It's my birthday and I can cry if I want to. Make a cake if I want to. Eat it if I want toooo!
Also it WAS birthday week -- so don't forget to check out my no-bake birthday cake bars and birthday cake donuts, too!
There was a crisis for many people in my life on my birthday this year. What do we make you?! What do we do?! We can make you something but will you like it!? Will you eat it?!
Rest assured family and loved ones, I got you.
I have been dreaming of the wildest protein cake this world has ever known for quite some time now. Drafting up ideas and really thinking about what it is that I would want in my birthday cake.
Chocolate. Cookie Dough...Marshmallow? Definitely marshmallow....oh and more chocolate.
Cue the Chocolate Cookie Dough Cake with Healthy Vegan Marshmallow Frosting:
Yep. That's the one! Admittedly it did not come together as well as I had hoped.. It's been a not so fun few weeks over here at the Protein Kitchen. Very tired baker means batches of cookies in the garbage, lopsided cakes and many, many MANY tears.
I always cry on my birthday. Every year! Never fails. But it's okay because this year, for the first time in a loooooong time...I will have my cake and eat it, too.
And can you blame me? A dark chocolate cake (that almost looks red from the red cocoa I used!) layered with three beautifully thick layers of whipped PROTEIN cookie dough frosting topped with a PROTEIN VEGAN MARSHMALLOW FROSTING. And my healthy ganache, naturally.
Do you see the little cake batter pieces? Those are my healthy Birthday Cake Protein Bars!
So even though I cried...this cake is kind of awesome. And the vegan marshmallow cream was pretty cool! It's not bright white like the normal stuff but it is really sweet and is very natural! I was shocked! I also used vegan marshmallows on the top! I found both these items at my local health food store and I cannot wait to buy them again! The only thing I will say about the ricemellow creme is that it is not as stable as normal marshmallow fluff -- but that didn't really bother me and was more of a problem because I was beating them at high speeds. So otherwise it should not be a problem! Be nice to your fluff!
This is a protein dream come true. So much fluffy, dense amazing beautiful things going on! If you really want to avoid all the sugar then you can get rid of the candies on top. But like I said....It was my birthday cake so I had to pull out all of the stops!
You want to know how it's made right? Well grab a cup of joe and have a seat because this is protein MADNESS!
Chocolate Cookie Dough Protein Cake
Yields 2 8-inch CakesGluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, High Protein, Vegan Option
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup protein powder (SunWarrior)
- 1/4 dark cocoa powder (or red cocoa powder)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup melted dark chocolate
- 1 cup greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
- 3 large eggs or ener-G egg replacer for 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup strong coffee or 1 large espresso
- 1/2 cup honey or other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave, etc)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup almond milk *may not be necessary if using applesauce
- 5 - 10 drops NOW Foods English Toffee Stevia Drops (optional)
Cookie Dough Layer
- 1 cup whipping cream or non-dairy alternative
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup peanut flour
- 1-2 scoops protein powder
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup dark mini chocolate chips
- 2-3 drops cake batter flavouring
- 5-10 drops liquid stevia
- 2 tablespoons nut butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
Chocolate 'Ganache'
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Healthy Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting
- 1 jar vegan (or regular) marshmallow fluff -- I used a vegan brand called Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme which is all natural!
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or non-dairy alternative
- 1/3 cup light or regular cream cheese or non-dairy cream cheese product
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, at room temperature
- 1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder (optional)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate, melted
- Marshmallow flavouring (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla Extract
- 5 drops French Vanilla Stevia Drops (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons liquid sweetener such as honey,agave, maple syrup, etc. (optional but recommended)
Directions:
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and sift together
- In a large mixing bowl add all wet ingredients including melted chocolate and stir until fully combined
- Add dry mixture to wet, stirring carefully until fully combined
- If mixture is dry add the non-dairy milk until mixture is uniform -- it will be thick!
- Evenly divide batter between the two pans
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean being sure not to over-bake or cake will become dry!
- Let cool in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- Let cool fully before decorating
Cookie Dough Layer
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- Whip the whipping cream to stiff peaks and set aside
- In a small saucepan combine nut butters, all sweeteners and coconut oil until melted
- Pour onto dry mixture and stir until you have a thick batter -- using almond milk to thin it out as needed (you want it to be thick but not so thick it wont stir easily)
- Fold in whipping cream at the very end
- Store in the fridge until ready to use
Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth
- Frosting will be slightly stick from the marshmallow
- Transfer to the fridge until ready to use -- you may decide to transfer the frosting to a large piping bag to reduce mess
Chocolate 'Ganache'
- Simply melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted
- Add coconut oil and stir
- Set aside until it slightly thickens
Cake Assembly Instructions
- Once cakes are cooled -- split each layer in half with a cake leveler or a large knife
- Spread your cookie dough layer in between each of the cake halves, stacking them on top of one another after you spread each layer of frosting
- Reserve the top layer of the cake for your chocolate frosting which you may choose to spread all over the cake, on the top only, or use in between the layers alongside the cookie dough layer
- If desired, pour the ganache on top slowly starting in the middle until it begins to pour over the sides
- Finally you may wish to decorate with marshmallows, chocolate chips, colourful candies, sprinkles or more whipped cream! The sky is the limit!
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve
Start with a beautiful chocolate cake and squash it full of whipped protein cookie dough:
Then top it with your gorgeous marshmallow chocolate frosting. Just doooo it!
Okay now get your ganache...No I don't have it? WHERE IS IT?! OH GOD! OH....here it is.....
Throw some chocolate candies and other random bits and bobs like vegan marshmallows and then go really wild and add chocolate drizzle and mashed up protein bars you made for your birthday because HEY YOU ONLY TURN *INSERT MY AGE HERE* ONCE!
And then sit back and admire your work. And then stop to cry because you didn't level your layers properly and half of your cake is droopy....Then decide it's okay because it's your cake and your kind of wonky yourself and that's what makes you down with the times. Up with the times? Who knows.
It's pretty impressive when you slice it open and expose the cookie dough-ness on the inside. BAM!
I cannot wait to eat this all week. I MEAN SHARE. Yes.....I cannot wait.....to....share.
Because I am a grown up. A whole year older. Which doesn't make any sense to me. I am not a year older? I was a different age yesterday. I am just a day older? What a nonsensical arbitrary sense of age.
But I digress....because....well, cake!
So there you have it. Birthday week is done (so sad) and when it is your birthday I want to see you making donuts and bars and cakes, ok? Or call me and I will do it and I won't even cry...that much.
Is this cake healthy in the same way as broccoli? No. But as far as cakes go you are putting into it some pretty snazzy things that in comparison to the normal are pretty stand-up! And it of course includes my beloved SunWarrior...which I am almost out of and I am terrified (although the bag really goes a long way -- even for me!).
And if its your birthday? You just have no reason not to eat cake. OK?
From my protein kitchen to yours ---
Happy Birthday-ing!
XO
what a fun, yummy looking cake!
ReplyDeleteThank you Dina! I made it for my birthday :D!
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