healthy chocolate cake Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Frosted Donuts (No-Bake) + Tempering Chocolate Tips

Frosted donuts are delicious and fun… and you may remember them from childhood. Or maybe just saw them at a grocery store. They’re still around.

And these homemade frosted donuts you can make easily with a smooth, shiny dark chocolate coating, known as tempering. And with no baking at all. The filling is a no-bake healthy cake recipe.

frosted donut plate.

These are all the steps… here we go!

For starters, you’ll grab the ingredients. And I mean grab. You don’t need to remember to bring butter out to room temps. Because there is no butt-ah!

The ingredients are room temp pantry items: flour, olive oil, chocolate, and extract.

How’s that for ease?

And for a healthy and happy donut (that’s the only kind I like to make).

The filling is an all almond cookie/cake (or frosted donut) that again is no baking or cooking. It’s one-bowl and hand mixing easy. No fuss, no muss.

Almond cookie no bake Cookie: and 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/8 cup light EVOO and 1 tsp almond extract

It’s the same one I used in a gluten-free rainbow cookie. 🌈

Over the rainbow, it’s good for everyone and you decide if the cake filling is more of a vanilla-almond or pure almond tasting one.

And you can bring out the ligher tastes with a contrasting dark chocolate shell like a healthy 70% or more darker chocolate that’s reminiscent of a frosted donut.

The fun part is tempering dark chocolate from dark chocolate morsels or baking squares. And it’s worth the small extra effort, as you get this nice shiny finish no matter what shape your donuts are.

Which btw, you want to find chocolate molds to shape that have a top and a bottom so you can fill the middle with cake filling. So no ice trays.

And how I found you best do it consistently without burning chocolate is in the double boiler method.

To get the heat, you make a double boiler setup on the stove with a heat-proof bowl that can fit ontop of and fully cover a cooking pot rim. This way you keep the chocolate away from the steam by blocking the steam.

I actually setup up a triple boiler. I put a bowl inside of a bowl that sat ontop of the pot rim.

And that worked great as the chocolate got heated but was shielded from the elements of burning (🔥) and steam (💧). Neither of which are good earthly touching elements for chocolate.

…Maybe chocolate is heavenly?

And if you can keep the chocolate to intense summer tan heat and room air only elements, chocolate rewards you by giving a shine at the end.

Like shined leather shoes that gets looks for all the right reasons. 👀

It’s chocolate magic since you needed no buffing tools or additional ingredients. With just the right temps, you have tempered chocolate ready to use for you donuts. And an acquired chocolate whisperer skill. You in?

How to Temper Dark Chocolate (Frosted Donut) - Double Boiler Method

Tempering chocolate is an easy way to make a frosted donut.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

pot
heat-proof bowl that can sit not the rim of the pot
kitchen-use temperature gauge
chocolate molds

Ingredients

dark chocolate morsels
cake filling

Instructions

Set 1/3 "seeding" chocolate aside and put 2/3 chocolate into heating bowl.
Heat the chocolate: Using your stove top, heat chocolate using a double boiler method, so you don't burn the chocolate. Set chocolate inside the heating bowl that is best to sit ontop of the rim top of a pot filled with water 1/4 to 1/2 way up in the pot. Be sure to prevent the chocolate from getting wet or steam coming in contact, or the chocolate could seize up (turn grainy and the opposite of shiny). Heat chocolate to ideally 118°F/47°C
Cool the chocolate: Finish tempering the chocolate by adding "seeding" chocolate and letting it cool to ideally 86°F/30°C or slightly lower (but not lower than 80°F/26°C).
Use the chocolate immediately. Pour into top and bottom molds. Leave enough unused tempered chocolate for piping or "glue-ing" the two halves together after the filling is added.
Refrigerate molded chocolate for at least 30 minutes.
Pull out chocolates out of molds and add cake filling in both halves.
Glue the two chocolate halves with a piping bag with the tempered chocolate or smear with a decorating spatula.
Refrigerate again until chocolate halves are sealed and dry.
Enjoy right away or refrigerate for up to 2-3 days.

Cupcake Low-Sugar Recipe (Easy For Any Occasion)

Cupcake is a comfort dessert that somehow isn’t as catchy as they once were in simpler dessert times (from my cupcake history memory).

