{recipe} Three-Tiered Raw Chocolate Cake

This recipe from {Amy Levin of Ooosha} is a bit different from the kind of thing we usually share! You know how much I love the “raw food made easy” thing ~ and this is so much more complex than what I would do on a usual day!

BUT ~ it makes for a SUPERB special weekend project, and Amy has done such a brilliant job of showing us with her step-by-step photos just how to simplify something otherwise so fancy and gourmet ~ that I could not resist! Any questions, please feel free to ask!

[Special note: I know that some of you may not be accustomed to using grams. Here is a {free conversion website} that may be useful to you, depending on where you are located.]

All right, on to the fun!! Don’t forget that at the very bottom of this post, you will see step-by-step photos of the whole assembly process. SO COOL!

THREE-TIERED RAW CHOCOLATE CAKE
with coconut cream, fresh cherries, chocolate frosting and a thin chocolate shell

CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS
100g cacao powder
150 brazil nut flour
75g coconut sugar
40g lacuma
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp nama shoyu / tamari
3 drops cherry flavour essence from Medicine Flower
120g water

CHOCOLATE CAKE INSTRUCTIONS
Add all dry ingredients to a food processor, and pulse to combine. Then add wet ingredients (except water), and pulse to continue to combine. Add the water through the feedhole at the top while the machine is running. The resulting batter should hold together, but not be too wet; think truffle batter.

COCONUT CREAM INGREDIENTS
170g soaked cashews
50g melted coconut oil
20g melted cacao butter
70g melted coconut butter/cream
80g agave
1 vanilla bean, scraped and empty pod reserved for future use
3 drops coconut flavour essence from Medicine Flower
140g water

COCONUT CREAM INSTRUCTIONS
In a high speed blender, combine all ingredients and blend on high until completely smooth. You will use this as a liquid; however, if you want to frost the cake with it (instead of the chocolate frosting), place in the fridge for about 1-2 hours to thicken enough to spread or pipe it on. If you leave it too long in the fridge and it’s hard, simply let it stand at room temperature until workable.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING INGREDIENTS
150g Cashews – soaked and rinsed
225g Water or nut milk
100g powdered coconut sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract or powder
75g Chocolate powder
70g Cacao butter – melted

CHOCOLATE FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
Blend first 5 ingredients in a high-speed blender on the highest speed. Once smooth, add the melted cacao butter in the top feed hole while the blender is running on medium speed. Turn to high speed for 5 seconds. Transfer the frosting to a storage container or bowl and place in fridge to set, about 1-2 hours. Once set, use a piping bag or a cranked spatula to apply the frosting. If you leave it too long in the fridge and it’s hard, simply let it stand at room temperature until workable.

CHOCOLATE COATING INGREDIENTS
250g of Ooosha 78% Dark or your favourite raw chocolate – melted over a double boiler

TO ASSEMBLE
Follow images below.
And you’ll need –
150g fresh cherries , pitted and chopped
3 cake tins approx – 6 inch – 4 inch – 2 1/2 inch

Step 1: Line the moulds with cling film – one is a spring form and the others are ring moulds.

Step 2: The first layer, chocolate cake

Step 3: Second layer, vanilla coconut frosting

Step 4: Sprinkle with chopped fresh cherries and into the freezer to set for 1 hour after this time, repeat the layering process

Step 5: The final product – you could serve this as is, frost the outside or cover it in chocolate….or…

Step 6: Covering each one in chocolate frosting

Step 7: Assemble them and allow to cool. Place on a cookie sheet over a pan and on top of a spatula to help with picking it up after you finish covering it

Step 8: Pour chocolate on in a steady stream being sure to cover the whole cake

Step 9: Once covered in chocolate, you can remove from the rack (otherwise you’ll get bits in your chocolate in the pan) and add some textures like candied nuts, desiccated coconut or fresh cherries to the sides/ top and allow it to set

Step 10: If it’s cool enough in your kitchen the chocolate will set within minutes because the cake is already cold and the environment is too – it’s best to allow it to cool this way in order to avoid water spots on the surface

VOILA!

PLEASE TAKE NOTE! We were psyched when {Amy Levin of Ooosha} agreed to join forces with uncooking101.com to bring you best of the raw and living food world! We LOVE (seriously) Amy’s recipes and want to keep a good relationship with her. Out of respect for how awesome sauce Amy and her creations are, PLEASE do not repost her recipe without her direct permission. You may, however, and we even hope you will, post the link to Facebook or anywhere you like to get your friends over to the recipe. Thank you!

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? Just type whatever you have to say below. We’d love to hear from you, no matter what it is. Well, as long as it is related to this ridiculously awesome chocolate cake recipe in some way!