Decadent Chocolate Layer Cake with a Special Chocolate Frosting ... for my 20th Birthday!!

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And unlike last year, I don't have any exams today.  Phew.  But seriously guys, I'm turning twenty today.

TWENTY.  The big 2-O ... I've been on Earth for two entire decades?  Damn, I'm old.

So obviously, I celebrated with cake.  A chocolate cake.  Duh.

Satisfyingly sweet, incredibly decadent and supremely chocolatey.  Oh, and did I mention it's guilt free?  Oh yes, I've slashed over half the calories and two-thirds the fat from the original recipe (see nutrition label comparison below!).  While it's definitely not Chockohlawtay's most conventional recipe, it's definitely an unbelievable improvement from before... you know, from the 10 eggs, 1 cup of butter, and 1+2/3 cups of sugar?

This cake?  It's everything you need in life, right here, right now (and I mean NOW)

Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting:  [sugar free, low fat, high fiber/protein, GF]

(makes two 9" cake layers)       adapted from Coconut Recipes

   Dry:
       224g (2 cups) Coconut Flour*
       80g (1 cup) Regular Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
       1+1/2 tsp Baking Powder
       1+1/2 tsp Baking Soda
       1 tsp Salt

   Wet:
       7 Jumbo Eggs*
       6 Jumbo Egg Whites*
       320g (1+2/3 cups) Granulated Erythritol (or dry sweetener of choice)
       1+1/3 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
       308g (1+1/4 cups) Unsweetened Applesauce
       1 tsp Vanilla Extract

   Fat-Free Protein Frosting:*
       105g (5 scoops) Chocolate Brown Rice Protein Powder
       ~11 tbs Unsweetened Almond Milk
       60 drops Stevia Extract

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and generously spray two 9" cake pans with cooking spray (make sure you spray/grease the pans well, since this cake is much lower fat than the original recipe the cakes have a tendency to stick)
2.  In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
3.  In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
4.  Add wet to dry and stir together (it should look liquidy at first but it gets thicker quickly).  When the dry seems fully incorporated, whisk the batter vigorously for ~10 seconds to remove any clumps.
5.  Pour batter evenly between the two prepared pans and flatten the surfaces.  Bake for ~55 minutes, or when the surface of the cakes spring back when touched.  Let cool in pans.
6.  For the frosting, add the protein powder to a medium-sized bowl and add 9 tbs of the almond milk and stevia.  Stir together and add more almond milk when needed, tablespoon by tablespoon.  Lightly frost the first cake layer, then top the next cake layer with the rest of the frosting.  Slice and serve!

Keep leftovers tightly wrapped (I used plastic wrap) at room temp for up to 2 days, then refrigerate covered after that.  Surprisingly, this low-fat cake stays soft and moist for quite a few days!  Usually low-fat cakes turn dry and hard as a rock.

*Notes:

1.  Even though coconut flour smells strongly of coconut out of the container, I actually didn't taste any coconut in the finished cake... but maybe that's just me? 

2.  The 7 whole eggs measured 1.5 cups and 410g.  The 6 egg whites measured 3/4 cup + 2 tbs and 198g.

3.  If you want more frosting, add 2 more scoops of this protein powder, ~4 more tablespoons of almond milk and ~24 more drops of stevia.

Flavor Variations: 

Mocha - add 2 tbs of instant coffee to batter
Peppermint - add 1-2 tsp of peppermint extract to batter
Coconut - add 1-2 tsp coconut extract to batter and top frosting with shredded coconut
Almond Joy - add 1 tsp coconut extract + 1 tsp almond extract
Strawberry Chocolate - add strawberry jam + sliced strawberries between cake layers

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Now it's time for a nutrition label showdown!

The Original Recipe's nutrition label is on the left,  Chockohlawtay's nutrition label is on the right:

  

(labels do not include frostings)

Can you believe the discrepancy between the nutritional labels when the cakes are equally moist, equally sweet and equally decadent?  Chockohlawtay's version has:

• 270 less calories
• 19g less fat (and 12g less saturated)
• 25% less of your daily cholesterol
• less than half the carbs
• 40g less sugar
• infinitely less guilt!

I've never typed the word "less" so much in my life!

In case you were wondering what the nutrition label would be for my cake with the frosting, here it is:

Okay guys, c'mon.  I think it's utterly impossible to feel guilty eating this cake.  A large slice has only 260 calories, 14g of fiber and 22g of protein?!

Oh my, I think this is my best birthday yet.  I think you can guess what I had for breakfast on this lovely day... and let me tell ya, this cake pairs perfectly with a cup of joe.  My friend mailed me an early bday package with the best presents ever, two being a coffee cup and Starbucks VIA!

Coffee?  She knows me too well.  Thanks J!