So most raw vegan cakes aren’t baked but made. Vegans do eat cooked foods except those in the raw vegan movement, and when it comes to raw-veganizing cakes, you’re in for a little bit of work and trouble if this is your first time.
But if you’re up for a vegan cake challenge, prepare to be rewarded with a very satisfying result and one that comes (possibly) tastier than grandma’s centuries-old recipe. Sorry, grandma!
What does it take to build a raw vegan cake?
Well, this one’s simple. It takes ingredients, silly, non-dairy ingredients to be precise.
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Anything related to dairies has to be replaced with non-dairy alternatives in a vegan cake. The butter, the eggs, the milk and the cream – they all have to be substituted with vegan ingredients. As if that wasn’t enough to make things complicated, raw vegan cakes don’t contain sugar, so another ingredient that you have to substitute.
Still, with all the staple ingredients used in conventional baking replaced in a raw vegan cake recipe, these raw vegan cakes look pretty amazing.
Oh yes, and another thing: you don’t bake raw vegan cakes, that’s why they’re called raw. So what exactly does a raw vegan cake recipe contain?
Surprisingly, raw vegan cakes are made of a short number of ingredients, usually nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Other common ingredients depending on the type of cake made can be cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract, coconut oil, maple syrup, agave nectar, lemon juice, cherry extract, cinnamon, etc.
Ingredients for the base of a raw vegan cake
A raw vegan cake is made with one or more layers, and just as with conventionally baked cakes they have a base, in this case, a crust typically made of:
- Raw nuts: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or Brazil nuts.
- Dried fruits: raisins or pitted dates most often.
- Various other ingredients that can be added: oats, salt, cocoa powder, fruit extract, non-dairy milk.
Ingredients for the cake’s layer(s)
This is where all the fun steps in. There are more variations of a raw vegan cake than you can imagine. Thus depending on your choice of cake, the layer can contain:
- Raw cashews
- Agave nectar
- Pitted dates
- Coconut oil
- Chocolate powder
- Bananas
- Vanilla extract
- Carob powder
Or a bunch load of other ingredients.
Ingredients for topping
This is another part where you can again get creative. Raw chocolate and peanut butter are often used, and you can even personalize your filling by adding any kind of berries to it, blend together, and pour onto the cake.
How it’s made
The process is fairly simple really.
Crust – In a food processor you blend the nuts and the dried fruits along with the salt to preferred fineness. You’ll know they are well blended when the ingredients hold together. Spread crust preferably in a spring-form pan pressing firmly to create an even base.
Filling – In a saucepan you warm up the coconut oil with the sweetener to combine well. After you’ve rinsed the food processor well after making the crust, put the ingredients for the filling and blend firmly (usually for a good couple of minutes) until smooth-smooth.
Topping – Just go crazy with it. You can even use flowers and definitely use fresh fruits.
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Tip: Most raw vegan cakes are best served after stored in the refrigerator overnight.