Happy birthday to my blog, which turns 1 today! To celebrate I made this insanely decadent chocolate cake using hazelnuts, dark chocolate, and poppyseeds, topped with a fresh strawberry sauce.
I have always loved birthday cakes. When I was a kid, my mom would make a two-layer devil’s food cake with shiny white marshmallow icing. My friend Polly brought a version of this cake to my birthday party, modified to be gluten- and sugar-free. I’ve modified it even further, melding her recipe (originally from Lindsay Shere’s Chez Panisse Desserts) with one from my friend Angela’s blog.
I was at Angela’s in Provence on my actual birthday this year. I studied French in 5th, 7th through 11th grades, and in college. It has been a lifelong dream to visit France. But life—and other travel opportunities—intervened. It wasn’t until my Big 5-0 that The Husband and I got to France. And it was incredibly special, because Angela made me this cake to finish off a beautiful lunch at their home. Angela’s recipe (which is not vegan) is from Provençal chocolatier Joel Durand.
I served it with fresh strawberry sauce and no ganache (frosting). I love how the tart acid from the fruit cuts the richness of the chocolate. I used melted strawberry-vodka sorbet. You could make a quick, easy sauce with strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries and a splash each of water and brandy or cognac whizzed in a blender.
Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, low-sodium, reduced-sugar diets
Not for:
migraine diets
- 4 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 8 ounces baking chocolate unsweetened
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup poppy seeds (75 g)
- 1/2 lemons zested, then juiced
- 1-1/2 cups ground hazelnuts almonds, walnuts (125 g)
- 1-1/2 cups agave syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with coconut oil. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and a ribbon of parchment as wide as the pan is tall. Stick the paper to the pan, then oil the paper. Sift a small amount of cocoa powder to cover the inside of the pan, tapping out excess. Set the pan aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325F/160C/Gas mark 3.
- Put the ground flax seeds into the work bowl of your stand mixer, food processor, or a deep mixing bowl. Add ¾ C. (190 ml) filtered water and let sit while you work.
- Roughly chop the baking chocolate. Add the coconut oil (melt the coconut oil in a microwave if necessary to measure it).
- Put a pan of water on the stove, with a metal bowl that fits on top, but is not touching the water. (Congratulations! You just made a fancy double boiler.) Heat the water to a simmer, then add the chocolate and coconut oil, mixing with a whisk until it melts.
- If you have a spice grinder or mill, grind the poppy seeds to release their flavor. If you don’t, no worries. (A blender doesn’t work, they just spin around.)
- Zest the lemon into the large work bowl, add the lemon juice, then add all the other ingredients and beat until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan on the center shelf of the heated oven. Bake 35 minutes. The edges should rise and crack a little bit. The center of the cake will be wiggly; it will set up as it cools.
- Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack. It will separate from the sides as it cools. When it is completely cool, remove the springform sides. Place a plate on top of the cake, flip it over, remove the base and the parchment paper and place a serving plate on the bottom of the cake. Flip again, so that the cake is right side up.
- Sift cocoa powder lightly over the top (you can use a paper doily or cut shapes into wax paper to make the top look fancy) and serve with berry sauce or sorbet. Cut in very thin slices, as this cake is super rich!
- Store the cake in the refrigerator, and slice it cold for best results. It will get soft on warm days.
Per serving:
- 233 calories
- 19 g fat
- 11 g saturated fat
- 3 g monounsaturated fat
- 2 g polyunsaturated fat
- 0 g trans fat
- 0 g cholesterol
- 1 mg sodium
- 138 mg potassium
- 17 g carbohydrate
- 4 g fiber
- 11 g sugars
- 4 g protein
- 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus
If you grind your own flax seeds in a blender, try putting the poppy seeds in with them. If you don’t have a springform pan, use a round cake pan and follow the pan preparation instructions. I feel pretty certain that it would work just fine. I got my hazelnuts (also known as filberts) from Freddy Guy's in Oregon. They are fabulous!
Someone asked me if this cake is "healthy." Well, yes, for a dessert. It offers healthy fats, anti-oxidants from the chocolate, is low on the glycemic index, and also offers protein and fiber. But it's still a special treat, as it's a calorie-dense food. In that same category are some other healthy(ish) birthday cake ideas:
Rosemary and Olive Oil cake from Domestic Divas
Gluten-free lemon almond polenta cake from A Food Centric Life (I have had this and it is g-o-o-d!)
Vegan chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut ganache from What Would Cathy Eat?
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This was very good, but next time I may use regular shortening with no transfats with some coconut extract to cut out the saturated fat from the coconut oil.
Bryan, thanks for sharing your recipe notes! Glad to hear that there will be a “next time”!
Hi,
Your chocolate cake recipe is just what I have been looking for. I was wondering though if I wanted to substitute the chocolate for another flavour what would you suggest?
I was hoping to make a cake with the ingredience you have in your recipe but with either a predominantly fruit or nut flavour.
Thank you very much,
Emelia
Hi Emelia, I have no idea what to suggest here… the chocolate is pretty key to this cake. Perhaps you’d like this blood orange upside-down cake as a starting point. http://reciperenovator.com/special-diets/vegan/blood-orange-upside-down-cake/
dessert!i like it…..delicious
You certainly made it look fabulous and I love your renovation!
Was a pleasure to have you chez nous for your birthday!
Angela, thanks again for hosting us. Your version was so amazing I had to figure out how to make it vegan.
This cake looks delicious! I’ve made flourless cakes but never with hazelnut meal or poppy seeds. Sounds like a fantastic flavor.
The combo was really nice. The poppy seed idea came from my friend in France.
Such a gorgeous cake, and healthy too! I could happily revamp this to be low carb for me. Great job and happy birthday to your blog!
oh my goodness im just staring in awe right now…! What a deeelicious looking cake, and it sounds so scrummy! Happy blogging anniversary! 🙂
Thanks Carolyn and Sasha! It really made the neighbors happy. 🙂
Happy Birthday to your blog! Thank you for your generosity in sharing with us such a beautiful and healthy dessert! xoxoxox, Brooke
Thanks Brooke! It’s been a really fun ride. I appreciate all the beautiful posts you write as well.
Ooh, that sings to me. A little raspberry sauce with a splash of Grand Marnier? Knock me over with a feather.
Sadly, the only ingredients I have are vanilla and cinnamon. Happily, I’m going to the grocery store soon…
Thanks Stacy. I have to tell you, it’s a pretty awesome cake. I took pieces to all the neighbors and no one believed it was healthy. 🙂
oh my goodness- looks FABULOUS!!