Raw, Vegan, Vanilla-Berry, Gluten-Free, Paleo 'Not-a-Cheesecake'

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This delicious uncheesecake was inspired by an equally gorgeous cake from the Fragrant Vanilla Cake blog. However... coconut butter? rosewater? young coconut meat?  pomegranates?.. none of these exist in my immediate world.

Actually I did find rosewater and coconut butter, and if I'd been willing to part with $40+ , they would have been mine. But I wasn't. Then I decided that buckwheat takes too long to sprout, let alone dehydrate.  And so, a different cake evolved, organically, like a force of nature that must have life.

Raw, Vegan, Not-Really-a-Cheesecake, Vanilla-Berry Cheesecake

Ingredients: For the Base: ¾ cup almond flour ¾ cup coconut flour ¾ cup of pitted, chopped medjool dates ¼ tsp salt ¾ tsp cardamom For the Topping: 3 cups of cashew nuts (soaked for 3 to 5 hours) ½ cup coconut oil ½ cup coconut milk or coconut cream ½ cup liquid sweetener (agave, coconut nectar (or sugar syrup if you are not concerned with raw and paleo)) ½ cup finely grated beetroot 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder*

• ½ tsp salt

Instructions:

For the Base:

Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, salt and cardmom in a food processor. While it is running add the dates slowly, allowing each handful to be fully processed before adding another.

The base is ready when you squeeze it and it sticks together. Add more dates if not sticky enough.

Press the base firmly into the bottom of a springiform or silicone baking pan and set aside.

For the Topping:

Drain the cashews and blend them in the processor at a high speed until they are relatively smooth.

Add the coconut milk, vanilla and salt and continue to blend until the consistency is very smooth – like cream cheese.

While the processor is running, add the liquid sweetener and coconut oil. Taste test  ;)

Drop large dollops of the mix randomly on the base.Use half the mix. The other half is about to be berrified!

Add the grated beet (you don’t taste this at all, trust me!) and raspberry powder to the remaining mix and blend.

*If you can’t get raspberry powder (I used this one), use a berry essence (of course, this is probably not ‘raw’), some berry juice, a few crushed berries or rosewater (thanks Amy @ fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com for the rosewater inspiration).

Drop the berry topping into the gaps left between the vanilla dollops, then swirl the topping exactly once with a knife. Freeze for at least two hours until solid, remove from the pan and let sit in the fridge for about an hour before eating.

I also made a cute cupcake version, and one without the 'vanilla' part. That one was decorated with blueberries and white chocolate (the chocolate was not vegan, but I'm sure you can find some). The lighter colour is because I was wary of all that beetroot!

Even with my eyes closed and full concentration empowered, I could not detect even a hint of beetrootyness. This gave me confidence to go the full monty with the swirl cake above.

The cupcakes. I made  these in a silicone muffin pan - very easy removal and they were ready in less than an hour, compared to the whole cake which took the full two hours to set.

The trial cake, less beetroot.

Packed lunch... ;)

This cake is really delicious. I think the little kick of cardmom in the base sends it over the edge in a very good way. Let me know how it works out for you. I'd love to see your pictures too, so link it up, link it up in the comments.

Top Recipe Re-Hash: Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free Avocado Ganache Cake

Last night I attended a Michaelmas celebration.   This required some preparation.

Firstly, I had to rehearse a flute duet to play. In spite of playing the piece about 30 bazillion times during the working day perfectly, I still fluffed the start, twice, and wanted the floor to swallow me. Luckily, the small audience and my more experienced partner (thank you, Wendy!) were sympathetic, waited for me to recover from a nerves-induced giggle fit, and we muddled through.  The point was to share something creative, and, at least, it came from the heart, flat notes and all.

Secondly, I developed a burning desire to take a raw, vegan ganache cake.  Once again, my food processor nearly spat its guts making the base, but the result was gorgeous.  This cake just can't fail.

The recipe I followed this time was 'almost' exactly the Laura Coxeter one (pdf on the link).

The original recipe states 'serves 6'.  I don't think so.... I'd say 'serves 15 quite comfortably'.

I say 'almost' because, having made it before, I know that the intensity of the original recipe rendered it almost inedible to people not used to bitter chocolate.

Therefore, I used half the raw cacao (100g instead of 200g) and increased the coconut oil by 50g. Then I kept adding maple syrup (instead of any other type of sugar) until it tasted good. That ended up being 95% of a $15 bottle of raw, organic maple syrup.  It was a very expensive cake, but 110% worth it.  If you are very dedicated to the idea of 'raw', please note that most maple syrup is not. You could use unheated honey, agave or coconut sugar instead, if you want to keep it really raw.

It was still quite bitter, so I sprinkled some chopped dried apricots on the top. As I came home with just one slice left on the platter, and a couple of requests for the recipe, I'd call it a success.

The size of the mix meant I had enough to also make a smaller version for 'at home' use.  On that one I dumped some maple-soaked dates and called it good for breakfast this morning. Quite the buzzy way to welcome a Thursday.

Next post, I promise the overdue bacon, banana, maple, paleo pancakes recipe.  Can someone come up with an abbreviated name for that?

:D
((Friday hugs))

No Bake, Raw, Vegan, Paleo Peppermint Slice

I'm a little miffed right now because none of the peppermint slice photo's are pleasing me.  The one above is the best of the bunch, most were out of focus.  Also, I committed the cardinal sin of food blogging: ate the product before checking the pics. :-/

Looks like I'll just have to make another batch :) Always a silver lining.

This slice has raw cacao in it, and packs a punch, that's for sure.  After one substantial slice I could feel my nerves buzzing and snapping and dancing.. which might account for the blurry pics? I'm sure cacao is a gateway drug...

Ingredients:

Base:

• 1 cup medjool dates
• 1 cup of nuts (I used brazil and walnuts)
• 1 cup ground almonds (almond flour)
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder 
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs (optional)
• 75g vegan chocolate, chopped (I used Lindt sea salt chocolate)

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp peppermint essence (taste test and adjust to your preference)

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2.5 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1 tbsp honey, maple syrup or other preferred sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• pinch of salt

Method:

Remove pits from the dates and blend to a paste in the food processor. I have found that, depending on the juiciness of your dates it may be necessary to add a little water.  Try and buy plump dates, not ones that have been sitting on the shelf getting shrivelled.

Add everything else (except the topping ingredients!) and blend until fully mixed.

Press into a square tin - again I love my silicon pan for this; it's so easy to get the slice out later.

Melt the coconut oil over a low heat, and stir in the cacao powder, sweetener, vanilla and salt.

Pour the topping over the base and place in the freezer for at least an hour.

Slice into smallish pieces (or larger, if you don't mind electrifying your brain).

Enjoy!

Here's the stats if you cut it into 16 pieces.

Per piece.

Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free Ganache Cake

Study + vegan noms

This week is packed full of study. The way my postgrad course works is, I study from home most of the time, but attend university for two weeks full-time each semester. As my Alma Mater is 'up North', this requires flights, accommodation and is an awesome, slightly expensive adventure.

Seeing as last time I spent most of the time at death's door, I'm excited to attend again next week. 

***No sushi!***

Vegan Maca Bars - Introducing Try It, You Might LIke It!

I've put a new section up in the recipe tab called 'Try It, You Might Like It!' This is for all those quirky one-off things I invent just throwing things around in the kitch (sometimes literally, judging by the state of my cupboard doors). These are the 'anyone could think of it' recipes, that  may not be particularly unique or recipe-book worthy, but that rocked my tastebuds on a random Sunday.