Easter is approaching and with it come thoughts, hopes, and plans of making and eating lots of yummy food.

In Romania, the four dishes that my mom would always make for Easter when I was growing up were:

  • pasca – a dessert made with wheat flour, milk, cheese, raisins (which obviously I do not make as my son is gluten and dairy sensitive)
  • cozonac – another dessert made with wheat flour, sugar, raisins, cacao, and walnuts (which I also can’t make as my son can’t eat it)
  • cabbage rolls – meat, rice, onions, and tomatoes wrapped and boiled in cabbage leaves
  • salade de boeuf – we always used a French name (which means beef salad) for this delicious salad made in fact (in my family anyway) with chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice.

My mom and I will make the two savory dishes for Easter, the cabbage rolls and the salade de boeuf. In addition I decided to come up with a cake to replace the other two yummy desserts that my son can’t eat.

You need to make this ASAP! This cake is unbelievably good. You can eat it without the frosting or with the frosting. Both versions are deeeelicious!

I could not wait to let the cake cool off, so I spread the frosting on the warm cake and the frosting melted a little (you can see in the photo). Still amazing!

A while ago I made another delicious cake that features sour cherries. It is hard for me to say which one of the two cakes is better. Maybe I should skip choosing and make them both on Easter. If you have no sour cherries, use fresh or frozen sweet cherries instead.

Tasty Tuesday: Almond Cake with Coconut Chocolate Frosting
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Almond Cake with Coconut Chocolate Frosting. Can be served warm (with melted frosting on top) or cold. Delicious either way.
Ingredients
Cake
  • 5 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 7 tablespoons almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ cup pecans, roughly ground (I use a rolling pin)
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup pecans, roughly ground


Frosting
  • Cream from 1 (398 ml) can of coconut milk (see note* below on how to choose the best one)
  • 3 tablespoons raw cacao
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

To make the cake:
  1. Beat the eggs in a big bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, one by one (except the ½ cup of pecans), while stirring gently.
  2. Cover the bottom of a parchment-lined 8x11 in. oven-proof dish with the ½ cup pecans. Pour the egg mixture gently on top.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven off and keep the cake in the oven for 5 more minutes.
  4. Remove the oven-proof dish from the oven. Remove the cake from the dish. Let the cake cool off.
  5. Spread the frosting. Add sprinkles for a fun and colorful effect.

To make the frosting:
  1. Chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge or in a cool place overnight. Flip the can over and open with can opener. Pour off the coconut water (I use it to make a smoothie). Scoop only the solid white coconut cream into a bowl.
  2. Mix the coconut cream, cacao, maple syrup, and vanilla in a big bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat them until the frosting becomes thick and sticks to the beater.

*Before I buy a can of coconut milk, I shake the can in the store. If I hear liquid swishing around in the can, I don’t buy it. If I don’t hear any liquid, then I know that the coconut milk separated from the cream inside the can. This is the best can of coconut milk to buy for frosting. I find that Earth’s Choice brand is almost always separated in the store. There are some cans that don’t separate, but if you do the “shake the can” test, you will be able to tell.
I updated the “About me” page with “12 Things You Might Not Know About Me”. I had fun writing them and I hope you will have fun reading them. If you would like to see the About me page, here it is.

If you celebrate Easter, what are your family’s favourite Easter foods?[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]