Peanut Butter Macadamia Chocolate Fudge Cake

This fudgetastic recipe came about when I was bored one day and decided to go in the kitchen and create something with whatever ingredients I had on hand. Ever since going vegan, I hardly crave sweets anymore, but I do like baking on a fairly regular basis and being able to use healthier sugar alternatives like maple syrup and coconut sugar, and just enough to sweeten it without it being sugary. That’s one of the many reasons this recipe works so well. Plus, the whole chocolate fudge, hint of peanut butter + rich macadamia flavor doesn’t hurt either 😋

This cake is really easy to make, gluten free and a healthier alternative when you want something sweet and chocolatey!

Ingredients you will need:

• 1.5 cups brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup oat flour (for added texture)
• a dash of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (adjust for the level of chocolate-ness you want!)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar (more if necessary)
• 1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (more or less depending on taste)
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used a combination of soy & coconut)
• 3-4 tbsp macadamia nut meal
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips + a dab of vegan butter, all melted
• Optional: toppings such as coconut flakes or dried goji berries

Here are the steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a thin layer of vegan butter or olive oil in a small baking pan.
2. Combine the flours, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, chia seeds, cocoa powder and coconut sugar in a large bowl and mix well. If you don’t have or want to use oat flour, just omit it and add an extra 1/4 cup of brown rice flour instead.
3. After I melted my butter, I added the peanut butter to it and whisked it together to help it soften before adding it to the dry mixture.
4. What is macadamia nut meal you ask? I took raw macadamia nuts, soaked them in water overnight, then drained and rinsed them. I put them in the blender with some fresh filtered water and blended until it was as smooth as possible. Then I put it through a fine strainer to separate the milk from the leftover nut pieces. Bam! Homemade macadamia nut milk 👌 plus the leftover nut meal which is also tasty and perfect for baking.
5. Add your butter/peanut butter mixture, vanilla extract, non dairy milk and nut meal to the dry ingredients. Stir well and adjust ingredient amounts if needed. Meaning, if it’s dry add more milk, if it’s too thin add more peanut butter or flour. You get the picture!
6. Pour batter into baking pan and put in oven for about 10-15 mins.
7. Melt some semisweet chocolate chips with a little vegan butter and smooth over the finished cake like frosting. Sprinkle coconut flakes and dried goji berries on top for extra fanciness.

And this is your finished product…

The leftovers kept in the fridge for several days in a sealed container. I enjoyed this cake as a snack with tea or coffee and it’s actually kind of filling!

I feel like this cake would be really delicious with some homemade raspberry jam or a peanut butter frosting. I’m getting so many ideas! I will definitely have to make this recipe again soon. I hope you enjoy it!

Jillian 💙