I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about hospitals by now. Believe you me; I’m sick of writing about them. Luckily, after this post, I shouldn’t have to do so again for a long time (knock on wood, knock knock knock). Two of my grandparents will soon move into rehab wards, and the third grandparent has been out of hospital for over a week now. Recovery is on the horizon, and my family and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your support over the past two months. We really appreciate it.
However, there’s been one aspect of this Wayfaring Chocolate Family Hospital Saga that I haven’t mentioned. I’m not quite sure why. Maybe because I felt less sure of what was going on, maybe because I was scared, and maybe because I simply didn’t want to think about it.
Over the past two months, my dad has also been in and out of Emergency several times.
On Tuesday this week, I took a day off work as Carer’s Leave so that I could visit my grandparents while my mum took my dad in for his last round of testing. In the spare hours of that day, as I waited to hear various medical reports, I found myself in my parents’ kitchen reaching for the butter, the caster sugar, and the white flour.
Then I stopped. I thought about all the treats I’ve made for or shared with Dad lately. Black Forest Cupcakes. Caramel Mud Cake. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake in a Mug. Magic Bars. Chocolate Cherry Ripe Cookies. I love baking such sweet happiness for my father, because he shares my predilection for desserts.
But then I realised that I also love having my father around. A father who hikes in Japan and bushwalks in Thredbo, who builds and fixes things, who laughs with me and hugs me. I thought about my knowledge of nutrition, and my ability to make treats that are both delicious and have redeeming nourishing qualities.
And so I made my dad, my mum, and myself this Almond, Cherry, and Dark Chocolate cake (or slice), which is rich in heart-healthy almonds, free of processed sugars and butter, gluten-free and dairy-free and, most importantly, utterly, utterly scrumdiddlyumptious.
Dad’s tests came back all clear.
Go you good thing, Dad. I’ll be making you many more heart-healthy treats in future.
Almond, Cherry, and Dark Chocolate Cake
Adapted from this recipe at Elana’s Pantry
Gluten-free and dairy-free
Makes 9 fantabulous squares, or 12 – 16 squares that you’ll wish were bigger
- 2 cups (240g) almond meal
- 1/2 tsp good quality salt (I used pink Murray River salt)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 3 tsp (15ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 c (50g) dried cherries (the sour-tart kind)
- 1/3 c (45g) high-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F), and line a 20cm (8 inch) square baking tin with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, salt, and baking powder. (Erm, I just realised that Elana’s recipe used baking soda. What kind of a difference would that have made, O Knowledgeable Science-y People?)
- In another bowl, whisk together the agave, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Stir this into the almond meal mixture.
- Gently stir in the cherries and dark chocolate, and then pour into the baking tin.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes (I did 32 minutes! Because I’m crazy like that), until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool, then serve to people you love.
I’m submitting this to this week’s round-up of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!
{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
Hooray! xx
I’m so glad things are looking up for you. I know how difficult that is!
This cake sounds fabulous. Do you think it would work with fresh or frozen fruits?
There’s only one way to find out! Fresh cherries would probably work without too much fiddling with the baking time, but frozen might necessitate a longer baking time? At least, that’s what happened when I used frozen berries in that other berry cake a few weeks ago!
Since my science deals with trees, not food (although I do make sure to sample leaves and bark and things in case of deliciousness), I’m not a leading expert on the cutting edge science of the great baking powder / baking soda debate.
But I can think of a couple things. I think that baking powder contains baking soda. I postulate, based on hypothetical observation, that baking soda reacts rather quickly while baking powder can take longer. I theorize, again based on observation, that baking soda may be stronger than baking powder.
It must be quite a relief to hear that all is well with the Wayfaring Chocolates. Now you can get back to coloring (with many shades of orange!), while your dad looks on and palm trees sway about and do their thang.
Maple syrup comes from trees, therefore I completely understand your need to chew on various flora in your science-y endeavours.
Thanks for the possible soda/powder answer, too. I just remember once confusing the two and ending up with a very flat pudding (our type of pudding, not your American sloppy style of pudding), but I can’t remember which one I used!
