These days, my favorite dessert is my raw cashew “cheesecake.” Ever since I have been making them, I have been receiving rave reviews from my vegan and non-vegan pals.
Last week I went out and feasted on a dessert called “Nutty Chocolate Cake.” Oooh, was it heavenly! Right away, I knew I was going to attempt to make it at home and tried to get as much information from the waiter about it as possible. I asked if there were cashews in it, and/or tofu, and if there were dates and nuts in the crust and which kind. After gathering all the vital information, I started working and testing my recipe. I realized that it is basically a chocolate version of the delicious raw vegan “cheesecake” that I posted previously. My instincts were spot on and I think it came out as good as or even better than the restaurant’s version! I hope you trust me when I say that this Chocolate Truffle Cake is delicious and decadent, and you won’t be sorry when you eat a slice or three. If you only keep to one slice a day, you won’t get mad at yourself for indulging! There obviously are no eggs, milk, cream, or butter in this recipe, so there is no cholesterol! Let loose a little and enjoy your cake!
Please keep in mind that it is helpful to have a really good blender to make this super creamy. A Vitamix, Blendtec, or Ninja work well for this. I have also made this with a friend’s $30 blender and it worked out successfully. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, just blend the mixture for a very long time until it is super smooth. Also, a 6-inch cake pan will work best. The cake can be cut into eighths and although slices may look small, each slice sure is quite filling!
I hope you enjoy this masterpiece and share it with your friends and family! Bon Appetit!
Raw Vegan Chocolate Truffle Cake
Ingredients
Crust:
1/2 cup raw pecans (almonds or walnuts will also work)
1/2 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
1 ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in the filtered water overnight in the refrigerator. Rinsed and drained.
1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1/3 cup filtered water
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
Topping:
Handful of chopped walnuts or pecans
Method
1. Make the crust. Place the nuts, dates and sea salt in the food processor and pulse to chop until they are to your desired texture (you will want a finer crust than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount and rolling it in your hands. If the crust mixture holds together, your crust is perfect. If you don’t feel it’s holding together, try to mix the mixture with your hands until it comes together. Pour the crust mixture into a 6-7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a cake pan lined with plastic wrap) and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout.
2. If the coconut oil is solid, gently heat the oil in a small saucepan on low heat until it comes to a liquid state.
3. Place all of the filling ingredients into the blender and blend on high until very smooth (this may take a couple minutes).
4. Taste the mixture. If you feel the filling needs a little more sweetness, add about 1 – 2 more tablespoons of coconut nectar, and blend.
5. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth it out evenly with a spatula.
6. Place the cake in the freezer until solid, about 4 hours.
7. To serve, remove from the freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve when fully defrosted. You should get 8 slices. Serve on its own, or the way I like it, topped with raw chopped walnuts or pecans! Enjoy and store leftovers in the freezer!
Image Credit: Yvonne Ardestani of Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen
