In July, I brought my Birthday Cake to a friend’s home to share it with her and their 3-year-old daughter. She’s always excited when I bring treats over. We’re all friends because she likes sweets.

As we all ate our desserts, I commented that the cake texture with the coconut cream frosting reminded me of whoopie pie! After a quick Google search, it was revealed that I actually said, “I could make these into Ho Hos.”

The light and satisfying “cookies & cream” dessert is made with these fluffy little chocolate cake/cookie hybrids filled with coconut whipped cream.

This recipe requires only one bowl, simple methods, and basic Ingredients.

It also takes only 2 hours to make (after the coconut cream has been chilled overnight). It is worth it to plan.

These are great for a lighter dessert that you can make during the week or to serve at special events like birthdays, showers, and parties. They’re also gluten-free and vegan, so they’re a treat that everyone can enjoy.

Three more benefits? These are naturally sweetened (except for the coconut whipped crème), each containing 170 calories, and they can be prepared up to two days in advance.

Ingredients

CAKES

• 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
• Use 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
• Use 5 tbsp of water to make a flax egg
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• Coconut sugar (or organic cane sugar), 1/3 cup
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Baking powder, 1/2 tsp
• Half a cup of unsweetened cocoa Powder
• Almond meal, finely ground (from raw almonds).
• Fourteen cups Gluten-free oats flour (finely ground raw oats).
• 3/4 heaping cups gluten-free flour blend*

Filling

• Two batches of coconut whip cream (NOTE: two batches require two 14-ounce cans of chilled coconut cream overnight in the fridge)

Instructions

• Prepare your coconut whipped cream in a large bowl with the chilled coconut cream. To make a double batch of coconut whipped cream, follow this recipe. Sweeten to taste. Then, transfer the whipped cream into a large freezer bag (for piping) and chill it in the fridge. Wash the bowl you will be using to mix the batter.
• Add baking soda, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice to the liquid measuring cup. Stir. Set aside.
• Prepare flax eggs in your large mixing dish by combining flaxseed and water. Allow to rest for five minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
• Combine the coconut sugar, maple syrup, and oil.
• Add vanilla and salt to the applesauce and mix. Add almond milk mixture, and whisk until thoroughly combined – approximately 30 seconds.
• Add baking powder, cocoa, almond meal, gluten-free oats, and oat flour. Whisk to combine.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use non-stick spray to grease two large baking pans (if you do not have two, use just one baking sheet and bake in four batches).
• After the oven has been preheated, spoon out one heaping tbsp of batter on the baking sheets. Leave at least an inch of space for spreading. Spread them out with your tablespoon into a small disk. A standard baking sheet will fit 12 cakes. Repeat the process on a second baking sheet.
• Bake the edges for 10-14 minutes or until they appear dry. I found that 12 minutes was the ideal time. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer carefully to cooling racks.
• Repeat the process of baking mini cakes until you have used all the batter – this should give you about 48 cakes total (amount written in original recipe // adjust the batch size if necessary).
• After the cakes have cooled completely, cut a corner off the bag of coconut whipped cream and pipe generous amounts (see photo) of coconut whipped cream onto the underside of half of the cakes. (24 according to the original recipe // adjust the amount if you are changing the batch size). Top with another cake that is similar in size and shape. Press down gently.
• Cover loosely with plastic film. Arrange the pears on large plates or a baking sheet that has been cooled. These can be enjoyed immediately, but I found that they held up better if you refrigerate them for an hour (and even more so if you leave them overnight or 6 hours).
• The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days if they are covered with plastic wrap.