This is the season These famous words announce Christmas. This is the season for another joyous feast. It is this time the Resurrection of Jesus we commemorate so with this recipe I want to celebrate a new beginning. It smells like spring in between the rain und snow showers and the sun is so much stronger. So we hope she helps us each day to become more energetic and lets throw a colorful scarf around the neck instead of a grey one.
How did I end up trying a vegan no bake cake? A long time spent in research !
I must admit that I suspected the meatless, alternative foods for the longest time as a strange crowd who might hide some dark secrets. One cannot just skip over the eggs and steaks off as if they were something poisonous. I've since come to the conclusion that a good balance in everything is the key, more raw food helpings can only benefit you, lets say half of what we eat can be raw.
The Vegan is a connoisseur and loves to eat well, nourishing the body with fresh enzymes the digestive system knows and recognizes and is able to process. It is called for many good reasons "The Diet That Makes You Glow" in a very positive way, your skin radiates after only a few months and chronic illnesses that are related to your diet can be minimized and will eventually disappear. Hunger attacks that make us eat the junk usually packaged in a foil and advertised to us in bright colors will disappear. It takes time and a portion of good will but if you give it a try you will see the those positive changes and the cravings will be gone as well. All of a sudden you find yourself with a watery mouth standing at the vegetable and fruit stand buying way too many cucumbers, carrots, kale, mangoes, apples, pommegranates ...
I hope I got you interested in a recipe that contains - yes ? What ? Nothing of the usual cake type ingredient, just pure and nutritious yummy flavors and with a blender, you are all set to "assemble".
YOU NEED
Makes a tiny 12cm diameter cake.
Crust:
100 gr | 1/2 cup pitted fresh dates (or soaked for 15 min in warm water then drained)
85 gr | 1/2 cup ground almonds
25 gr shredded coconuts
1 tbsp cocoa powder, raw quality
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp ristretto (strong coffee)
Filling:
325 gr | 21/2 cups cashew nuts (soaked over night and drained)
4 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp melted coconut oil
200 ml | 2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
6 tbsp agave sirup
50 gr | 1/2 cup frozen but thawed blueberries ( if they are too cold the coconut oil hardens too quick again)
Assemble
Put almonds in a food processor with the dates, coconut, cocoa powder, salt and pulse until you get a paste add the coffee and scrape the sides down, plus again.
Press the paste into a 12 cm spring form. Mine has a ring and the base can be pressed up to disassemble. I love it is perfect as well for cheesecakes and Ice-cream cakes as it is tight enough to not leak! So cool. Then freeze the crust, now you can start to prepare the filling.
In a sauce pan heat gently coconut oil (on 2,5-3 max - remember all raw food needs to be heated gently and stay under 43°C best is 40°- 42°).
In a blender mix all ingredients until as smooth and creamy as possible and pour over the crust. Wrapped with plastic foil freeze the cake on an even surface now for at least 4 hours or over night. You can prepare your cake I guess as long as 2 weeks ahead of time, remove the cake from the form and let thaw at least 20 minutes before serving, or an hour in the fridge before you plan to serve your dessert. Decorate with violets and blueberries.
It is a kind of 'semi freddo' if you like, but will be firm enough if you eat it at room temperature. Why I love this recipe? I am so happy to make something so delicious and decorative looking without any of the "natural" patisserie ingredients such as refined sugar, flour and eggs. I still love bakery and pastry products and will for sure post more of my favorite recipes but this one is a guilt-free alternative that can absolutely compete with its more 'sinful' buddies.
Porcelain by Augarten Wien
