Since Tiia and I ate raw cake in a café, I really wanted to make one myself. There are lots of recipes on the internet but they didn’t quite suit what I was looking for. In the end I decided to come up with my own.

Food is considered raw if it hasn’t been heated over 40-46°C. Raw cacao powder is supposed to have a lot of antioxidants and magnesium for example. That would be certainly a nice side effect. No matter what: it tastes way better than the usual cocoa powder used for baking. The cacao powder already smells strongly like chocolate. First of all I wanted to recreate what we had tasted in the café since raw cakes or actually any cake don’t come cheaply. The last one we bought was 6.50€ per piece. I also like to try out new things. So vegan, gluten-free baking is certainly new to me but I like challenges!

Enough talking, here is the recipe:

Crust
80 g hazelnuts
50 g almonds
100 g pitted dates
3 tbsp raw cacao powder (I used the one by Lifefood)
1 tsp raw agave nectar

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor and scrape down the sides from time to time. It should be ready when the mixture sticks together by itself.

For making the crust I used a cake ring and adjusted it on the smallest setting which was around 17 cm. I put it on a cake plate and wrapped aluminium foil around it which wasn’t really necessary in the end. Just spread the mixture with your fingers or a spoon and press it down firmly. Put it in the fridge for the next step so it can set. I put it on the balcony since there is never enough space in the fridge and it’s certainly cold enough outside at the moment!

Filling
150 g cashews (soaked in water overnight, then drained)
5 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp raw agave nectar
3 avocados (really ripe)
1 tbsp raw coconut oil
3 pitted dates
sea salt
chili or cayenne pepper

The coconut oil is usually firm in room temperature (depending on where you live) so I had to melt it first. Be careful just to heat it slowly, otherwise it won’t be raw anymore! Afterwards blend everything in a food processor until it’s really smooth. That will take a few minutes. Add a little salt to taste; it takes away the bitterness of the chocolate. You then can add some chili step by step. Be really careful with the amounts. If you don’t like chili in your chocolate you can, of course, leave it out and put some vanilla bean in.

When the mixture is done it will be really fluffy like chocolate mousse. Pour it on top of the crust and spread it evenly. Put it back in the fridge.

Topping
2 tbsp raw agave nectar
4 tbsp cacao butter
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
sea salt

Warm the agave nectar in a hot water bath. Be careful with the temperature again and don’t heat it over 40°C. Add the cacao butter and let it melt. Then add the cacao powder and some salt. I love slightly salted chocolate , so I always use a little bit more. Take it out of the water bath and stir until everything is mixed. Let the topping cool down a bit and then pour it on top of the cake.

Put it back in the fridge for at least 15 minutes until the frosting has set. If you leave it in there for a few hours before serving, make sure to take it out a bit earlier. The topping shouldn’t be too firm, otherwise you will have problems cutting it. The easiest way to do that is to use a hot knife. The chocolate top won’t break then.

I hope you’ll enjoy this delicious cake as much as we did!

Stef