Ingredients
Dry
- 2.5 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 cup almond flour (super-fine)
- 1.25 cup cane sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp sea salt
- 0.33 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (for dusting layers and top)
- 0.75 cup toasted hazelnuts (finely chopped)
Wet
- 0.5 cup vegan buttery spread (melted)
- 1.5 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup freshly brewed espresso (cooled)
- 0.33 cup amaretto liqueur (divided between soak and cream)
- 2 cup raw cashews (soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes and drained)
- 1 cup full-fat coconut cream (chilled solid part only)
- 0.5 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp almond extract
Method
- 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- 2. Whisk soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a bowl to create vegan buttermilk; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in melted vegan butter and vanilla extract.
- 3. In a separate large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined.
- 4. Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely, then horizontally slice each cooled cake in half to yield four even layers (you will use three or four cake bases depending on desired stack density).
- 5. Prepare the amaretto espresso soak by combining 1 cup of cooled fresh espresso with 3 tablespoons of amaretto liqueur.
- 6. Blend the drained soaked cashews, chilled coconut cream, maple syrup, remaining amaretto liqueur, and almond extract in a high-speed blender until completely smooth and creamy to make the vegan mascarpone frosting.
- 7. Assemble the 7-layer stack: Layer 1 (Sponge base brushed generously with amaretto espresso soak), Layer 2 (Cashew mascarpone cream), Layer 3 (Cocoa dusting and chopped toasted hazelnuts), Layer 4 (Second soaked sponge layer), Layer 5 (Cashew mascarpone cream), Layer 6 (Third soaked sponge layer), Layer 7 (Top swirl of cashew mascarpone dusted generously with cocoa powder and toasted hazelnuts).
- 8. Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) before slicing to achieve maximum structural integrity and flavor infusion.
Chef's notes
For an alcohol-free version, replace the amaretto liqueur with 1 teaspoon of natural almond bakery emulsion and 2 tablespoons of simple syrup.