But in my dessert world, I still think cupcakes are great… and maybe you do too 🧁 if you like simple sweets! And the ones here are low-sugar.

The low-sugar cupcake recipe below is for easy, foolproof cupcake that’s as easy as a cake mix box… but substitutes in more healthy baking ingredients without sacrificing taste or texture!

That’s exciting to me. Because cupcakes and I go waaaayy back. They remind me of grade school when someone’s mom sent their child to school with homemade cupcakes. Remember those days?

My Hi-Sugar Cupcake Journey: 🍥

I also grew up close to Georgetown near the original Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington, D.C. Then came Sprinkles. 🧁

And the chic destination cupcakeries like Magnolia Bakery that are nostalgic. And memorable for the pastel buttercream frosting. 🍥

Today of course, you can still enjoy a cupcake. And when you get a hankering, you can whip up a batch as quick as it takes to go out to get one.

Oh, and you can have these mini-cakes ready to enjoy watching Cake Week from the Great British Bake Off (#GBBO). 🇬🇧

You probably already have the cupcake ingredients in your pantry.

With healthier ingredients available to source, you can make a healthy, low-sugar cupcake version (for any occasion) that doesn’t sacrifice sweet taste or texture.

Cupcakes (that don’t get gobbled up 😋) can stay moist covered for days in the refrigerator.

That totally reminds me of an adult cupcake event in my past…

Where I took my Hi-Hats out of the fridge and to a church event. The cupcake recipe came from Martha Stewart’s Cupcake cookbook that I adore.

…And even though mine baked out of the oven looked imperfect with like low-er hi-hats, they tasted wickedly good… and I’m glad I made 2 per person.

They were a hi-hat hit.

…And that’s the beauty of cupcakes. They’re great no matter what!

So with that low-bar…

Make Your Low-Sugar Cupcake Batter:

From the same base batter, you can create white or chocolate cupcakes (or mix-n-match) where you divide up the batter. With just one ingredient (cocoa) add, you have a chocolate cupcake recipe.

That’s what cake box mixes sitting on shelves don’t want you to know. 😁

It’s an easy One-Bowl batter you can’t mess up!

Cupcakes always end up with a smooth dome top. And if you set your timer, they’re golden.

And it’s a great lazy bake or kid prepare bake because it doesn’t even matter if some of your batter bowl misses your cupcake holder.

So you can make these healthy-inspired cupcakes, relaxed with one-eye open. 😜 And no cake box mix.

You can substitute in these healthy ingredients:

Healthy Flour:

Using mostly almond flour (or another gluten-free flour like coconut or tapioca flour) and light oil (no butter needed).

The sunshin-y cupcakes below are mixed with whole wheat flour that has more fiber and protein than all-purpose or cake flour.

Because “whole” wheat ingredients preserve the bran and seed’s embryo (that has B-E vitamins and some minerals). You can B-E good.

So why not? Plus, whole wheat flour is usually around the same cost range.

Whole wheat turns out a little more beige brown but it will be covered by a cupcake glaze or frosting. And these look a little like sunflowers so they’re more wholesome and natural 🌻 And maybe attract bees.

Anti-Inflammatory Sugars:

And best of all… for this cupcake recipe, you won’t need a measuring cup for the healthy monk fruit sugar used.

Think: a little-little spoon of sugar if you use monk fruit sugar because it’s about 2.5 times more sweet tasting than refined sugar.

And many more times healthy, since it comes from an antioxidant fruit.

Then when you add a big spoonful of healthier maple syrup (or honey), these will not compromise sweetness.

And that’ll be enough sweet for the number of cupcakes in this cupcake recipe version that’s 6 of 1 or half-a-dozen of the other (as we used to say in my hotel catering days).

Or simply 6.

While baking is oven chemistry, there’s no complicated math to remember to make this cupcake recipe.

It’s either 1 or 1/2.

And for tools, all you need is a measuring cup (that has the equivalent of a 1 cup measurement). Plus a teaspoon.

And a tablespoon is handy, otherwise use 3 tsp =1 Tbsp.

I like to capitalize “T” for Tablespoon so it doesn’t get confused with little “t” t-spoon (teaspoon). That’s how I handwrite them down on index cards.

For easy amount size remembrance: the diameter is a half-dollar (for the Tablespoon if I remembered those right in the piggy bank?) or quarter size for a teaspoon.

