Raw Salted Caramel Almond Cake
This addictively delicious cake is raw, vegan, paleo-friendly, as well as free from refined-sugars, grains, gluten and dairy. It would make the perfect birthday cake for your beloved family or friends; they'll love you for it! The recipe would also be amazing with hazelnuts, pecans or almonds instead of the almonds.
Ingredients
Base Layer
- 3/4 Cup Almond Meal , blanched
- 6 Fresh Dates , seeded
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil , melted
- 2 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1 Pinch Salt , Himalayan
Almond Salted Caramel
- 6 Fresh Dates , seeded
- 2 Tbsp warm water
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil , melted
- 1/2 Tsp Salt , Himalayan
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup , or rice syrup*
- 3/4 Cup Almonds , activated if possible
Chocolate Layer
- 1 1/2 Cups Cashews , raw
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil , melted
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup , or rice syrup*
- 1/2 Cup Raw Cacao Powder
Top Layer
- 1/2 Cup Almonds , finely chopped
- 1/2 Cup Raw Cacao Nibs
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in filtered water to cover for 6-8 hours. Drain and rinse.
- To make the base: pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor until it is the consistency of wet sand. Press evenly into the tin and place into the freezer.
- To make the caramel layer: place the dates and warm water in a food processor and puree. Add coconut oil, salt, vanilla and syrup and blend until well combined. Then pulse the almonds into the mixture, being careful not to over-process as you want some crunch and texture. Spread the caramel evenly onto the base and return the tin to the freezer.
- To make the chocolate layer: blend the cashews and water in a food processor until smooth, regularly scraping down the sides. Be patient this takes a few minutes. Pour in the coconut oil and syrup, and blend until thoroughly combined. Add the cacao and mix in. Smooth the chocolate layer over the caramel and put the tin back into the freezer.
- For the top layer: mix together the chopped almonds and cacao nibs and sprinkle over the top of the cake, gently pressing it into the cake. Cover and return the tin to the freezer to set for 4-5 hours or overnight.
- Remove the cake from the freezer to soften a little for 5-10 minutes before cutting, and serve in small slices as it is quite rich. Any leftover cake will keep in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
*Maple syrup is sweeter than rice syrup so will produce a sweeter cake.
**Adapted from a recipe by Glen Farmer from www.suchdifferentskies.com. Thanks for the inspiration Glen!