Cake with cashew and coconut cream frosting

My dear foodies, today I invite you to eat a slice, maybe two or three of this chocolate cake with cashew and coconut cream frosing. I can describe this cake with one word: DELICIOUS.

Two soft and wet layers, which are similar to a brownie dough, some cranberries inside them, a vegan cashew and coconut cream frosting between the cake layers and a ,,white blanket” of the same delicious cream that covers all the cake. Are you craving yet or not? Stay with me and see how to make this recipe.

NEW FRIENDS IN FOODIEOPEDIA’s kitchen

I’m happy to tell you that a few days ago I received a box full of goodies from SanoVita, a brand with whom I resonate from many points of view. It was pretty easy for me to use some of the products they sent to me in a super yummy recipe, of which I sincerely say that I am proud of and happy, because it has been devoured in a flash by my closest ones. When I told them that this cake was sugar-free, they didn’t believe me. You can make healthy choices and small steps for a great change for the better.

The cream of this cake recipe that I’m showing you today is actually the star in this whole equation. For this cream I used raw cashew nuts, which are known for their benefits, being rich in healthy vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats, but also because they can be easily used in various recipes. Soaked in water for several hours, cashew nuts can be the basis of a cream cake or salty sauces. Of course, they can be eaten simple as a snack between meals.

Another basic ingredient in the frosting cream of this cake was coconut cream, which in its composition has a coconut concentration of 90.91%. Do not confuse coconut cream with coconut milk, which has a lower coconut concentration and does not behave in the same way as the first one. Initially the coconut cream is in liquid form, but if you let it in the fridge it will harden and can be a perfect substitute for yogurt or cream in vegan preparations. Coconut milk continue to keep its liquid consistency even after it’s left in the refrigerator and can be used by those who have lactose intolerance or as a replacement for dairy milk in various smoothies, puddings, cakes.

Regarding this cake with cashew and coconut cream, I mentioned above that I didn’t use any sugar in its composition and that’s because I’m trying as much as possible to have a diet with no added sugar. The cake dough is sweet from the bananas that I put in it. The bananas not only made the dough cake sweet, but also they gave it a wet texture. If you want to, you can add sugar, but then you have to omit the bananas and to add as much sugar as you want. In this case you will need to add extra liquid. To keep the same line, I recommend you the coconut milk I mentioned above. Because it’s taste is slightly sweet, you need to take care of the amount of sugar you want to use.

That said, all I have to do now is to invite you to see how I made this delicious cake with cashew and coconut cream 🙂
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INGREDIENTS
For the dough
100 gr. of wholewheat flour + 100 gr. of all purpose flour (both sifted through a sieve)
3 tablespoons karob powder (or 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder)
15 gr. of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
a pinch of salt
300 gr. banana puree (about 3 medium bananas)
185 ml. vegan milk (or dairy milk if you don’t want a vegan cake)
50 ml. coconut oil (you can replace it with vegetable oil)
60 gr. cranberry (can be omitted or replaced with raisins or small pieces of chocolate)
Optional: 2 flax egg (2 tablespoons of flax seed + 6 tablespoons of water)
For the cream
150 gr. raw cashew nuts from Sano Vita
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
400 ml. of coconut cream (cold in the fridge overnight)
2 tablespoons of agave syrup (you can also use honey)

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PREPARATION
Dough
To begin with, soak the cashew in a bowl with water for 6-7 hours or best overnight. This will make cashew nuts much softer and you can blend them easily into a cream.

In a smaller bowl put 2 tablespoons of flax seed + 6 tablespoons of water, mix and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes until the seeds become gelatinous. Flax seeds are a good substitute for eggs in a vegan recipe.

Mash the banana using a fork until they take the form of a puree, put them in the bowl over the flour together with the 3 tablespoons of karob powder, the two flax seed eggs and 50 ml. of coconut oil. Gently mix with a whisk, adding the milk gradually. Finally add the cranberries and mix.

Put the dough composition in a tray (I used a 25X20 cm), then place the tray in the preheated oven at 180°C for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the dough to cool, then cut it in half, resulting two layer.

Cream
After the cashew nuts have been soaked, put them in a food processor and blend them until they become a creamy paste. Carefully remove the coconut cream from the can and put it in the food processor together with the 2 tablespoons of agave syrup and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Blend again 2-3 times until everything is well incorporated.

Put the cream in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Once it has hardened, put 5-6 tablespoons of cream on top of the first layer, level it well, then put the second layer over the cream. Frost the layers with the rest of the cream and put the cake in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Cut the edges of the cake with a knife, then cut the cake into smaller pieces so you and your guests can eat them.

(This pieces of cake in the picture are quite big, but at serving I cut them in 3 more pieces)

I advise you to decorate the cake with kiwi or forest fruits (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries) in order to balance the intense taste of coconut.

I hope you like it and that I inspire you with this cake, which I tried to make it in my own style, to be a dessert as balanced and light as possible!

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