Red, White, and Blueberry Maple Syrup Cake + Chocolate Frosting + Coconut Cream

Directions

 Maple Syrup Cake:

1. Lightly grease three 6″ cake pans (or glass pyrex dishes).
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. Whisk almond milk and vinegar together and let sit for five minutes.
4. In another bowl (or kitchen aide basin) add oil, maple syrup, applesauce and mix well.
5. Sift dry ingredients into large bowl and mix to incorporate and until no lumps remain. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients (in kitchen aide basin). Mix to combine.
6. Divide the batter between your three cake pans and you may have enough batter left over to make 2 cupcakes or doughnuts.
7. Place pans in the oven to bake for 35-45 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on your oven or the size of cake pans. Keep an eye on them and take them out when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool your cake layers upside down to help flatten the tops out. This will help to make your final cake more symmetrical, balanced, and easier to assemble.
9. Let cake cool completely before icing with frosting (They can be placed in the freezer for a about 15 minute for speedier cooling).

 Chocolate Almond Butter Frosting:

1. Add all frosting ingredients except for the almond milk in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process until ingredients are incorporated, scraping down sides if necessary.
2. Slowly add non-dairy milk, as needed, a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. You want frosting to be spreadable (a Nutelle consistency).
3. Place frosting in refrigerator for 20 minutes to cool and firm up.
4. Now you are read to frost your cake.

Cake Assembly:  

1. Spread a tablespoon of frosting onto the plate or cake stand before putting down the first cake layer. This will prevent the cake from sliding.
2. Place the first cake layer on top of the frosting right-side up so that the flat bottom sits on the stand (if your cake layers are not flat you can cut off the cake tops).
3. Using a spatula put a big dollop of frosting on top of the first cake layer and smooth the icing across the top.
4. Place the second cake layer on top and press gently to make sure it sticks. Take a step back and check that it is level and centered.
5. Put a big dollop of frosting on the center of the second layer and, using the spatula, spread it to the edges. If you get crumbs in the frosting, simply scrape the dirty frosting off your spatula into a separate bowl.
6. Add the third layer. Add frosting to the top.
7. Now it’s time for the berries! Wash berries and place onto a paper towel covered pan or plate and shake the berries around until the water has been absorbed.
8. Gently add your berries to the cake in however fashion you like. I used more frosting to get the raspberries to stick to the cake stand around the bottom of the cake.
9. Once the cake is frosted and layered with berries you can set it aside.
10. For the coconut cream. Drain the coconut water from the can of coconut cream as best as you can, add the maple syrup, and stir to combine. Place coconut cream in the refrigerator to chill until it is time to serve the cake.
11. When you are ready to serve the cake drizzle several spoonfuls of coconut cream over the top of the cake and then again over each slice right before serving.
12. Enjoy with a few scoops of cashew-coconut ice cream.