Or convert to your country’s coin currencies.

And even easier than baking spray in paper cups is using reusable silicone cupcake holders.

Simply wash them out and then you don’t need any baking spray to prevent sticking.

They’re oven-safe for cupcakes at 350°F/180°C.

And actually safe for even higher temps.

And good news… you don’t need a mixer or a whisk (that can eat some of your batter you’ve measured out)!

Instead, you can use a spoon and sometimes I even use the Tablespoon measuring spoon.

So easy!

You’re simply combining wet and dry ingredients.

And there’s no butter to smoothly mix in so that makes it even easier.

Flavors:

Tip: Don’t leave out the capful of vanilla extract or you’ll miss the nice vanilla bakery scent.

You’ll enjoy the pre-baked aroma.

Which btw means it will be even MORE flavorful when it comes out of the magical oven on the other side.

If you want to make a chocolate cupcake batch, add 1 Tablespoon of cocoa (and a splash more milk).

For more almond flavor, add almond extract. This is great with almond flour.

Low-Sugar Frosting or Glaze

Depending on who these cupcakes are for (or what the occasion is), you have low-sugar sweet zhugh options.

You can add a low-sugar chocolate frosting without heavy cream on top after baking or chocolate melted in the best way.

Or you can add a lighter glaze…

Like on these cupcake bottoms that I turned into cake cookies.

…It’s dangerous having a bag of pistachios that can be slung onto sweet honey tops. 😊

Or you melt chocolate ontop. So many options… you can’t go wrong!

easy low-sugar cupcake duo made from almond flour recipe.

Easy Cupcake - Low-Sugar

Easy foolproof cupcake to enjoy or share.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2 egg yolks
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup all purpose or cake flour
1/2 cup milk, plus a little more
1 tbsp neutral baking oil (light olive oil)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp lemon juice or ACV (to activate baking soda and powder)

Instructions

Mix wet ingredients in one bowl. Sift in dry ingredients.
Pour into cupcake holders in cupcake tin plan about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for about 20 minutes (bottoms are golden brown)

Baked Alaska (Oven Method) Made Easy

Baked Alaska is one of my food dreams I’ve had ever since I started my career in catering after graduating college. And I finally made my own and you can too with just your oven! You don’t need fancy fiery equipment. The easy steps and healthy ice cream cake recipe 🍨is found below.

Jump to Recipe

And I get excited dishing on the Baked Alaska dish! 🎂

It was served on a dish in hotel events I worked hard in.

And I had been thinking about it, but didn’t try one until two decades later. 💭

…Can you imagine!? My mind and stomach never forgot and when I tried my FIRST ever celebration for my birthday at the swanky DBGB DC restaurant.

…Say that 10 times! I don’t think I can… but I think I can eat it 10 times. 😊‼️

DBGB near restaurants where I event planned

My memorable Baked Alaska experience that became experience-sss did not disappoint.

…So I was inspired to make my own. I mean… what’s better than cake and ice cream, I scream! 😀

baked Alaska in the freezer before going in the oven. How dramatic! — The freezing before the oven broiling… how dramatic! 🎂

Because when you look at this cake as an ice cream cake, it makes it so much less intimidating.

And I can tell you, it’s much easier than you may overthink like I did.

If you’ve worked with meringues, you’ll be golden… as in golden brown flecks on the meringue.

The bombe effect may be a little more effort, but you can make the ice cream cake part and then decide if you want the fireworks. 🎆

And this recipe is Baked Alaska in the oven.

If you were like me on my first Baked Alaska bake, you may have wondered how the ice cream didn’t melt…

A-ha! I figured out why…

The magical oven 🪄 doesn’t melt ice cream that is sooo cold (as has been in the coldest back part of the freezer for hours). Something to do with 32°F melting points and not reaching that limit… but scoring baked (Alaska) points.

…And btw, the dessert is named after the purchase of Alaska in case you’re wondering.

That was a celebratory reason to have cake. As much as end of summer, new season, or a birthday is. 🎂

And for your Baked Alaska, you can start with a boxed cake… but I think you’ll find baking a homemade chocolate cake easy and simple for your first one.

You can try a healthy chocolate cake with eggs or healthy chocolate cake with no eggs recipe.

