Deliciously Ella’s Celebration Cake Recipe

If you’ve got a birthday or a special event coming up that needs a sweet, indulgent cake to mark it, then this is for you. It looks incredibly impressive and decadent with its layers of vanilla and almond sponge layered with blueberry jam and caramel icing, then finished with coconut icing on top. The triple-layered effect makes it visually stunning, while the three different icings mean it’s delicious. I tend to always go for chocolatey cakes, so this is a really nice change, and losing the chocolate also makes it feel a little lighter, so you can enjoy an extra few bites… or even another slice!

Serves 8–10

For the cake
4½ tablespoons coconut oil, plus more for the tins
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
360ml almond milk
360ml maple syrup
9 teaspoons vanilla powder
360g stone-ground polenta (I like Biona Organic Polenta Bramata)
420g ground almonds
12 teaspoons ground arrowroot

For the blueberry jam
250g blueberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons chia seeds

For the caramel icing
10 medjool dates, pitted
3 tablespoons almond milk
4 tablespoons cashew butter
pinch of salt

For the coconut icing
3 tablespoons cashew butter
250g coconut yogurt
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla powder

To decorate
blueberries
coconut sugar
coconut chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 195°C (fan 175°C). Oil 3 x 20cm cake tins, or line with baking parchment. Put the chia into a mug with 8 tablespoons of water. Leave for 20 minutes until the seeds expand and form a gel. Gently melt the 4½ tablespoons of coconut oil.

In a large bowl, mix all the cake ingredients, including the chia and coconut oil. Stir until smooth. Divide between the prepared tins and bake for 35–40 minutes until golden; a knife poked in should come out clean.

Meanwhile, for the jam, heat the ingredients together in a pan for about 10 minutes until a thick sticky jam forms, then set aside to cool. For the caramel icing, put all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. For the coconut icing, blend the ingredients together or – if your cashew butter isn’t too solid – just stir them. Chill to set a bit.

When the cakes are cooked, let cool in the tins, then remove from the tins.

Thickly spread jam on a cake (with some caramel icing, if you like), then put another on top. Spread with caramel icing, then put the last cake on top. Spread with coconut icing.

Decorate with blueberries, a sprinkling of coconut sugar and coconut chips. Enjoy!

Don’t make the layers of the cake too thick. You want them to be 2.5cm or so deep, any more and the cake may topple, plus it will be hard to eat!