Bounty Cake

I grabbed coconut cream and dark chocolate in the supermarket last week and immediately the idea of a BOUNTY cake came to me.  I thought about making a ‘raw cake’ version but I must admit that I am not keen on cakes using dates as the base so I have come up with something far more delicious and tasty.   The base of the cake is made out of a thin layer of praline which takes a little more skill so I recommend reading the recipe through once so that you know exactly what you have to do.  The filling is raw and the melted chocolate is all pretty easy to make and I promise this is such a treat of a cake.  My family are chocoholics so they wanted an extra pot of melted chocolate for pouring over their slices and I think it’s quite a nice added bonus.  The great thing about this cake is that there are few ingredients but maximum satisfaction!

Ingredients:

GF/DF

Serves 12

For the base

100g unrefined caster sugar

160g almond flour

For the filling and topping

300g desiccated coconut, toasted for 2 minutes in a 170-degree oven/or fry them in a frying pan

1-litre coconut cream

1 tbsp vanilla extract

100ml maple syrup

200g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, plus 100g melted for pouring

A few hours before making place all the coconut cream tins into the fridge to allow the cream and water to separate.

Line a loose-bottom 11-inch cake tin with baking paper and set a frying pan to high heat.  Add the sugar for the base to the pan and watch as the sugar melts into a golden caramel.  This will vary time wise depending on the heat but should take around 5 minutes.  Keep your eyes on the pan to avoid burning! 

When you have a medium golden caramel colour quickly turn off the heat and stir in the almond flour.  As soon as it is mixed carefully but quickly pour the hot caramel into the cake tin and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. 

Keep in mind you will not have much time to spread before the caramel starts to solidify.  When it becomes too tricky with the spatula you can prod it down with some baking paper.   It will be hot so take care and leave to cool completely.

While the base cools, scoop out the cream from the coconut tins leaving out any water and weigh out 1 litre.  Add this along with the toasted coconut flakes, vanilla and maple syrup to an electric mixer and whisk until well mixed for about 3 minutes. 

Pour this into the now cooled cake tin and create a nice flat top.  Place this into the fridge for at least an hour and a half or if you are pushed for time you can put it in the freezer until just set.  Melt 200g of the chocolate over a bains-Marie (bowl over simmering water) and then remove from the heat. 

Pour the chocolate over the cooled coconut cream and use the back of a tablespoon to create a beautiful even layer.  Melt the remainder of the chocolate and scrape it into a jug ready for pouring.  Serve at the table with the chocolate pot on the side. 

The chocolate will set on top of the chilled coconut and should be the perfect temperature for slicing with a sharp knife.  This cake keeps well in the fridge for about 4 days so can be made in advance and you can run the knife under hot water to make it easier to slice the chocolate after a few days.