You can even use a NO-BAKE rainbow cake that’s called a rainbow cookie… you decide!

And for ice cream, you can use store bought ice cream or make your own ice cream that’s so easy to make…

You can make the ice cream dairy free with coconut cream. You can even make this a Neapolitan (strawberry, vanilla, chocolate ice cream trio)… up to you! Or add a soft serve ice cream.

With cake and ice cream prepared, you’re ready for the meringue.

So here we go with the steps.

First off, grab a big bowl like one you would put a big salad in. It won’t be baked but it will need to be freezer safe. Be sure to clear enough space in your freezer for your Baked Alaska dessert.

Add a plastic wrap layer to line the inside of the bowl. I use a stainless steel round bowl. Those were the kinds I saw in hotel and restaurant kitchens I worked in, so I know they work well.

Or you could use a glass Pyrex or freezer safe one as all glass are not created equal. And some could break in the freezer. But then that’s why I used stainless steel.

Then make your meringue and add a layer to the plastic lined bowl. You actually don’t need to freeze your meringues at all. But for a better effect, you can freeze for a few minutes.

Another tip is to make your meringues and ice cream ahead of time. That’s the planner tip to do less in one swoop. That way you can enjoy the assembling on the day you want to enjoy your Baked Alaska (aka baking day or Alaska baking day!).

This is a great dessert to celebrate holidays, change of seasons, and flavors that are calling you like cinnamon and/or a healthy chocolate cake made with coconut oil that was on my mind. You get the picture! 😁

Flavors like chocolate, coffee, vanilla, Neapolitan trio, or cinnamon (my fave 🍥) always WOW 🤩 and work for a Baked Alaska.

Also, if you love the idea of a Baked Alaska ice cream cake, you’ll probably also love to make an easy and fun party tartufo dessert.

Easy Baked Alaska (Apartment Oven Toasting Method)

Baked Alaska is my favorite celebrations cake hands down and you can make your own cake, meringue and ice cream. I heard about the dessert working in catering and waited until I was ready to have the best cake slice of my life at DC's DBGB restaurant in 2015.

Course desserts

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

bowl to fit the ice cream shape
cake stand or plate

Ingredients

meringue shell
ice cream of choice
cake of choice

Instructions

You can make or prepare ice cream and meringue a day ahead or a few hours in advance.
Bake cake. Let cake cool or set aside covered in fridge until you're ready to bake. Cut the cake around the circle part of your bowl you'll be using.
Line your bowl with plastic wrap. Make meringues and add a meringue layer as thick as you want (up to 1" recommended). Cover with fanciful swirls if it suits your fancies.
Add ice cream until the bowl is full. Flatten out the top of the bowl.
Freeze meringue and ice cream at least 2 hours in the back of the freezer (but before/without icicles forming that would add unwanted moisture). Bake same day.
Lower top oven shelf low enough to cover the height of the Baked Alaska plus a minimum of 6 inches from top of oven to broil.
Pull ice cream/meringue bowl out of freezer and place into oven. Broil for several minutes until there's a toasted top. Safety tip: do not turn or move the cake (optional) in the hot oven without turning OFF the oven first! Then wait for the broil setting oven to cool down before opening oven door and turning oven/broil setting back on (optional). Watch the broiling for several short minutes until lightly toasted pretty, that happens quickly.

Low-Sugar Chocolate Cake – Anti-Inflammatory Healthy

Chocolate cakes that are anti-inflammatory healthy exist! And it’s not Devil’s cake with all the calories.

Like these chocolate cakes in ice cream cone cookie cutter shapes you can make without any egg. And they’re low sugar!

These are topped with healthy Greek yogurt “frosting” in colors like a pairing match spumoni ice cream with no eggs. 🇮🇹

It is anti-inflammatory healthy with the ingredients in the chocolate cake recipe below 👇… but don’t let the healthy fool you.

Because this is a DELICIOUS and moist cake (you’ll see the batter below) that smells chocolate amazing from the oven when baking.

