Maple Paleo Cake

Ever feel deprived when switching to a grain free, dairy free diet? Well not anymore! Here is a delicious grain free, dairy free and refined sugar free cake made just for you and your loved ones.

When creating this recipe I remember getting out my food processor and a few things from my pantry and just giving this a try. My husband and I were slowly making a switch to a majority grain-free, refined sugar free and dairy free diet to help my own health needs, and I felt so frustrated because I wanted to make him something yummy but didn't have any easy recipes. And thus, after many tries, this delectable vanilla-maple cake was created!

For the cake:

For this recipe, you will need a food processor, a spatula (I prefer a rubber one), measuring cups and spoons, and 1-2 cake pans of choice.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups lightly salted and roasted cashews

1 cup pitted dates (I prefer the kind you can buy in the refrigerated section if possible. They aren't as dry. However, you will have to pit them yourself.)

3 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 TBS coconut oil

**I also use a light olive oil spray to coat the pan. I recommend placing parchment paper in the pan first, then spraying it, and then putting the dough in the pan.

Icing: The icing I used in the photo is a chocolate icing I got from another cookbook. Since I cannot share that, I suggest using my paleo vanilla buttercream. I am currently working on creating my own frostings!

Let's get cooking!

Place the cashews in your food processor and mix on high until grainy. Once it starts sticking to the sides, stop it and scrape with spatula. Add in the coconut oil and mix on high, stopping as needed to scrape edges, until the mixture turns into a nut butter consistency (think PB people). Remove the cashew mixture and place in bowl. Without needing to wash food processor, add pitted dated to the mixture and blend into a sticky mixture with the majority of the clumps removed. Scrape the edges and then add the cashew mixture into the food processor with the date mixture, as well as the eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and baking soda. Mix on high, stopping as needed to scrape edges. Mix until all lumps are gone.

Pour the batter into the sprayed/greased parchment paper in pan of you choice. Place in oven on 350 and cook for 20 minutes, then check the dish and add an additional 5 minutes every time after you check it. You know the cake is down when a fork comes out without dough on it in the middle.

** note - Do not overcook, the cake easily burns. Just keep and eye on it and you have nothing to worry about!