs) coconut flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbs coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing

2 Tbs almond milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1.   Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9” round spring form pan with some coconut oil. Dust the bottom and sides with some tapioca flour.

2.   In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt.

3.   In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

4.   Stir the wet into the dry.

5.   Let the batter sit for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid, then give it a gentle stir.

6.   Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 16-18 minutes.

7.   Let the cake cool fully before handling, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until assembly.

Ingredients:

For the chocolate frosting:

1 cups coconut oil

2 cups chocolate chips

1 Tbs vanilla extract

Directions:

1.     In a double boiler on high heat, melt all of the ingredients until they form a smooth liquid.

2.     Pour the liquid into a large bowl, then place the bowl in the fridge so the mixture can harden.

3.     Let it harden for about 30 minutes, then remove from the fridge.

4.     Using a hand blender, mix the frosting until thick and fluffy. NOTE: If you don’t own a hand blender, an electric mixer works too, but you’ll probably

have to let the mixture defrost a little before mixing.

NOTE: if you want lots of frosting on your cake, and frosting around the whole edge, I recommend doubling the frosting recipe. The single recipe made enough for me, but I didn’t frost the edges.

To Assemble:

1.     Place the maple-almond layer of cake on your cake platter.

2.     Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of it.

3.     Repeat this process with the coffee-chocolate chip layer, then the vanilla layer,

       gently spreading a layer of frosting on each time.

4.     Place a topping on the cake, if wanted. I used this beautiful rose from Chocolate FX.

5.     Enjoy the cake!