You may be surprised at the good food tastes and healthy, plant-based ingredients… and this may tip you in favor of becoming a healthy chocolate cake convert. 🧡

…Plus this individual chocolate cakes have a melt-in-your-mouth soft cake texture like that from an ice cream sandwich or a packaged dessert with cream in the middle… 😋

On that note, you can add a cream in the middle or on the top… and maraschino or glace cherries too like in this ice cream illusion trio. 🍒🍦

Based on the previous descriptions, it’s hard to believe that mostly gluten-free flour is part of the chocolate cake mix.

Gluten-Free Flour

Since non-gluten flours are softer (and mostly used in this healthy chocolate cake recipe), you will need more gluten-free flour than if you were using all or mostly gluten flours like all-purpose flour commonly used.

Gluten-free flours will make a soft batter without gluten. So you will not need to use a mixer. All you need is a spoon to combine the wet and dry ingredients.

It’s so easy to mix that I even just used one of the plastic teaspoons I was using to measure in ingredients to mix, that works just fine. Less cleanup. 😊

This is the perfect lazy day bake!

And you can use a silver spoon (or messy whisk) to mix ingredients if you prefer (or whatever makes you happy!).

The batter consistency almost looks like chocolate ice cream. How fitting!

And what makes this cake special and low-sugar healthy is the special sugar choice…

Maple Syrup

Table or white sugar is not needed for most bakes to add sweetness. And it’s not needed in this cake recipe, as the more healthy sugar choice is maple syrup.

A little maple syrup goes a long way to sweeten… and is low glycemic which means it won’t spike your blood sugar the way table sugar would.

That’s good for anti-inflammatory benefits.

Vermont Grade A maple syrup is one of the best.

And you can easily source maple syrup all over the Northeast. Maybe even around their sugar maple trees. 🌳

I used maple syrup from the Adirondacks for this recipe below. But our Canadian friends are also well known for their maple syrup that’s part of the country’s tradition.

…It’s not just GOOD for pancakes. 🥞

Maple syrup is also a cooling food, so it’s a great sweetner choice for warm days, your Pitta stress and irritations you have in your life. 😊, and for ice cream cool chocolate cake…

This is where it gets happy and fun!

Pick Your Flavors

For your chocolate cake batter, you can lean into pure chocolate with just the cocoa in the recipe, or you can add sophisticated adult tasting vibes with ginger, coconut flour, or dark cocoa (more like an Oreo cookie vibe).

You get to choose your flavors before you bake… like when you’re in an ice cream parlor shop picking out flavors.

If you want a dark cocoa vibe, you can add black cocoa that will be a more intense cocoa. Think of the blackish color from the black cocoa as dramatic chocolate like in your cookies and cream desserts.

Keep in mind, adding dark cocoa will mean that it’ll take longer to bake as any time you have dark (blackish) color bakes (cakes, cookies, bread, etc.), they take longer than lighter bakes to bake.

And for this healthy cake, if you prefer more chocolate and pure chocolate tastes, you can add chocolate chip morsels (approx. 1-2 tbsps) where you’ll get pops of chocolates in your baked bites like a chocolate chip cookie. 🍪

And if you want to make this cake with chocolate coconut-y vibes 😋, you can include 1 tsp of coconut chips. And substitute the almond flour in the recipe with coconut flour that’s also gluten-free.

And for more choices and variety, if you don’t mind a spicy kick… pair with pungent ginger (that’s delightful!). You can add a teaspoon of ginger powder. Red (chili) pepper flakes also go great with chocolate.

There are very few baking spices that don’t pair well with chocolate! 🍫

Other Tips:

Flatten and even out your chocolate cake batter with a plastic lid. Dust with cocoa (or a little flour) so that it doesn’t stick. Easy peasy! No need for a rolling pin.

Also, you can pre-score cut your cake shapes before baking. Or use a round springform pan for a traditional cake if you will be making a round cake to more easily pop the cake out since the cake won’t be as springy like with a mostly gluten-flour cake.

You’ll know when it’s baked done when you can lift the bottom in one baking piece. Don’t over bake this one or you’ll have cookies! 🍪🍪

And technically, you could eat this without baking like a chocolate mousse and don’t need to bake this cake batter because there’s no egg, BUT for the decadent light chocolate cake texture (and not no-bake cocoa balls), pop it in the magical oven.

And if you want to use egg, you can. I did an experiment to see the rise difference and there wasn’t much. Can you tell which ice cream chocolate cake has egg?

…Didn’t think so.

