Raw Black Forest Slice

12 July 2016 | 2 comments

A silky smooth Raw Black Forest Slice – made without gluten, dairy or refined sugars. This slice has a sneaky hint of espresso which is such a lovely compliment to the cherries.

Winter needed a little cheering up, so I’ve decided to share this Raw Black Forest Slice recipe today.

It’s a healthier version of your traditional Black Forest Cake (no refined flours or sugars), with a sneaky espresso twist. The final texture of the layers is quite mousse like – incredibly yummy.

Frozen and thawed cherries or berries will work just fine if you don’t have any available fresh. Oats in place of the cashews in the base make for a slightly lighter option.

Big, showy blooms skewered into the top look amazing if you’re taking this to a special occasion, or keep it simple with a little grated, dark plant based chocolate.

If you make and enjoy this recipe, please leave a rating below. And better yet – leave me a comment to tell me how you got on, or just say hi – I LOVE hearing from you. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to see more of my everyday recipes and wellness tips.

5 from 1 vote

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Raw Black Forest Slice

A healthy version of a Black Forest Cake with an espresso twist. The final texture of these is a lovely soft mousse – it’s just divine. Fills an 8 inch square cake tin. Makes 18 slices. Please note the active prep time excludes the 8 hours needed to soak the cashews prior to making.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dairy-free, Gluten free, Plant-based, Raw, Vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 18

Calories 284 kcal

Author Lauren Glucina

Ingredients

BASE:

• ¾ cup cashews
• ¾ cup coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 8 Medjool dates pitted
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt

FILLING:

• 2 cups cashews soaked in water for 8 hours
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut butter
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon psyllium husks

FLAVOURING:

• 3 tablespoons cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons espresso
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Handful of black cherries pitted

TO DECORATE:

• Sifted cacao powder
• Dark chocolate shavings
• Red or black roses

Instructions

BASE:

1. Add the cashews and coconut flakes to a food processor, and pulse till well crumbled.
2. Add the cacao, salt and coconut oil and pulse again.
3. Add the dates, one at a time, while the motor is still running. If they are particularly dry, soak them first in a little water before you use them. Keep the motor going till a nice dough has formed.
4. Transfer the dough to an 8 inch square cake tin, lined with baking paper, and flatten the surface with the back of a spoon.
   

FILLING:

1. If your coconut oil or butter is firm, place them in a glass jug and stand them over a bowl of hot water to soften to a liquid.
2. Add the coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and psyllium husks to a blender and whiz to combine.
3. Drain the cashews, then add them to the blender. Blend till creamy.
4. Remove half of this mixture and set aside – this will be your white, cherry layer.
5. Add the cacao powder and espresso to the blender and blend till smooth – this is now your chocolate/espresso layer.
6. Spread this perfectly over the base you prepared. Set in the freezer.
7. Pop the white layer back into the (clean) blender with the lemon juice and give it a quick blitz.
8. Once the chocolate espresso layer has set, remove from the freezer and scatter cherries over the top. Pour the white layer over and smooth out the surface. Place in the freezer to set.
9. Cut into equal sized rectangles to serve. Dust with cacao powder and dark chocolate shavings, and skewer flowers into the top for decoration.

Lauren's Notes

This is one of my favourite raw dessert recipes - you must try!