The Unreasonably Healthy Chocolate Cake with Sheridan Joy Austin

Ingredients

• 3 cups blanched almond meal
• 4 eggs, separated
• ½ cup cacao powder
• ¾ cup maple syrup (room temperature)
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 cup room temperature coconut cream
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp collagen

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Whisk the egg whites with the apple cider vinegar until they are firm and fluffy! You can use a beater or in the Thermomix, this is done with the butterfly whisk, speed 4 for 1 and a half minutes.
3. Scoop the egg whites out into a large bowl.
4. Without needing to clean what you whisked the eggs in, just add in the egg yolks, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond meal, cacao powder, coconut cream, vanilla, baking soda and collagen and blend on low-medium speed until just combined and not over mixed/over blended.
5. Spoon the mixture out into the same bowl to next to the egg whites, and fold in the egg whites until combined.
6. Scoop into lined muffin moulds or a lined cake tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool, and then add your favourite topping.

Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen strawberries (400g)
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp of The Mothers Blend or The Children's Blend
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• Sweetener to taste if preferred, such as monk fruit drops or 2 tbsp maple syrup

Method

1. Blend the strawberries until fine.
2. Add the chia seeds, and gently warm the mixture to thaw and combine.
3. Add in the vanilla and sweetener of choice and continue to mix through.
4. Once melted and combined, allow to cool slightly. Add in your chosen Foraged For You blend and combine.
5. Place in the fridge until the cake has cooled and is ready for layering!
6. Once the (optional) two cakes have cooled, apply a thick layer to the top of the bottom cake, but ensuring NOT to go to the edges as it will ooze through when you place the other cake on top.
7. Place the other cake on top, and then begin to carefully lather the below ganache all over the cakes, top and sides.

Ingredients

• 200g your choice of chocolate
• 150g coconut cream
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt
• Optional: ½–1 tbsp of The Mothers Blend

Method

1. Melt down the chocolate, and add in the coconut cream, vanilla and salt. Whisk to combine. Now add in The Mothers Blend or Children's blend and continue to whisk (or better yet, gently blend) until all is well combined. Taste the mixture and add a little more blend if you wish!

2. Pop the mixture in the fridge to begin firming up just slightly, checking every 15 minutes or so and giving it a stir. Don’t let it set completely though! As if I’ll be too hard to spread, so remove from the fridge before that happens!

3. Once the cakes are completely cool and the jam above is in the middle of the cakes, lather the cakes on top and on the sides, being careful not to let the cakes slip and slide. 

4. Place the whole cake in the fridge for the ganache to set and the jam to find its place, too, 

5. Slice, and enjoy!