Chocolate Pomegranate Cake with Coconut Caramel Icing

So when browsing the grocery store a couple days ago I saw that pomegranates were on sale. Believe it or not, I had never actually had a pomegranate before now. I've had the juice before, so I had a pretty good idea of what they tasted like. But WOW! I never would have guessed the seeds would be so juicy and delicious. They just release a wonderful burst of flavor in your mouth when you bite down on one. Oh yes, and they are definitely a wonderful compliment to caramel and chocolate (but then again what doesn't compliment chocolate??)

Since this was my first pomegranate experience, I actually had no idea how to prepare one! So, after doing some research online, I found several people suggesting the best way to prepare them is by scooping out the seeds under water. How cool is that? I read several pages talking about how the seeds badly stain clothes and counter tops, so I am glad I researched it before diving right in!!

You'll see in the recipe below I also used some of the water from soaking the pomegranate seeds in my cake and icing. It didn't make a whole lot of difference flavor wise, so feel free to use regular water if you prepare your pomegranates using a different method, or if you buy pomegranate seeds alone.

And for those of you who may be wondering, this cake is actually not as dense as most coconut flour cakes. It is lighter than a pound cake, but heavier than an angel food cake. Its a very nice weight and tastes decadent and moist.

 I really had a lot of fun with this recipe! As you may be able to tell from all of the pictures in this post...I just couldn't help myself. Pomegranate seeds are just so lovely, almost like tiny rubies! They are so fun to decorate with, and definitely fun to eat. :)

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 5 Eggs
• 3/4 TBSP Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/4 Cup Raw Local Honey
• 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Seed Water* (or regular water)
• 3/4 Cup Melted Coconut Oil (plus more for greasing pan)
• 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Seeds

Icing:

• 1 & 1/4 Cup Blonde Coconut Sugar
• 2 TBSP Coconut Flour
• 1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
• 2/3 Pint Organic Whipping Cream
• 3 TBSP Pomegranate Seed Water* (or another liquid, like water or milk)
• Additional pomegranate seeds and cocoa powder/chocolate shavings for garnish (chocolate is optional but the seeds are definitely recommended)
  

Directions:

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice pomegranate in half and submerge each half in a bowl of filtered water, it's easier to do this one half at a time. While keeping the fruit submerged work underwater to scoop out all the seeds, its okay if you scoop out the pulp too. This is the easiest way to get all the seeds out without staining your clothes and counter! The pulp from the pomegranate will float to the top of the water and the seeds will sink to the bottom, so just scoop the pulp out after you're done with both halves. Set the prepared pomegranate seeds and water in the fridge (*this is the pomegranate seed water you will use later on).

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" cake pan with a little coconut oil. I cut out a round piece of parchment paper for the bottom of the pan and greased that too, it made removal much easier later on. Combine the coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk together the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in the vanilla extract, apple sauce, honey, and pomegranate seed water and continue mixing to combine. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl. Next add the coconut oil and continue mixing until you get a nice thick batter. I usually add the coconut oil to the batter last because it tends to solidify if you're not careful! Finally, stir in the pomegranate seeds and pour into prepared cake pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Make sure cake is fully cooled before icing.


Icing:
While the cake is baking, let's make the icing! This icing will have to set in the fridge for a while, so it's a good idea to make it now rather than after the cake is ready. Pour coconut sugar and flour into a blender and blend at a high speed until you get a very light colored coconut sugar. The goal here is to mimic powdered sugar. 

Coconut Powdered Sugar

This takes a few minutes, and I recommend shaking the blender every so often to get the sugar around the edges to fall down into the blades. If you remove the lid to stir you may end up with a puff of powder in your face, so let it settle before opening. Add pomegranate seed water and coconut oil, and continue blending until you get a thick, gooey, caramel colored mixture. 

Caramel Coconut Sugar

Add whipping cream and blend on high until fully incorporated, be sure you scrape the blender sides too! Pour mixture into a refrigerator safe dish and cool for 20-30 minutes. This helps the icing thicken up and makes it much easier to work with.

Once cake has fully cooled, you have the option to ice it whole or cut it in half for a layered cake. I chose to cut mine in half. To do this, insert toothpicks or skewers along the center of the cake to mark where you need to slice. Then carefully cut horizontally through the entire cake with a sharp serrated knife. Transfer the bottom half of the cake to a serving platter and spread an even layer of icing on top. You can also sprinkle some extra pomegranate seeds in the center if you like. Carefully place the second layer on top of the iced bottom layer. Continue icing the top and sides of the cake until fully covered. Decorate with fresh pomegranate seeds or chocolate.

And finally, have a slice and enjoy your hard work!