Raw Chocolate Cake

Cake! Cake! Cake! Chocolate cake to be exact! I’ve always loved eating cake as well as baking cakes. When I began to live a healthier lifestyle, I knew that I had to definitely cut down on this due to the ingredients in it. A misconception that I had was that I wouldn’t get to enjoy sweet treats like cakes anymore, most of which are prepared using ingredients like milk, wheat, butter, refined sugar… With time, I’m discovering so many sweet snacks and desserts that are prepared using healthy ingredients and taste so delicious!

I made this raw chocolate cake for my dear friend Camilla and it honestly is just heavenly! It’s made up of dates, cacao powder, lemon,  vanilla extract and maple syrup which can be substituted with honey. The filling and topping is made of coconut cream and cacao powder. Dates are one of my favourite foods and I love that there are dates in this cake. Dates are a great source of healthy sugars and fibre and  aid in  digestive health, heart health, anti-inflammation and reducing blood pressure. The almonds/pecans are a great source of healthy protein and the coconut is also a great source of healthy fats which increases your energy levels and aid in organ and muscle function. I topped the cake with strawberries which are a a great source of antioxidants as well as Vitamin C. Cacao is a also a rich source of antioxidants.

This cake is perfect for celebrations and entertaining guests. Not only is it filled with so many essential vitamins and nutrients but it’s also so easy to prepare. Enjoy!

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 3 cups Pecans (or almonds)
• 2 cups Medjool dates
• 3/4 cup Cacao powder
• 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup/honey
• Juice from 1 lemon

For the filling and topping:

• Coconut cream
• Cacao powder

[/ingredients] [directions title=”Directions”]

1. To make the cake: put the pecans in your food processor and process until they become small crumbs. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it all begins to stick together. Press into a small spring form pan (mine was about 6 inches), leaving the sides slightly higher than the center so you can later pour in the topping. Leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

[/directions]