Raw Chocolate Cake

                                  

This beautiful, crumbly, chocolate dessert is similar to a moist chocolate cake.....and it's completely made from whole, raw ingredients.  The beauty of raw food is immense, the versatility of fruit is awesome, you need never use sugar again if you make raw desserts using sweetness from fruit.  This is my favorite aspect of consuming raw food; you get right down to the nuts and bolts of what makes food, food... a raw chocolate cake: nuts and dried fruit, a little chocolate and vanilla flavor as well.  I love this recipe!

I made chia seed pudding from pure coconut milk (light, less fat), chia seeds and maple syrup.  The coconut milk is just coconut milk and water, I bought it at Trader Joe's in a can and they confirmed the can is BPA free (I'm pretty concerned about the effects of BPA in my body).  I topped the cake with a little bit of the pudding and there you have a decadent chocolate dessert ready to satisfy any craving.

I broke away a little bit from exclusively using dates as I bought two other dried fruit: apricots and pitted prunes. I love how chewy they make this cake and I enjoyed testing how other fruit besides dates can sweeten a raw dessert.  Don't be afraid to experiment with your favorite dried fruits.  Try to buy them without the preservative.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of walnuts

1/4 cup of dried apricots

1/2 cup of dried pitted prunes

2 tbsp of maple syrup (optional)

2 tbsp of cacao or cocoa powder

2 tbsp of pure vanilla extract

Add the walnuts and dried fruit to your food processor and process on high.  Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and keep processing.  The mixture will become a sticky chocolate cake that crumbles easily. If you need more sweetness, add the maple syrup.  

Chia Pudding:

3/4 cup of coconut milk

2 tbsp of chia seeds

1 tbsp of maple syrup

Mix all ingredients in a mason jar, bowl or cup and place in the fridge for an hour or overnight. Top your chocolate cake with the chia seed pudding after it sets in the fridge.

The chia pudding almost acts as a healthy icing for the cake.  Chia seeds have protein, fiber and omegas and are excellent for energy and alertness.  I recommend you become quite familiar with chia seeds!

Are you a chocoholic?