I made this cake for Mom’s birthday because peanut butter cups are her favorite thing on planet earth, but she doesn’t eat them any longer because … you know … chocolate. We do eat the non-chocolate ones sometimes, but it’s not the same. And because we avoid grains, legumes, and refined sugar most of the time, even the chocolate free ones aren’t a part of daily life.
So I saw this cake that’s been in my bookmarks for a long time, and thought of Mom and wanted to make it for her to show her I love her and she’s the best and I’m a mess without her constant support. She did love the cake. So did Dad. And so did I. And there’s still some in the freezer, which is nice.
Because I’m sharing this as my birthday approaches. Last year’s birthday was a bit of a blur of unpacking well after the sun went down, scarfing down some carry out from Del Frisco’s (which was so delicious I can’t even tell you - we were definitely hangry), and going back to the rental for a shower, stiff drink, and sleep before doing it all over again.
This year, I’m definitely in more of a celebratory mood with some plans on the books. And while I’ll probably bake something for myself, I just might take some of this out of the freezer and take a little birthday break because it’s so good.
There are layers of texture and flavor here that are so decadent and irresistible. The cake is pretty much the perfect carob/chocolate cake. It’s rich, but not heavy, so it let’s the real star of the show - almond butter! - shine.
The frosting might seem a bit unconventional, but if you work with patience it will get super fluffy and creamy and you won’t believe it’s basically just almond butter. The chopped up homemade almond butter balls are really gilding the lily, but we’re talking an over the top birthday cake here, so why the hell not gild the lily?
I suppose things go totally over the top then with the ganache that you could just eat with a spoon, but it not only make the cake gorgeous, it add this bitter creaminess that rounds everything out.
Cake. Birthdays. Another year come and gone. I’m not mad at any of it.
