To celebrate my birthday, this was my torte of choice. Satisfying, delicious and super nutritious, it’s a cake that tastes good and is good, both for our bodies and for morale. It happens to be vegan and gluten free and it comes with my five star recommendation.
This formula is from The Minimalist Baker. I’ve only tinkered around the edges, with the addition of a few pine nuts, block coconut and my favourite dessert spices. It’s a genius recipe and is unlike any other raw cake I’ve come across. It is genuinely cake-like in texture as the fluffy crumb is down to the stirring in of nut flour at the end, rather than simply blitzing it all together. It’s a cake of two halves, topping and torte to be prepared separately, and other than that, super simple.
Source
For the topping:
100g cashew nuts, soaked for 20 minutes in boiling water & drained
50g pine nuts, soaked for 20 minutes in boiling water & drained
50g coconut block, melted
70g full fat coconut milk, from a can
30g lime juice
45g maple syrup
A good teaspoon of vanilla paste
For the torte:
220g carrot, grated
400g dates, pitted
300g walnuts & pecan mix
Pinch of salt
1 tsp sweet cinnamon
½ tsp : ginger, nutmeg and cardamom, each.
35g coconut flour
35g ground almonds
30g raisins
Action
Line a 7” spring form cake case with non-stick parchment on base and sides.
Using a food processor, blitz together all the topping ingredients until smooth and set to one side.
Blitz the nuts, vanilla, salt and spice into a nutty rubble – don’t take too far as you want the texture.
Add the dates and grated carrots to the mix and pulse until combined but still with texture.
Transfer the nut and carrot mix into a bowl and stir in the raisins, ground almonds and coconut flour.
Tip this mix into your prepared tin and press down to form. Retrieve the topping and pour over the torte base, smoothing the surface as you go.
Place the torte into the fridge for a good two hours to set. Dress with carrot ribbons, crushed pecans and pumpkin seeds for colour. Serve and store from the fridge.