Paleo & AIP Caramel Swirl Cake Square

PALEO & AIP CARAMEL SWIRL CAKE SQUARE

AIP and paleo friendly caramel swirl cake, made using only real food ingredients.

CAKE SQUARES INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup Otto's Cassava Flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa/carob powder
• ½ cup coconut or date sugar
• ½ cup butter or ghee
• 2 tbs coconut milk
• 3 eggs, whisked
• ¼ tsp baking soda & powder

EGG-FREE/AIP CAKE SQUARES INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup + 1 tbs Otto's Cassava Flour
• ¼ cup tapioca starch or arrowroot
• 1/3 cup cocoa/carob powder
• ½ cup coconut or date sugar
• ½ tsp each baking soda & powder
• ¼ cup ghee or coconut oil
• ¼ cup coconut or nut milk
• ½ cup filtered water
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

CARAMEL INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup nut or coconut milk
• ¼ cup filtered water
• ½ tsp vanilla
• dash of salt
• 1 tbs tapioca or arrowroot

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Lightly grease 8x8 bakeware.
3. Combine all caramel ingredients, except for tapioca/arrowroot, in a small or medium saucepan on the stove on med-low. Whisk well to combine.
4. Bring the caramel to a boil, reduce temperature and allow to simmer and reduce for 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
5. While your caramel is reducing, in a large bowl add in dry cake square ingredients and mix.
6. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients (milk, water, ACV, butter/ghee/oil, egg as needed).
7. Form a divit in the middle of the dry ingredients. Slowly pour wet ingredients into the hole.
8. Slowly stir the wet ingredients in and combine until clump free. (Note: If doing AIP/Egg-free version, allow to rest for 3-4 minutes to activate the baking soda/powder. Mix again before moving on to next step.)
9. Pour cake square mix into the bakeware and spread evenly with a spatula.
10. When caramel is done simmering, remove from heat and whisk in the arrowroot/tapioca. Allow to rest for 3-4 minutes while the caramel thickens.
11. Either (a) use a spoon to drizzle caramel in 4 straight lines across the cake squares, then use a knife to briefly swirl it in to the batter or (b) place the cake squares in the oven to bake and drizzle warm caramel over top before serving.
12. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
13. Let rest and cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting to serve. Top with additional warm caramel sauce if desired.

NOTES

Note: The AIP/Egg-free, will be denser than the other version and will not rise as much (more like brownies!) It will be more difficult to swirl the caramel in, although it is possible. I recommend you cook it and then drizzle the caramel on top when serving.

Note 2: Store any leftover caramel sauce (there will be some!) airtight in the fridge. Or in your mouth, transported by spoon.

By Katie Doyle