Cardamom Chocolate Cake With Rose Cashew Cream & Rose Sugar

I'm another year older and I can't help but sit here and wonder where the time has gone.  It doesn't seem right to be celebrating my 28th birthday already.  Time is one thing I will never understand and never be able to beat.

I decided to go the mini route this year and make a small 3-inch tiered cake.  In years past I'm always left with a bunch of cake, which seems awesome at first, but then it quickly becomes a bad idea when I'm justifying to myself why it's okay to eat it for breakfast.  Plus, I can never eat it fast enough before it starts to dry out.  So, mini cake = problem solved.

I originally was going to take only a couple of photos so I could get back to more important birthday activities like watching Wes Anderson movies, looking through a new baking book, and sipping hot tea.  But, I took about a million so I'll let them take it from here...

Cardamom Chocolate Cake with Rose Cashew Cream & Rose Sugar
notes: you can easily make these into cupcakes, just fill the tins about 3/4 full and start testing for doneness around 20 minutes.  I recommend chilling both the cake and the cashew cream overnight as it will make them both easier to work with when you are assembling the cake.  

rose sugar
1/3 cup raw cane sugar or coconut sugar
1 tbsp edible dried rose petals

Combine the sugar and rose petals in a food processor and pulse until the roses are chopped finely.  Store in an airtight container.

cardamom chocolate cake
40g arrowroot flour
40g teff flour
40g millet flour
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp psyllium or xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
80g coconut sugar
scant tsp ground cardamom

120g coconut milk
60g pumpkin puree or unsweetened applesauce
60g melted coconut oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease 3 3-inch spring form pans.  Whisk together all of the dry ingredients until combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth and thick.  Divide the batter evenly between the three pans (they should be about halfway full).  Tap each pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then place the pans on the upper rack of your oven.  Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops are firm and a tester comes out with a few crumbs.  Cool the cakes in the pans for at least 30 minutes before removing them and letting them cool completely on a rack.  If not assembling the cake the same day, wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge.

rose cashew cream
1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked at least 4 hours
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1-2 splashes of rosewater (this will depend on your taste)
3-4 tbsp water
small pinch of sea salt

Drain the cashews and rinse them off.  Add the cashews, vanilla, maple syrup, cider vinegar, salt, a splash of rosewater, and 3 tbsp water to a high speed blender.  Blend until a smooth, somewhat thick cream forms.  If the mixture seems too thick, add a bit more water.  Taste the cream and add more rosewater if needed.  Store the cream in an airtight container in the fridge until you assemble the cake.

to assemble

If you want thick cake layers, simple place one of the layers down, cover the top with cashew cream, then sprinkle a bit of rose sugar on top.  Repeat with the remaining 2 layers.  You can leave the sides naked or ice them depending on your preference.  If you want thinner cake layers, slice each layer in half with a serrated knife to make 6 layers instead of 3.  Eat immediately and store any leftovers in the fridge (if there are any...)