27th of January is National Chocolate Cake Day!
It’s not clear where it came from – but it inspired us here at DIVINE ORGANICS to get bakin’ and shakin’ – and we will post each week a new delicious chocolate cake recipe till Valentine’s Day! Each recipe will put a smile on your face and you will learn a great raw food desert. All you need is a  high speed blender (optional a food processor) and a fridge and freezer will do the work to make the recipes successful.

This week – Raw Divine Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Raspberries
This is an over-the-top dreamy creamy delicious cake and will make any un-raw or un-vegan friends or family member lick their fingers.

Prepare 2 spring-baking forms or pie forms (9-inch): Line the bottom of the form with plastic food wrap. You can also use parchment paper if you cut a circle and fit it tight to the bottom.

FOR THE CRUST
(we made 2 crusts, but you can easily reduce to half if you want):

• 3 cups DIVINE ORGANICS Raw Indonesian Cashews
• 2 cups DIVINE ORGANICS Raw Hazelnuts
• 1 TSP ROYAL HIMALAYAN Himalayan Salt
• 1 1/2 pitted soft dates (Medjool)
• 1/2 cup DIVINE ORGANICS Raw Cacao Powder
• 1 TSP DIVINE ORGANICS Raw Ground Vanilla
• 1/2 TSP Ground Cinnamon
• 2 TBSP Organic Maple Syrup (or Agave Nectar)
• 1 TSP Raw Honey

1.) In a food processor or blender (pulse, keep it grainy) process the dry ingredients to get a sandy consistence, don’t over-process the nuts.

2.) Add the dates, sweetener and honey one at a time. The mixture should stick together when you pinch it with your fingers.

3.) Divide the mixture into 2 parts and press the crust with your fingers gently into the form.

4.) Put both pans into the freezer.

FOR THE FILLING:

• 3 cups DIVINE ORGANICS Raw Indonesian Cashews (soaked for minimum 2 hours, ideally 4)
• 1/2 cup water (or coconut water)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup Maple Syrup (or Agave Nectar)
• 1 TSP DIVINE ORGANICS Raw Ground Vanilla
• 1/2 TSP Ground Cinnamon (optional)
• 1 cup DIVINE ORGANICS raw Cacao Butter (melted)
• 1 cup fresh ripe Raspberries/and ripe Strawberries (cut into pieces or mush to fill the cup), and keep a few extra beautiful fruits for decoration)

1.) Melt slowly the Cacao Butter (best in a Bain Marie).

2.) Place cashews, maple syrup, water and Vanilla into a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the fruits and continue mixing. Add a little more water if necessary. Then add the lemon zest, and Cinnamon and pulse.

3.) Leave the blender on low speed and drizzle slowly the melted cacao butter into the cream.Try, if you are happy with the sweetness, you may add a little more (dry) coconut sugar and pulse.

4.) Take one pan with a crust from the freezer and pour a generous half of your cream on the crust, put it back into the freezer. Keep the other half of the cream in the fridge. If you want to eat the cake on the same day, leave the cake for a minimum of 1 hour in the freezer. This cake is great to prepare in advance, you can easily finish the frosting and assembling on the next day.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

1.) About 15 minutes before you start assembling, remove both baking pans from the freezer and leave them at room temperature.

2.) PREPARE THE FROSTING:

1/2 cup DIVINE ORGANICS raw Cacao Paste
1/3 cup DIVINE ORGANICS Coconut Crystals
1/4 cup DIVINE ORGANICS raw Cacao Butter

3.) In a Bain Marie melt the Cacao Butter completely, add Cacao Paste and Coconut Sugar and switch off the heat. The chocolate will continue melting within the next 10 minutes. Continue assembling:

4.) Remove the spring form from the crust and flip it unto a plate (If you have used a pie baking form what I did, warm the bottom of the pan with hot water and flip it with determination, it will pop out). Slide the crust gently on top of the cream and press gently. Remove the plastic wrap. Spread the other half of the cream (from the fridge) over the crust.

5.) Stir the chocolate gently and pour the frosting over the cake.

6.) Allow the cake to rest in the fridge for more 20 minutes before serving. (I kept it overnight) cut and decorate before serving.

Thank you, Mihoko Sekeido, inspiring raw food chef and happiness princess for spending the time together and having fun in the kitchen… on the picture below you see our test cake, we could not wait until all was assembled.