Triple Layer Frozen Paleo Cake

I bet you thought I forgot. As promised, here is my recipe for Triple Layer Frozen Paleo Cake…although my intensions while making it were Paleo Ice Cream Cake, the ice cream is reaaaally only the top layer. :)

This was the triple layered treat that I made for my birthday last year. Last year, on that day, was when I re-introduced sugar back into my diet, and by sugar I mean the Paleo-ish variety.

In the three months prior to my birthday I removed all dairy, nightshades, fruit, honey, maple syrup…basically anything that wasn’t a vegetable, protein or fat.

It was a (mostly) fun little experiment, but I can’t tell you how much I missed fruit. Not only did I want to experiment with other foods, I also wanted to test if I had any specific reactions to removing certain foods.

This recipe can take some time, to get all the layers prepared, if you’re making it all on the same day. As an alternative you can choose to split it between 2 or 3 days. If you make the brownie layer first and keep it covered in the freezer, you can then make the cookie dough layer and the ice cream layer on the second (or third) day, or whenever you decide to serve it.

I used an 8×8 glass baking dish for the entire cake. The base of this Paleo cake came from my Chocolate Paleo Banana Bread recipe and that produced a nice-and-thick brownie layer on the bottom. If you don’t want the brownie layer to be as thick, I recommend using a rectangular baking dish so the bottom layer can spread out more.

Like any other frozen cake, it may be hard to slice when you remove it from the freezer, but once you do, I guarantee you’ll love it. :)

Note: Make sure you keep any leftovers stored in the freezer.

Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients

Brownie Layer
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground sea salt
1 cup blanched almond flour or almond meal
2 organic eggs
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounches) dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Cookie Dough Layer
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 cups almond meal
1 teaspoon coarse ground sea salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 - 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Ice Cream Layer
3 bananas, frozen
1 cup coconut milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F to first make the brownie layer.
Add the bananas, almond butter, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, almond flour, and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine all ingredients until there are no longer any banana lumps and everything is well combined.
Melt chocolate, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a small pan over low heat, stir to combine. Once melted, add the chocolate mixture to the large mixing bowl and again use the hand mixer to combine everything. The mixture will transition from a light brown shade to a dark brown shade once the chocolate is combined.
Add chopped walnuts and stir by hand to combine.
Now lay a sheet of parchment paper paper across an 8x8" glass baking dish and pour the mixture in. Remember that dependent on how the parchment is sitting in the dish will shape how your brownie layer turns out (as you can see above, I wasn't too worried about the rounded edges). :)
Bake brownies for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let pan rest for 30 minutes to an hour before putting a lid on the container and transferring to the fridge.
Next up is the chocolate chip cookie dough layer! Refer to the Cookie Dough Ingredients listed to the left but we're simply doubling this Paleo cookie dough recipe.
In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil over low heat. (You can use the same one you just used if you clean it first, save on dishes.) ;)
Combine almond meal, sea salt, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add in dark chocolate chips, or chop chunks of chocolate from a block of chocolate using a sharp knife on a cutting board.
Pour in melted coconut oil. As you add in the coconut oil some chocolate will melt since the coconut oil is warm. Be sure to cut large enough chunks so it doesn't all melt and stir quickly to combine.
On a parchment paper lined, rimmed baking sheet pour out the mixture. Using your hands, a spatula or a large spoon spread the mixture out evenly aiming for the same shape as the dish you used for the brownies and transfer to the freezer.
Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until completely solid and combined.
Use the parchment paper to transfer the cookie dough to a cutting board and cut the cookie dough as a single layer to fit inside the brownie dish. Chop any extra pieces and set aside in a covered glass dish in the freezer for the top of the cake.
Remove the brownie dish from the freezer and lay the cookie dough layer on top, cover and return to freezer.
Two to three hours before you're going to serve the cake, make the final ice cream layer.
Add frozen bananas and coconut milk to a blender and process until smooth.
Pour banana ice cream on top of the cookie dough layer and return to the freezer to let firm up, at least an hour.
Add the extra cookie dough pieces to the top and serve.
Just like any typical ice cream cake you don't want to leave this out on the table for very long. Store leftovers in the freezer.
Enjoy! :)

Triple Layer Frozen Paleo Cake