Raw German Chocolate Cakelettes

The kitchen smelled of warm sugar and spice.  I was standing next to my Mom, grabbing pieces of dough to make her favorite Christmas cookie, pfefferneuse.  I attempted to roll a rather large piece of dough into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet, and she told me "Not so big, we want these to be small." I wondered why, because in my little five year old mind, I thought bigger was always better when it came to desserts.  The biggest piece of cake was always the one I went for afterall.  She explained to me that when making Christmas cookies, you want to be able to sample many different types so you want them small. In my mind that just meant that I could eat more.  But Mom was smart, and later on in life I realized she was right, small is better when it comes to Holiday desserts.
 

I have made a few Holiday desserts this year, the cookies and bars all bite sized, following Mom's rule.  But last weekend I decided that I wanted to make little cakes, or "cakelettes" as I like to call them.  Raw German chocolate cakelettes to be more specific.  I know that does not sound like a Holiday cake nessecarily, but I needed a little break from the Holiday theme.  Afterall, nobody is going to refuse chocolate cake with caramel and nuts even if it is not traditional Holiday fare. 

 

I decided that it was the perfect time to make German chocolate cake also, because I have never made it before!  I used my raw chocolate cake base, and decided to cut the cakes into little hearts, because I couldn't resit.  The cake scraps were delcicious as I snacked on them while I made the frosting, I knew this was going to be good.  I topped them the cakes off with my raw date caramel filled with plenty of coconut and pecans as a German chocolate cake frosting should be. 

 

They were adorable, increadibly tasty, and I even shared some with my Mom who was proud that I made mini cakes as she is all for the small desserts even when it is not the Holidays. 

Raw German Chocolate Cakelettes
Makes 24

cake:
2 cups raw almond meal*
3 cups dried shredded coconut
1 cup sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat or oat groats (or additional almond meal)
1 cup raw cacoa powder
2/3 cup raw agave nectar or honey
2 small organic apples, diced
1/4 tsp sea salt

Caramel:
20 medjool dates, pitted
2 Tbsp coconut or macadamia butter
1/4 cup raw agave nectar or honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup water

 

6 Tbsp finely shredded, dried coconut

6 Tbsp chopped raw pecans

 

To make cake, combine almond meal, coconut, buckwheat and cacao powder in the food processor and process until finely ground. Add agave nectar, apples, sea salt and process until very smooth like batter.   Place batter on a teflex lined dehydrator* sheet, spread out into a rectangle about 1 inch high and dehydrate for about 12 hours, then flip over (carefully using another flat cutting board or something to assist) and dehydrate another 4 hours or so until the cake is firm, but still soft in the middle. Flip back over and place on a flat surface. Cut into 12 small hearts or other shapes, using a cookie cutter.
For the caramel frosting, combine all ingredients in a food processor anf process until very smooth (you may need to let process for a while for all the ingredients to warm up).  Press the caramel through a fine meshed strainer to remove any date bits (optional, but makes for a smoother caramel.  Stir in coconut and pecans, and top each cakelette with the frosting.  Enjoy!

*For the almond meal I used soaked, skinned, and dried almonds, finely ground in the food processot.  You can use almond pulp if you like, just dry it first. 

**If you do not own a dehydrator, you can make these in the oven at the lowest possible temp. Just place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for about 6 hours, then check them as they will take less time.