It’s the one on the right that’s slightly fuller and higher but only by comparison. 🐣 You’d not notice the difference on a ready-to-eat plate.

So the choice is yours… to egg or not. Either way, enjoy these crowd pleasers for your next table party!

Anti-Inflammatory Olive Oil Chocolate Cake - Low-Sugar

Healthy chocolate cake where you can make one 8" or 9" round cake or 4 - 3" wide cakes shaped in ice cream cone or fun cookie cutter shape (your choice). Great for parties and all ages!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup almond milk, plus additional (add as needed)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cocoa powder + 1 tsp
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp light olive oil (or neutral oil)
pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix ingredients by hand with a spoon. Almond flour is a gluten-free flour that will make a softer batter. Work in enough wet ingredients so the batter falls off the spoon together. The batter will be noticeably more grainy and less gloppy/smooth than a full gluten flour batter. For chocolate cake sandwiches, roll out to about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake at 325°F for about 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Don't overbake or you'll get cookies.
Sometimes the bottom is still moist, so if you use a springform cake pan, you can take a small peek or simply add another 5-10 minutes to ensure it's dry at the bottom. When you bake at low temps and slow, you don't have to worry about burning your cake and still getting a little rise.
Let cool, frost, and enjoy!

Low-Sugar Matcha Cake

Matcha cake is a healthy cake. And this one is made with almond flour and healthy low-sugar delicious ingredients… that’s hard to match-ah. The recipe is below.

It’s a star that glows on a plate. 🌟

It could be the caffeine because matcha is a green tea.

The green comes from the chlorophyll pigment that’s anti-inflammatory. 🍵 (along with the EGCG catechin).

Green tea is not a sweet ingredient, so if you’re not a fan… you’ll love this matcha cake that turns out sweet with chocolate chips!

And it has just a small amount of the matcha tea that’s more for the color and healthy ingredient, like you would add to a drinking cup.

You could also think of it like adding a smidgeon of anti-inflammatory spice.

And matcha tea has another anti-inflammatory L-theanine element that’s shown to be good for calming, sleep, and mental focus.

So all these anti-inflammatory benefits help make green tea and matcha green tea the healthiest tea out there!

…Then when you also add a drop or two of Pandan gel, you get a plant-based cake that has a vanilla and somewhat earthy taste. 🌱

To complement those tastes, you can use almond milk with vanilla (or vanilla extract).

Then add other healthy ingredients like apple cider vinegar that will help the cake rise with the baking soda.

And of course, spices that’ll help dry out the batter because if you add enough liquid, you’ll get a moist batter… that’s a good idea.

Because this green matcha cake batter may not look like a cake batter at all or that it will transform into a cake in the oven, but it turns out like a packaged sponge cake with cream in the middle you enjoyed as a kid (or yesterday 😁)… ah, but remember this matcha cake is healthy!

And when it look as wet as a guacamole dip and barely falls off a spoon, it’ll be one great cake. 😊

In the magical oven process, it will dry out and rise like this star on a plate that it’s meant to be.

With cocoa and chocolate chips infused, if you love the idea of a chocolate matcha cake, then you’ll love a chocolate chip matcha cookie recipe too. You can split the dough/batter in half and make cookies in the easy prep steps.

Low-Sugar Matcha Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup milk, almond milk plus additional
1 egg
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp powdered matcha tea
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger (optional)
1 tsp cocoa powder and more for cake zhughing/dusting
1-2 drops Pandan gel
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp neutral oil
1 tbsp chocolate chips

Instructions

Mix ingredients by hand with a spoon. Almond flour is a gluten-free flour that will make a softer batter. Work in enough wet ingredients so the batter falls off the spoon together. The batter will be noticeably more grainy and less gloppy/smooth than a full gluten flour batter.
Bake at 325°F for at least 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sometimes the bottom is still moist, so if you use a springform cake pan, you can take a small peek or simply add another 5-10 minutes to ensure it's dry at the bottom. When you bake at low temps and slow, you don't have to worry about burning your cake.
Let cool and dust with matcha and cocoa powder.
You can cut the cake in half with a serrated knife and add a frosting or filling. This one is filled with mascarpone mixed with almond extract to add a complementing taste. Then use a cookie cutter to cut out the cake in a star or any whimsical shape to your heart's fancy.