Vegan Samoa Layer Cake

When I was little and I got excited about Girl Scout cookies, it was always the Samoas. Caramel, chocolate and cookie with coconut…some of my favorite things, and so good. Of course now, they are too sweet for me and full of ingredients that are not healthy, so I would make my own before buying any and just donate money to the girl scouts instead. But you know what is better than making your own Samoa cookies? Making your own Samoa inspired desserts. That’s right, especially cake.

I have made a vegan Samoa Cheesecake before, but not a layer cake. So for Valentine’s Day, I made a vegan Samoa layer cake for me and Eric. He loves chocolate, I love caramel and coconut so it was perfect. We enjoyed it with a glass of wine in the evening, and I can not think of a better way the night could have ended. Enjoying delicious cake and wine with my man…all of my favorite things.

The cake may look complicated to make, but really it is not. I made the cake layers and caramel the day before then made the frosting and assembled the next day. There is no slicing of layers required either. I used dates to sweeten this cake, because that is what I am loving lately, and it gave it a caramel flavor.

The frosting and caramel of course used dates as well (yes I know there are a lot, before anyone says so), but they make the cake so good, and I would rather use them than tons of maple syrup. The frosting is nice and fudgy and the cake perfectly moist and soft. It is simply crave worthy. I like this even better than Samoa cookies honestly. I think you will too!

Vegan Samoa Layer Cake

Makes 1 6 inch 2 layer cake

2 6 inch cake pans

Cake:
1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or all purpose gluten free flour)
1 1/2　tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1/2 cup of the water reserved
1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup filtered water
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Frosting:
1 1/4 cups pitted medjool dates, soaked in water for 30 minutes, and　1 cup of the water reserved
3/4 cup raw walnut butter or raw almond butter
3/4　cup cacao powder
pinch sea salt

Caramel:
1 cup pitted medjool dates
3 Tbsp raw pecan butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1/3 cup filtered water
¾ cup finely shredded, dried coconut

¼ cup chopped vegan dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line the bottoms of two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with oil so that the cake doesn't stick. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well. Place dates, reserved water, oil, water, and vanilla extract　into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the　cider vinegar until bubbles form. Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender, and blend until smooth (since moisture content in dates varies, and nut butters may vary in runniness, if it seems too thin, add a little more cacao powder, too thick, a little more water). Set aside.
To make the caramel, combine all ingredients but the coconut in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Stir in coconut until well combined.
To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate, and spread frosting 1/2 inch thick over it, then half of the caramel.　 Place the other cake layer over that, then spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake. Spread the remaining caramel over the top of the cake.
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then drizzle over the caramel on top of the cake (I put mine in a ziplock bag with the corner cut off and squeezed it out). Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.

***if you would like a 2 layer 9 inch cake, double this entire recipe and bake in two 9 inch cake pans.