Also, I’m almost positive that my many shades of orange in that photo had less to do with personal desire than the sad state of the restaurant’s art supplies.
Aww, glad to hear he’s in the clear.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, my mum’s cousins’s son (so my second cousin…? Or is that third?) is dairy, egg and I don’t know what else free, so I think this may just be a perfect recipe for them. It’s so hard to come across ones like this!
Let’s just stick with “mum’s cousin’s son”, as trying to figure out the technical term for such relationships always makes my head hurt
There are rather a lot of allergies in my family, so if you ever find yourself struggling for desserts to cook for this fellow, feel free to shoot me an email 
Or well, he can take egg in cakes. So this recipe is still okay!
I love the idea of cake making allergens safe
I’m glad your dad is okay and that your grandparents are progressing. I can only imagine how stressful the past few weeks were! I too am very close to my dad and he also shares my sweet tooth, so I empathize especially with this post. I wish your dad and your family the best, take care!
PS – cake looks awesome, thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you Bianca! Sweet-tooth-healthy-beloved dads are the best
How sweet that you thought to make him something healthy. Looks just as tasty as a naughty treat too.
No such thing as a naughty treat
Oh Hannah-bo, I’m so sorry to hear this.
I haven’t met your dad (though we did talk on the phone for approximately 47 seconds once, so I feel completely justified in saying that we share some kind of amazing special life-long bond), but just judging from that top picture? He’s a good egg. Or…cholesterol and fat free egg substitute.
In other news, your little sunflower dress melts my heart.
LOVE TO YOU AND TO YOUR WHOLE FAMILY. Gimme a call if you need/want anything at all!
xx
I reckon I’ve probably talked about you enough to have made you an honourary member of our family too. At least to my mum. I may have to exalt you more directly to my dad this weekend, to make things even.
Thanks for the support too, darling. I hope things are sunflower-sunny on your end right now! xoxo
Talking to her about me as in ‘breaking the news to her that there may never be grandchildren, as you’re planning on eloping with your devilishly minxy lesbian lover’, right?
Oh my heavens, were you standing outside our family room window tonight?!
That slice was just sooohhh good! Like a cross between cherry ripes and black forrest cake, but lighter and just totally moorish. None left! So sad!
This comment fills my heart with happiness and light and joy, Dad! I’m so, so glad you really liked it, and look forward to making more treats that we can all partake in
P.S. Have you tried any of the date-nut treats I’ve made lately?
P.P.S. I think I got the hint about there being none left
I am so, so, SO glad to hear that the end of hospitals may be in sight. And that your Dad’s tests came back clear – although throwing that piece of information / anxiety into the mix makes me ache even more for your family over the last little while. Too much powers that be, too much! I’m knocking on wood for you all too.
I also love the look of this cake, and think it may have answered my question of “what do I make to welcome my parents home?”
Oh Kari, you’re so caring and wonderfully kind to me; it means so much. HUG! I only hope that everyone I owe an email to is as understanding
P.S. I think you’d love this cake! And your parents too, hopefully.
I love cakes made with almond meal. It looks like you put the cherries from Costco to good use.
I made an almond meal cake with grated carrot and Medjool dates recently. Yum! It was so moist.
I’m so glad your dad is well.
Hannah sorry to bother you about this now, but I’ll buy a Vita-Mix in a couple of weeks. Did you buy any of the accessories? Are they necessary? What are the dry jug and wet jug? The explanation on their website is very vague.
Can’t I blend went or dry things in just the basic Vita-Mix? Can I make almond meal sometimes and almond butter other times with just the basic unit, or must I buy accessories?
Sorry to go off topic and ask about this, but you are the first person I thought of who can answer this question.
I hope you are nowhere near the toxic fumes today sweetheart! Just hold your breath until they go away. xx
The only problem is that now the packet of tart cherries are open, I CAN’T STOP EATING THEM. The almond meal, cake, date cake sounds amazing! I’ve never used medjools in baked goods. Might you share the recipe?
