Is alcohol raw? Probably not. But that’s the only not raw ingredient in this cake, sooo… that doesn’t count, right?
I see raw vegan desserts being promoted as ‘healthy’ all the time. Compared to all traditional desserts — laden with dairy, eggs, oil, sugar, white flour, preservatives and chemical food colourings — they arguably are. But dessert is still dessert, and for me, that means it needs to be indulgent, moreish, and 1000% hit the spot.
Cue the alcohol.
My favourite cocktail is an Amaretto Sour. According to Barnivore, Amaretto is vegan — HALLELUJAH! And a good thing too, because I would have hated to give it up. I love the sweet and sour combination, and that almond aroma that reminds me of amaretti with every sip.
This cake is not inspired by that blessed cocktail, but simply by the liqueur. The sweetness of the almond liqueur paired with the bitter cacao, mixed with cream cashews makes for a heavenly cake. You will not be able to stop at just one slice!
This recipe comes at a particularly happy time for me because tomorrow, I am graduating from the University of Stirling. I am proud to call myself an alumna of this amazing institution; I only spent a year there but it has been the best year of my life so far. I’ve made lifelong friends who share so many of my interests, it’s like I’ve known these girls for ever, I’ve learnt a ton of things, both in the classroom and outside of it, and though there have been lots of earth-shattering, terrifying episodes where I seriously questioned my ability to be an adult, I do feel more confident being me now. It takes me by surprise some days, but I’m proud of myself. I’ve come really far.
So tomorrow I am going to pose for hundreds of pictures, have lunch with my parents, catch up with my Dad (who I haven’t seen in over a year), and enjoy being on campus one more time. There are exciting times coming ahead, and this is one of the last times I will get to bask in the majesty of Stirlingshire — I don’t want to tell all just yet, just know that I will soon reveal the great news to you!
On my behalf, please do take a slice (or three) of cake. Have a truly magical, wonderful day 🙂
Raw Amaretto Chocolate Cream Cake
Notes:
After soaking the dates and nuts, discard the soaking water.
I use regular dates, but Medjool are always preferable; they’re also much, much stickier, so you may not even need to soak them.
This cake freezes really well; simply slice it and keep it in an airtight tin for up to a month in the freezer. Leave to thaw for 10 minutes before eating, and it’s like an ice cream cake. You’re welcome.
For the crust:
125g (2/3 cup) dates*, pitted and soaked for 2 hours
100g (1 cup) raw almonds, soaked overnight
For the filling:
450g (3 cups) cashews, soaked for 2 hours
60g (1/2 cup) raw cacao powder, or cacao nibs ground into powder
125g (2/3 cup) dates, pitted and soaked for 2 hours
250ml (1 cup minus about 1 tbsp) warm water
3 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1. Blend the dates and raw almonds in a food processor until they turn into a sticky ‘dough’. Press this into the bottom of a 20cm (8 inch) springform cake tin. Refrigerate until needed.
2. For the filling, prepare a date paste first: blend the dates with 160ml (2/3 cup) of the water, the melted coconut oil and Amaretto into a smooth paste.
3. Now add the rest of the water, the cashews and the cacao powder. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour the filling into the cake tin, over the crust. Smooth over the top with a spatula, and refrigerate to set for at least 4 hours. Place in the freezer to speed up the process.
5. Release from the tin and top with extra cacao nibs or chopped dates. Enjoy!
What’s your favourite cocktail?
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Love and cookies,
Congratulations on your graduation!
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Congratulations!
And I was thinking the same about raw desserts – Wouldn’t it be an interesting to add some alcohol sometimes? I was making coconut chocolate truffles and the usual ones always include rum, so I thought what could be wrong if I included it into the raw version :). Well, I didn’t have it at home so I postponed that idea, but I’ll try it out soon.
That cake looks just divine, perfect for December parties and dinners 😀
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Great minds think alike! 🙂
Do you know Gena Harmshaw? She’s an advocate of mixing raw and cooked or processed foods for a balanced approach to whole foods. I like that. I wouldn’t like to eat raw all the time, and I like making semi-raw meals and desserts.
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No, but thanks, I’ll definitely take a look! 🙂 I’m not disciplined enough to eat only raw food but I think some raw meals are helpful if you want to keep balanced and healthy diet. From time to time I just HAVE to drink a smoothie, eat a bowl of salad and make a raw dessert 🙂
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This looks absolutely delicious – and I have to provide dessert at a dinner in the very near future with one of the participants being gluten free. I may have to make it before that though – purely in the interests of research of course ….
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But of course, it’s your duty as a decent human being to test everything before you serve it to anyone else — I would do no less 😉
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Ah, looks real yummy! And I’m just loving the ingredients in this – thanks for sharing the recipe, might have to give it a lil’ try 🙂
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Congratulations on your graduation!! Yay! Things may come and go in life but a degree is one thing that can never be taken away from you! This cake looks amazing! I’m also embarrassed to admit that I’ve never had amaretto, will have to change that of course!
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Nothing to be embarrassed of at all! If you like marzipan, frangipane, and most almond-heavy foods, you’ll looooove Amaretto!
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Congratulations, my dear friend! xxxx That is great news! What a festive feast for the eyes! I looovvveee raw cakes & especially yours looks delightful! I think I will make them in smaller individual tartlets! xxx
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wow that looks SO GOOD
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Congratulations, super proud mum, always been always will be …. and that was so yummy ….
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Merci mamie ❤
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