Just What is a Naked Cake?
Kitchen Favorites

Inspired by the rustic naked cake trend, this healthy chocolate cake recipe with mint is 100% whole grain, dairy free and has no refined sugar or oil. I made it for my dad’s 89th birthday dinner party that we had here at the house (that’s dad in the photo to the left.) Dad didn’t exactly grow up eating “Clean Cuisine” birthday cakes, but since it tasted just like a regular chocolate cake he was plenty pleased. And, since it was a “naked” cake, it made it ultra easy on my end…

Just What is a Naked Cake?

Unfrosted imperfect beauties, naked cakes are most likely to be spotted within the bridal world right now, where they have all but pushed their flawless fondant counterparts right off their cake stands. Garnished with anything from berries to edible flowers, sugared fruits and just about anything else, naked cakes expose the cake layers and use a minimal amount of frosting. Entire books (see one of my favorites below!) have now been written that detail every step of how to make a blissfully imperfect “undone” naked cake.

And while I am pretty sure the naked cake trend was not started for the sake of health, the reality is naked cakes and “Clean Cuisine” go hand in hand. And that’s because dairy-free “Clean Cuisine” frostings that are made without refined powdered sugars and without refined shortenings often don’t look as perfectly polished as their conventional counterparts. For example, the healthy chocolate cake in the recipe below is made with a Dairy Free Chocolate Mint Frosting that might taste amazing, but it doesn’t exactly spread like flawless fondant either. So, if you are like me and want clean desserts but also tend to be a somewhat lazy baker, then the naked cake trend is for you! There is no doubt you will find this more organic, imperfect approach makes healthy cake baking far more achievable, not to mention time-saving! For more naked cake inspiration, check out these beauties from Martha Stewart.

Kitchen Favorites

Healthy Chocolate Cake Recipe with Mint

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 1-for-1 gluten free flour (like King Arthur’s brand)
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
3 tablespoons organic extra virgin coconut oil (such as Barleans, melted)
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 organic (pastured egg)
1/3 cup packed fresh mint
1 cup hemp milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie cake pan.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a high-speed blender, like this one from Luvele, add the coconut palm sugar, coconut oil, peppermint extract, pastured egg, mint, hemp milk and maple syrup. Process on high until ingredients are well blended, about 1 full minute.
Add the wet ingredients in with the dry and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes clean, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pans on a rack. Insert a sharp knife around the edges of the pan; remove cake from pan and transfer to a platter, flat-side up.
Click HERE for the decadent dairy-free mint chocolate frosting recipe.

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Notes

If you are trying to make a triple layer cake such as the one in the photo, please note this recipe only makes enough for one layer. You will need to triple the recipe to make a 3 layer cake.