I didn’t buy any of the accessories for the Vita-Mix – didn’t even really know there *were* accessories when I bought mine. I know that people do grind in the wet container, and I think it would definitely be safe with softer grains like rolled oats, but I’m a bit scared of blending anything too hardcore with the wet blade. I haven’t yet made nut meal in mine, but had complete success making the coconut butter. You can make nut butters in the wet jug, you just need to use the tamper (which came with my Vita) and make sure it doesn’t overheat. Please don’t apologise for asking, I’m honoured that you did and feel I must apologise for not being able to give you more advice! But do feel free to ask anything else, or for me to clarify, if this doesn’t make sense
Oh, and the toxic fumes? No need to worry about me, both me and my new eleventh finger are doing fine.
Thank you for all that information sweetheart.
The cake was best on the third day.
The carrot & date almond meal cake was very loosely based on this: http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Almond-Meal-Muffins-L9081.html
I used brown sugar, didn’t add any baking powder and left out the berries. I used melted butter instead of olive oil. I’ve found almond meal cakes to be extremely forgiving – I don’t pay much attention to the recipe and it always turns out! Yay!
If I eat almonds too often, I get eczema. Therefore I want to make sunflower seed meal in a Vita-Mix and use that in place of almond meal.
I didn’t see those cherries when I went to Costco. Must look out for them next time, and must hurry up and eat my current stash!
One more thing…….I hate to be a party pooper, but I just looked on my bag of Mrs May’s crunchy snacks and noticed the words “Product of China”!!!!
Why does the China thing make you a party pooper? ‘Most everything from Costco is from overseas, as far as I can tell?
Thank you for the recipe! I’m thrilled to hear it gets better with age; therefore I won’t feel the need to eat all the muffins in 24 hours
And I love your sunflower meal idea! Particularly as sunflower seeds are so much cheaper than nuts.
I really like Mrs May’s snacks, but I won’t be buying them again since they’re made in China.
I did buy a bag of Mareblu Naturals Blueberry Pomegranate trail mix crunch – http://www.180snacks.com/products/98-blueberry-pomegranate-trail-mix-crunch.aspx They claim to be made in the USA. I haven’t opened the bag yet so I don’t know how they taste.
I’ll also go back to my beloved Brookfarm trail mix.
oh those are truly the perfect flavors together- delicious!
Thank you! It does work wonderfully
Almond flour has been my favorite gluten-free flour lately.
And of course chocolate and cherries are always favorites.
Great recipe!
Thanks Evan! I wasn’t able to use the exact almond flour that Elana uses because it doesn’t exist in Australia, but almond meal worked a treat
I couldn’t believe it when I read your dad too! But am relieved he is doing well. What a rollercoaster you must be riding right now – take care and eat lots of that yummy cake with your family – that is a good restorative activity – which you most certainly need!
According to my dad above, the cake’s all gone, so no more for me! I’ll have to go back to mainlining my cinnamon raisin peanut butter
And thank you, Johanna. It has been a stressful few months.
I’m glad things are going well with your dad. Such stress, my dear Hannah.
Cherries and chocolate belong together. They should be married.
Thank you, Victoria.
And yes, they should be married. Come to think of it, the Dark Chocolate with Cherries by Green and Black’s is the only one of their’s that I’ve bought more than once.
This looks fantabulous, and I’m glad everything’s alright with your dad!
Thanks love
So glad Dad’s tests are all okay! And how lucky is he that he gets to eat such a scrumdiddlyumptious treat? (and say the word, “scrumdiddlyumptious”?)
I think Emma covered it up there, but baking soda is one ingredient in baking powder. Baking soda works quickly and if you stir too much, it loses its effect. Baking powder (esp “double acting”) will make your bread/cake/slice rise as soon as the wet hit the dry ingredients, and then again when the heat hits the batter in the oven. Soda will just rise because of a chemical reaction with something acidic in the batter. Whew!
Thanks Ricki! Even my feeble non-science brain could understand that. You must be a teacher
I wanted to add this to Wellness Weekend but alas! Eggs! Next time I’ll have to try with flax 
That would surely be even more scrumdiddlyumptious 
I’m so glad your Dad’s tests came back clear. We are waiting for Mum’s MRI scan results today, it is very nervous making. Especially when you are having other hospital dramas, I hope everyone is well away from them for a good long time now!
