Christmas Tree Snack Cakes

Christmas Tree Snack Cakes

Yield: 5 cakes
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Cooling Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hours, 35 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cake:

  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup Swerve
  • ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ½ tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons Confectioners Swerve
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1-2 teaspoons unsweetened almond milk

For the Coating:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease and line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper so that there is an overhang on all 4 sides.  This will allow for easy removal later.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and Swerve together until lighter in color and fluffy, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in the almond milk and vanilla.
  4. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt then whisk until smooth.
  5. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until firm in the middle, about 20 minutes.
  6. Carefully remove the cake from the pan by pulling out the parchment and place on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes on the parchment paper.
  7. Remove from the parchment paper and wrap the cake in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes more.
  8. While the cake is chilling, make the chocolate filling.
  9. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter with an eclectic mixer until light and fluffy.
  10. Add the cocoa powder, Confectioners Swerve, and salt.
  11. Beat on low until incorporated, then beat on high until fluffy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes.
  12. Add the almond milk in 1 teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition, until the frosting is soft and very spreadable.
  13. Remove the plastic wrap from the cake and cut in half crosswise using a long serrated knife so that there are now 2 thin layers of cake.
  14. Remove the top layer of cake and carefully spread the filling on the bottom layer using an offset spatula. If the frosting is too firm, warm it in the microwave in 5 second intervals and beat with the mixer in between until soft.
  15. Place the top layer of cake back on top of the bottom layer to form a sandwich with the cake.
  16. Using a Christmas tree cutter, cut out about 5 cakes from the cake sandwich.
  17. Place the chocolate wafers in a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
  18. Place the white wafers in a small heat-proof bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
  19. Transfer the white wafers to a piping bag and cut off the tip.
  20. When you have all of the wafers melted, gather a parchment-lined cookie sheet, the sprinkles, a fork, and a small knife.  You will need to work quickly when dipping the cakes, so it’s best to gather these ahead of time.
  21. Place a cake into the bowl with the melted wafers.  Use a fork to scoop melted wafers onto the cake.
  22. Lift the cake up using the fork and tap on the edge of the bowl firmly to remove the excess.  Gently scrape the bottom of the fork onto the edge of the bowl to remove any excess melted wafer.
  23. Using the knife, scrape the dipped cake off of the fork onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  24. Immediately drizzle the cake with the melted white wafers, giving it a similar appearance to garland on a Christmas tree.
  25. Sprinkle with sprinkles and firmly tap the cookie sheet on the counter to settle the sprinkles.
  26. Repeat with the remaining cakes.  If the melted wafers become thick, warm them in the microwave for 15 seconds, stir, and resume dipping.
  27. Transfer the cakes to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up the coating, then enjoy!