A sugar-free STUNNER of a birthday cake.
Jump to RecipeI had very big plans for my 30th birthday.
I was going to be in India, on a yoga retreat, at a renown meditation center. It was going to be glorious.
Until, it wasn’t. Because in the end, I actually spent my 30th birthday sitting in my office in Berkeley, working. At a job that I enjoyed, with a company I loved. But on that day, (where I didn’t actually really get a chance to do anything meaningful for myself, or to spend more than a shred of time with my people, “celebrating”) I realized that sometimes there’s too much weight put on the day itself, and that birthday celebrations are more than just the serendipity of the few hours that fall on the historical anniversary of our arrival on Earth.
Since, I’ve been practicing a little tradition called “the Many Days of Birthday,” where I literally celebrate for as many days as I am in birth years. That year, on my 30th birthday, I spent 30 days doing small things, beloved things, special things for myself, with people I loved. And when it was all over, I was for sure 30 years old and had enjoyed the best birthday ever. I can’t wait to see how I spend my 90th birthday BirthDays (because you know by that time celebrating for three months straight feels like THE way to go!)
Historically, the shape of the days ends up being somewhat similar; sometimes there are grand celebrations mixed in with the smaller ones, and many many little gestures of kindness and joy – for myself, and those who mean the most to me. There’s often a day of reading a new book on the couch. Many walks in the woods, lunches with friends, and little treats like flowers, a special breakfast, or a special small gift I give myself. And there is ALWAYS a birthday cake.
This year, I have 42 days to celebrate. I’m somewhere in the middle now, with the day of reading down, a few long walks in the woods, and several special celebrations already accounted for. But if I can say so myself, this Flourless Chocolate Cake with Date-Coffee Ganache might be my favorite part.
Fudgy, rich, uber-tender and decadent without being cloying, this cake is absolutely divine. The cake is sweetened with coconut sugar, so it’s rich in flavor without giving you a sugar high (or low,) which means that eating birthday cake for breakfast is also something that I’ve done during the BirthDays (but this cake is also a sublime snack.)
Lastly, this date-coffee ganache. To die for! Should you have (or deliberately make) extra, slather it on your toast, enjoy it with bananas, or on graham crackers – it’s refined sugar free and a truly excellent, energetic snack.
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