Paleo Vanilla Cashew Cake + Chocolate Berry Ganache

In honor of the elections, which thankfully are coming to a close, we decided to celebrate in our own patriotic way. I managed to sneak in a few red, white and blue treats (organic cheddar cheese, strawberries and blueberries) in the kids' lunch boxes today and added a few flags for extra flare. All of my children are at an age where they can understand our electoral system, at least to a degree, and it is imperative they know how important it is to vote. It is a right we are given in our country and it is a privilege that shouldn't be taken for granted.

So tonight, we celebrate that right with a slice of vanilla cashew cake with a chocolate berry ganache icing. I've introduced cocoa powder (non-gmo, organic, raw) into Jonas' diet and so far we've had no side effects. However, since cocoa powder is an illegal SCD item we only eat it in moderation and I don't use much. If you use a good product, a little bit goes a long way.

VANILLA CASHEW CAKE
yield: 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS

CRUST:
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

FILLING:
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight in water
½ cup full fat coconut milk
½ cup coconut oil, melted
⅔ cup raw honey
2 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. Himalayan salt

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup cocoa powder (I actually use less than 1/2 cup)
¼ raw honey
¼ cup blackberries
¼ cup raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS
CAKE:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a round 9-inch spring form pan with coconut oil.
3. Blend the dry ingredients together in a mixer.
4. Add in the wet ingredients and pulse until combined.
6. Pour the batter into the greased spring form pan.
7. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden.
8. Cool completely on a wire rack.


FILLING:
1. Drain the soaked cashews.
2. Combine the cashews with the other ingredients in a mixer and blend until smooth.
3. Pour the cashew mixture over the cake and freeze for 3-4 hours.

ICING:
1. Combine the coconut oil, cocoa powder and honey and whisk together.
2. Once the cake has frozen, top with berries and drizzle with the chocolate ganache.
3. Freeze for 1-2 hours.
4. Allow to thaw for 10 minutes before serving.

Bon Appétit!

**Remember, cocoa powder is not allowed on the SCD diet. We have recently introduced it after being on the diet for slightly over a year. If you are strictly following SCD omit the chocolate ganache and sift coconut flakes and dried strawberries over the cake.