{"id":5966,"date":"2015-12-13T10:01:49","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T21:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascensionkitchen.com\/?p=5966"},"modified":"2018-04-18T18:03:58","modified_gmt":"2018-04-18T06:03:58","slug":"raw-chocolate-cherry-cake-with-caramelised-prunes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ascensionkitchen.com\/raw-chocolate-cherry-cake-with-caramelised-prunes\/","title":{"rendered":"Raw Chocolate Cherry Cake with Caramelised Prunes"},"content":{"rendered":"

This decadent raw cake has a coconut and oat base, topped with two creamy layers - chocolate infused with caramelised prunes, and vanilla infused with fresh ripe cherries. An absolute show-stopper. <\/em><\/p>\n

\"Raw<\/p>\n

With just over a week till Christmas, I’ve been busy trialling recipes out for the special day, and this Raw Chocolate Cherry Cake is as festive as it gets. The addition of caramelised prunes was a genius idea (because, prunes + dark chocolate = always winning). Although incredibly indulgent, it is still made from wholesome, plant based ingredients, and as always, is entirely free from refined sugars.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=\"RAW Chocolate and Cherry Cake with Caramelised Prunes over at Ascension Kitchen!\"]<\/p>\n

I love raw cakes because they are incredibly hard to stuff up. Take your ingredients, blend, whiz, pour, set, done. The art of it is in the quality of the raw starting ingredients and the combination of flavours. Meanwhile, my beautiful Nana whom I went to visit yesterday, was standing behind her kitchen bench with not one but five Christmas<\/a> fruit puddings. She is a perfectionist like me and is on a mission to create the perfect recipe, one that doesn’t see the bulk of the fruit sink to the bottom. She has tweaked the recipe to be health-ified – making it with coconut sugar and organic ingredients (go Nan!) but it still needs to be cooked and watched and fiddled with. It tastes incredible of course but not nearly as simple a feat as a raw cake. And I’m all about ease, grace and flow at the moment, especially at the end of a busy year.<\/p>\n

But back to the cake…<\/p>\n

\"Raw\"Raw<\/p>\n

Prunes Prunes Prunes<\/h2>\n

Prunes and dark chocolate are an absolute flavour explosion. I like to sub them out for dates occasionally in recipes such as this one – Ginseng, Prune, Cacao, Star Anise and Vanilla Slice<\/a> (trust me - the bestest combo!).<\/p>\n

But for this recipe, I’ve decided to stew them a little in maple syrup, nut milk, cinnamon, sea salt and vanilla. The end result is a sweet, spiced and sticky caramelised creation – turns out this was the best part of the cake. And no, unfortunately, this part of the recipe means it isn’t truly raw, but as we know, maple syrup isn’t a truly raw product to start with (although it is certainly a great alternative to white sugar, being minimally processed and mineral rich). If you want to keep it 100% raw, just soak them a little in hot water with the vanilla and cinnamon, and perhaps a dash of the maple, then drain and use.<\/p>\n

And oh the smells while it cooks…<\/em><\/p>\n

Prunes are high in fibre<\/h2>\n

Prunes are also a favourite of mine as they are a great source of fibre, particularly insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre provides food for the friendly bacteria in your colon, resulting in the creation of butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid that is used by the enterocytes (the cells in the large intestine) as fuel (so it keeps your colon nice and healthy) [1]. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cherries – potent antioxidants<\/h2>\n

Another summer favourite are cherries. More so raw, by the handful, as a healthy snack. But today, scattered throughout the creamy vanilla layer of this cake.<\/p>\n

Cherries are a concentrated source of flavonoids, a group of plant pigments best known for their antioxidant activity. They specifically contain anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins, which are responsible for the beautiful deep red pigment in the skin. These molecules are both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, so may assist in pain relief [1].<\/span> They have also been shown to be an effective anti-gout remedy. They inhibit an enzyme called xanthine oxidase, which is involved in the production of uric acid [2].<\/span><\/p>\n

So, when you take the beautiful prunes and cherries and fold them through these creamy cake layers, you’re creating something pretty magical I reckon.<\/p>\n

Hope you enjoy, and wishing you all a slow, restorative Christmas break.<\/p>\n

Lauren.<\/p>\n

The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter and the spirit heals with joy.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

~ Old proverb<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udcd6Recipe<\/h2>
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Raw Chocolate Cherry Cake with Caramelised Prunes<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\nNaturopath Lauren Glucina<\/a><\/span>\n
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A raw, Chocolate Cherry Cake with Caramelised Prunes. This recipe is vegan, soy free, refined sugar free. Fills a 9 inch cake tin. Please note the active prep time excludes the 2 hour soak time required for the cashews.<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
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