* You can bake this cake in a loaf pan or a 9-inch springform pan. You can see from the photo that I used a round pan as I prefer that look for entertaining.
* I used
Let’s Do Organic Shredded Coconut (unsweetened and fine shred). If you prefer more sweetness, you can use sweetened coconut flakes
* Vanilla beans are a key ingredient in both the cake and ganache. For ease in baking I often use vanilla bean paste – 1 whole vanilla bean = 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste = 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. You get more flavor from a vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste but you can also use vanilla extract.
Nielsen-Massey is my go-to for all things vanilla.
* Almond meal and almond flour are the same thing – it’s simply ground up almonds. I used regular grind – not super fine – for this cake.
* Don’t skip sprinkling the flaky sea salt (such as
Maldon) on top of the cake as it intensifies the chocolate.