Ingredients

For Cake:
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp instant espresso or strong coffee
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup almond milk
For Marshmallow Peppermint Filling (adapted from Sweetapolita)
• 16 large marshmallows
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup dairy free spread (such as Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
• 3/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
• 1 jar (213g) marshmallow cream (such as Fluff which is gluten free)
• 1 tsp almond milk
For Whipped Topping:
• 1 cup Nutri-Whip DessertTopping (or another gluten free dairy free dessert topping)
• 2 tbsp hot chocolate mix (I used Purest Marvellous Mix)
• 3 tbsp icing sugar

Method

For Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8"x3" high cake pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugars, flours, cocoa, starch, baking soda/powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, dissolve coffee with water. Set aside.
4. In bowl of mixer, combine egg with oil, vanilla and coffee.
5. Mix in about 1/2 of dry ingredients while slowly streaming in about 1/2 of milk. Repeat and mix until batter is smooth.
6. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake in oven for 40-45 min or until tester inserted into center comes out almost clean. You may find a few crumbs will stick to your tester but this is ok as long as it is not runny. Cake will also pull away from the sides of the pan when it is done, and may slightly dip in the center.
7. Place cake pan on wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Invert onto wire rack and let cool completely.
8. Best if baked 1 day before cutting/filling/frosting. Store in an airtight container in a cool location.
For Marshmallow Peppermint Filling:
9. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
10. Place marshmallows on sheet side by side.
11. Place sheet on lowest rack in oven and broil until tops are browned (about 1 minute depending on strength of oven). Keep a close eye to ensure you don't burn them!
12. Remove sheet from oven. Carefully flip over each marshmallow, return to oven and repeat. Once done, remove from oven and set aside.
13. In bowl of mixer, combine dairy free spread and sugar and blend on med-low speed.
14. Add peppermint and mix on med-high for about 2 minutes.
15. Add the toasted marshmallows and marshmallow cream and mix on low speed. Add in almond milk and combine until smooth.
16. Use immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For Whipped Topping:
17. Warm up about 1/4 cup Nutri-Whip in microwaveable cup/bowl (about 30 seconds).
18. Add hot chocolate mix and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
19. In bowl of mixer, add remaining Nutri-Whip along with hot chocolate mixture. Using whisk attachment, beat on med-high for about 2 minutes.
20. Add in icing sugar and beat again for 1 minute or until thick ribbons form.
21. Use immediately or store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can then re-whip by hand if necessary.
For Assembly of Cake:
22. Cut cake into two or three layers using a serrated knife or cake leveler.
23. Place a few dabs of the marshmallow filling on a cake board where the cake will sit. Place the first cake layer on top.
24. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the marshmallow filling on top of the first cake layer. Note, the filling will spread out and remember not to fill too much or the filling will overflow.
25. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the process until you finish with the last cake layer on top.
26. Cover the assembled cake with the whipped topping using a large offset spatula. Decorate as desired.
27. The cake can be assembled the day before as long as it is kept in an airtight container in a cool location or in the refrigerator.

Notes