Pumpkin Layer Cake with Creamy Coconut Frosting

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• ½ cup honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup cassava flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. pumpkin spice powder
• 1/8 tsp. pink salt
• 2 Honey Mama’s Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Truffle bars, chopped
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut butter, softened
• 1 cup coconut oil, softened slightly 
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

• 3 T. milk (I used full-fat coconut milk)
• 3 T. honey
• 3 T. coconut oil
• 3 T. cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and brush the sides of the pans with melted coconut oil.
2. Gently whisk eggs in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Sift dry ingredients and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk gently until you achieve a smooth batter.
5. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in chopped Honey Mama’s pieces.
6. Add baking soda to a small bowl and pour apple cider vinegar over the top. Immediately fold mixture into cake batter before fizzing subsides.
7. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Let cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
9. While cakes cool, prepare your frosting by mixing coconut oil, coconut butter, honey, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the shredded coconut. You want your frosting to be thick, but spreadable. If it seems too loose, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
10. Once cakes have cooled to room temperature, begin adding frosting by spreading a thick layer over the tops of two of the cakes. Gently stack one frosted cake on top of the other, finishing with the unfrosted cake on top. Once the cakes are stacked, evenly spread the remainder of the frosting around the sides and top of the cake. Place cake in refrigerator to allow frosting to firm up.
11. To make the chocolate glaze, start by heating all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk gently until all ingredients are combined. Set aside to cool.
12. Once glaze has reached room temperature, remove cake from refrigerator and carefully pour the glaze over the edges of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Use the remaining glaze to spread over the top of the cake. 

Makes one 6-inch layered cake

Notes:

• I used 6-inch cake pans to make one, 3-layer cake. You could also use 8-inch cake pans to create a 2-layer cake, if preferred.
• To get the “drip” just right on the glaze, start by spooning the glaze around the edges of the cake and allow the glaze to drip slowly down the sides. After you have gone around the entire cake, use the remaining glaze to cover the top.
• Depending on the size of your cake, you may have leftover frosting and/or glaze. The frosting will be great spread on just about anything, and the chocolate glaze is the perfect dip for fruit, pretzels, potato chips...you name it!
• The frosting will firm up considerably when refrigerated, so be sure to let your cake sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.

 Photography by Leesa Morales