Black Forest Cake

This black forest cake version is completely vegan, whole grain, and can be made sugar-free. It's much more nutritious than the original version, filled with refined sugar, butter, and white flour. Just one slice contains almost a half of the daily recommended intake for fiber and around 25 percent of your iron, magnesium, and phosphorus needs per day! The cake is also a source of high quality carbohydrates and healthy fats from the avocado and chia seeds, as well as a surprisingly high amount of protein. You can even eat a slice for breakfast and feel good about it. And the best part? It doesn’t taste healthy at all!

BLACK FOREST CAKE [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• 4 and ½ cup whole grain spelt flour (or whole wheat)
• 2 cups xylitol, erythritol or unrefined sugar (or a combination)
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup applesauce
• ⅔ cup canola or melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons  apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups filtered water

For the filling:

• 2 cups sour cherries (fresh, frozen or canned)
• ¼ cup  chia seeds
• ¼ cup cherry juice or the canning liquid if using canned sour cherries
• ¼ to ½ cup date syrup or other sweetener (adjust to taste)

For the frosting:

• 1 avocado
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons date syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

PREPARATION

1. Mix the dry ingredients for the cake in a large bowl.
2. Add wet and mix until combined.
3. Pour in two 8-inch pans lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 (180 Celsius) for about 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Let cool completely.
6. In the meantime, combine all the ingredient for the filling in a medium bowl and let sit until thickened (about 10 minutes).
7. Add all ingredients for the frosting in a food processor and pulse until super smooth. Make sure the coconut oil is warm enough so that it blends in well with the other ingredients.
8. Layer the cake with the filling and cover with frosting.
9. Refrigerate until the frosting hardens a bit.
10. Decorate with dried cherries and cacao nibs if you like.
11. Let the cake cool completely, preferably overnight, before tasting. It will become much sweeter as it cools and the flavors will combine nicely.
12. Enjoy!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/black-forest-cake/