Damn girl, you know how to bake, that slice looks awesome. Another recipe going in the folder.
Oh, Lisa. I truly hope the scans come back clear for your mum. Hughugs, and thinking of you!
P.S. Aw, shucks! Thank you
I’m glad the tests came back good! And what a treat this cake is too for all of you to share together.
Oh that’s wonderful news about your dad! What a relief! You and your famil have really been put through it lately you poor things
And hehe another snap, I just made a gluten free and dairy free dish. Is it possible that our spay master game has bonded us food twins? 
*must. resist. making. joke. about. spay. games*
I certainly hope so, my dear! Nothing would make me happier
Can’t wait to see what you created! My guess is it will be far more complex and glorious than mine 
Bahahaaaa! Oh my, I liked that spelling error
Nothing like a good neutering joke every now and again
It seems a little like this lately, isn’t it? I hope that you have no more visits to hospital anymore and everyone is healthy.
Thank you Penny. But this is nothing to what you’ve had to go through. *hugs*
Knocking on wood for you! This cake looks amazing. I’m pinning it!
Thank you Alisa! I’m not quite sure what “pinning” means, but it sounds exciting!
Oh do I have a new online addiction for you – http://www.pinterest.com. You’ll probably be mad at me for telling you about it
Oh yes, I really didn’t need to know about that
Oh darling, I’ve been thinking about you loads at this time and that photo of you as a littley with your dad makes my heart melt. Please keep on posting these piccies from the past. xxxxx
Of Rob, you should *not* encourage me in that! Because I absolutely will keep posting them regularly if you do.
I’ve got some corkers… where on earth did my mum find her “fashion sense”?! 
yeah for gf baking!!! go you! i love almond flour. do you usually make your own? amd hahha aren’t eggs dairy? in the US it is! lol.
No, eggs aren’t dairy, definitely not! They aren’t vegan, but they’re not dairy, and I think you’ll find that’s the case in America too? At least that’s how America defined it when I was there
I sometimes make my own almond meal, but this was store-bought
Oh Hannah, what sorrosful weeks you all must have had! I’m so happy that your grandparents are getting better and your dad is okay, too!
You know, I was thinking a very similar thing recently – that I want my dad around longer, and thus should share my knowledge about nutrition (everything I’ve collected during the past 1 1/2 years) with my parents. I already did so with my mom, but my dad, due to his several bowel issues he has since he got surgery a few years ago, with many emergency hospital visits, has switched to a gluten-free diet now. It tells a lot about his suffering because my dad loves his breakfast buns, cereal, cakes and pies, bread and cheese, pasta, rolls and crisp bread!
So, I’m going to send this recipe to my mom now. She’s a baker and currently exploring the field of gluten-free baking. My parents will love this cake. (And you see, in a way you’re baking for both our dads.
)
Oh Kath, that’s honestly such a lovely, lovely thing to hear
I’m so happy to be “baking for” beloved fathers the worlds over! Do let me know what they think if they try this. And I really hope your father keeps getting better and better on his gluten-free diet 
Bless your socks. That’s so good the tests came back all clear. Seems like you’ve had a lot on your plate lately, glad to hear this cake is one of those things though.
Thank you darling! You do have a fabulous way with words
You’re such a gem, Hannah. You’re so good to your family. I wish your dad (& grandparents) all the best for their health. You must be so relieved!! I bet he was loving this cake too
Heidi xo
Thank you, Heidi
They’re mighty good to me, too! I certainly am very relieved, and am looking forward to lots of sunny walks with him this summer up in the pine forest to keep us both healthy!
Soda would probably provide more lift than the powder, and deeper browning. So happy to hear your family is doing better, healthwise. I’m sure your baking and emotional support has certainly helped.
Thank you Camille – for your expert pastry chef advice and your support. xo
And it was a very lovely cake! Thanks Hannah.
xoxo
Awww. Glad to hear things are on the up. x
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