Watermelon Cake!
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You know those recipes that you pinned on Pinterest with the intention of making one day?…. Yea me too. However, this Father’s Day turned out to be the perfect opportunity to try out on of those recipes that I’ve been holding onto for years! This year dad requested something a little on the lighter side, and of course, my sister and I were happy to accommodate! Soo what did we make?! A watermelon cake!! But not a typical flour-based cake with lots of artificial colors, flavors and loads of sugar but a cake made from a watermelon! We choose to follow the directions from Paleo Cupboard directions for making the cake and icing and found it to be perfect!
We started by purchasing a round seedless watermelon, as uniform in shape as possible. Slice the top and bottom off the watermelon leaving two flat surfaces. Our particular watermelon was large enough that we were able to cut in in half and get two cakes out of it! Using a sharp Chef’s knife carefully cut the rind away from the flesh of the melon (here’s a youtube video showing you how). Trim the melon until you get a round cake-like shape. Then cut the melon into 6-8 slices (don’t skip this step!) We skipped this on the first cake we made, and it didn’t turn out quite so pretty! Applying the icing to the cake works best by picking up each slice individually and the applying the coconut frosting and then gently replacing the slice into the cake.
Once we “iced” and decorated the cakes we put them in the refrigerator to stay chill until we were ready for them. I am pleased to say that the cakes were a huge hit! Everyone enjoyed having a lighter dessert it was even a hit with the kids! We had more than enough cake for everyone, so we ended up with leftovers. The cake saved amazingly well, and we nibbled on it for another 3 or 4 days.
Watermelon Cake
Refreshingly Light Watermelon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large Watermelon (as round as possible)
- 2 cans chilled full fat Coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- Favorite fresh fruit to decorate
Instructions
- For the “Whip Cream”
- 1. Chill the coconut milk for a minimum of 5-6 hours in the refrigerator, the coconut cream will separate and settle at the top of the can.
- 2. Open the coconut milk and scrape the cream into a chilled bowl. *Try opening the can from the bottom and pour off the liquid first.
- 3. Add the honey and vanilla to the cream and whip with your mixer. I used my Kitchen Aid but a hand mixer or a good food processor would work as well.
For the Almonds
- 1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
- 2. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and place in oven for 4-5 minutes. Make sure to keep a close eye on the nuts as they go from perfectly toasted to burn in seconds. Once they are toasted set aside to cool.
To Set up the Cake
- 1. Slice the top and bottom from the watermelon to create a flat, cake like surface. Using a very sharp knife remove the rind from the melon. If your melon is large as ours was once you have removed the rind slice it in half to make two cakes.
- 2. Using a paper towel gently pat the melon to remove any excess moisture so that the frosting will adhere better.
- 3. Cut the cake into the desired number of slices
- 4. Gently pick each piece up and dip first in the coconut frosting and then in the almonds.
- 5. Reassemble the slices and top with the remaining icing and decorate with fruit.
Notes
- * Look for a coconut milk with less or no guar guar gum as it keeps the cream from separating from the liquid.
- * Check out this Youtube video for tips on how to pick a ripe melon and how to remove the rind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-S1BD9pvuk
Nutrition
- Calories: 3691
- Sugar: 287
- Sodium: 149
- Fat: 242
- Saturated Fat: 151
- Unsaturated Fat: 75
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 392
- Protein: 72
- Cholesterol: 0
Amber Gourley, MS RD
I’m Amber, the Disobedient Dietitian who believes in uncovering the root cause of your health woes and healing them, not just putting a band-aid on them and hoping for the best. (Which, of course, never comes.) You are worth so much more than a band-aid. It’s time to make food your friend, not your fear.
