Decadent and Rich, a guilt-free recipe to rival any traditional chocolate mud cake
Energy dense, packed with nuts, cacao and beetroot this RAW vegan delight was so easy to create! Rather than going down the sugary, buttery, flour-ey (is that a word?) path, I urge you to try this mouthwatering recipe. You can thank me later!
Inspired by Paleo Chef star Pete Evans, who was himself inspired by the fabulous Dr Libby, for the base. Then inspired by Whole foods Chef Cynthia Louise for the to die for Sweet Chocolate Icing, you really can’t go wrong…
What you’ll need for the Base:
300 g (2 cups) activated Macadamia Nuts (soak raw nuts in water overnight then rinse well)
15 Dates
40 g (¼ cup) Dried Cranberries
70 ml (1/3 cup) Maple Syrup
3 Beetroots, peeled and grated
200 g (2 ¼ cups) Shredded Coconut
4 tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder
4 tablespoons Carob Powder
1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise and scraped or Splash of Vanilla Essence
2 tablespoons Almond Meal
What you’ll need for the Sweet Chocolate Icing:
150 g (1 cups) activated Macadamia Nuts (soak raw nuts in water overnight then rinse well)
140 ml (2/3 cup) Maple Syrup
½ cup water
½ cup Raw Cacao Powder
Pinch of Salt
1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise and scraped or Splash of Vanilla Essence
250g Cacao Butter melted (this is the winning ingredient!)
Method for the Base:
Process the nuts to the consistency of bread crumbs, then add the dates, cranberries, and maple syrup and process until smooth.
Add the grated beetroots, coconut, cacao powder, carob powder, vanilla, and almond meal and blend until well combined and even in texture.
Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper and press the mixture down into a solid base.
Place the cake tin into the freezer for 40 minutes to firm up.
Method for Sweet Chocolate Icing:
Combine EVERYTHING except for the Cacao Butter and blend until a creamy smooth consistency is formed.
Turn the blender down and add in the melted Cacao Butter until it’s combined (~ 5 seconds). OR if you’re like me and use a Nutribullet for the first step, just mix the Cacao Butter in by hand until it looks nice and glossy.
Pour the Icing over the Base and allow to firm up in the fridge.
You may want to garnish your cake with marachino cherries, extra beetroot or chocolate shavings… whatever takes your fancy!
“it was the ideal birthday cake. You’d easily pay $5+ dollars for a small slice at a fancy café”
The Birthday Boy 😋
Notes:
This recipe is pure genius – with no actual cooking you really can’t go wrong!
Some of the ingredients may be a little hard to get your hands on and you may need to source them from a quality Health Food Store – Ironwood Cottage at Sandgate is my go to for all things organic and quailty.
If you have some items in your pantry but not everything, you can always swap them out. Consider using dried blueberries or currents in place of the cranberries. Or Flaxseed Meal in place of the Almond Meal. Or Cashews in place of the Macadamias. My first attempt I used MCT oil instead of Cacao Butter and I can tell you now this is NOT a good idea unless you want icing that melts everywhere… whoops! Coconut oil may be a more suitable alternative.
Get in touch!
I’d love to hear how you go with creating this cake and whether you enjoy it as much as my family did?
Take photos and make sure to tag @naturologystudio and #naturologystudio
Yours in Health,
Sarah the Naturopath, Kinesiologist and Healthy Food Purveyor