This post is also available in: Suomi (Finnish)
And here I am again with Christmassy things. I think I’m able to remain my cool this year, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about all the food I’d like to make…and apparently I’ve been thinking a lot about things with gingerbread spices. Instead of the tradition of baking my own gingerbread cookies, I decided to skip them (so much work!) and satisfy my cravings with this cake.
I happened to develop this recipe a few weekends ago, as we were visiting my family and I wanted to make a dessert for our Sunday dinner. So I made this cake and it turned out yum. I quickly realized that this was the kind of thing I shouldn’t just keep to myself (as I’ll forget in a week and then be pissed), as this cake really needs its 15 seconds of fame.
So friends, say bye to all that holiday stress – here’s a cake that will get you through all the parties, dinners and other gatherings!
If you’ve been making raw cakes before, you’ll whip this up in no time. If you’re making a raw cake for the first time, no problem, you’ll probably just be surprised how easy it actually is.
The heart of this cake are the gingerbread spices, which make it a great Christmas dessert. I used ceylon cinnamon, ground cardamom, ginger and clove, but you can also use a store bought spice mix if you don’t have those at hand.
And then a small but remarkable tip for all the comfort-loving bakers like me: you can prepare the cake a few days in advance and then just store it in the freezer until ready to be served. So if you’ve promised to bring a dessert to any party your going, no one will guess you haven’t woken up at 6am to bake! So let me just say this once more – this is truly the perfect dessert.
I hope you enjoy the cake and have a lot of sparkles and joy in your December! ♡
Raw Vegan Gingerbread Cake
into an 8-inch / 20 cm springform cake pan
serves 8-10
Crust:
2 cups walnuts (or pecan nuts and/or almonds)
2 teaspoons ceylon cinnamon
a pinch of sea salt
6-8 fresh dates, pitted
Filling:
2 cups / 225g cashew nuts (soaked overnight)
1 (400ml / 14oz) can full-fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight)
1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
3-5 tablespoons organic honey (or coconut syrup or maple syrup)
2 teaspoons ceylon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
Toppings:
about 50g raw chocolate (or dark chocolate)
pecans
dried coconut flakes
raw cacao nibs
fresh berries (I used cranberries)
METHOD:
1. Place the cashews in a big bowl, cover with water and soak overnight or for at least 4-6 hours until making the cake.
2. Start by preparing the crust. Add walnuts, cinnamon and salt into a blender or a food processor and grind until fine crumble. Cut the dates into smaller pieces and add in couple turns. Blend until you get a sticky dough. Line the bottom of a cake tin with baking paper and press the dough to the bottom of the cake tin. Place it in the freezer while making the filling.
3. Rinse the blender. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and add them into the blender. Open the coconut milk can and scoop out the white thick cream into the blender (don’t throw away the water left in the can). Add coconut oil, honey and spices and blend until smooth. If needed, add a bit of the coconut water left in the can to ease out the blending. Taste, and add sweetener or spices, if desired.
4. Take the cake tin from the freezer and pour the filling on top of the crust. Return to the freezer for 4-6 hours until the filling has set.
5. When the filling has set, take the cake from the freezer and remove the sides of the cake tin carefully. Melt the raw chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat and once it’s melted, pour the chocolate on top of the cake. Top with pecans, coconut flakes, raw cacao nibs and fresh berries and let thaw for about 15 minutes until cutting the cake.
6. The cake will remain good in the fridge for a couple of days, for longer periods, store in the freezer.
Do you think freezing this for a week would be ok?
Sure! Just remember to cover it with something so that it doesn’t get any ice crystals and let it thaw for a while before serving. Hope you like the cake! :)
This looks fantastic! What exactly is 3-5 “rkl”s of honey?? I’ve never heard that term used before.
It means tablespoons in Finnish, I forgot to translate it, sorry! Now it’s fixed :)
Absolutely stunning. Can you please give some instructions and ingredient list for the toppings? I want mine to look like yours!
Thanks so much! I added ingredients and instructions for the toppings to the recipe. I hope you enjoy the cake! <3
What does RKL measurement equal in U.S. quantity please?
Oh sorry, it means tablespoons! I fixed it now to the post, thanks for paying attention! :)
Hello again! Making this tomorrow. I have an 8″ springform pan. Do you think I need to double the recipe? Do I need to spray the inside of the pan so it doesn’t stick on the sides? Thanks so much!
An 8-inch springform pan is perfect! I made mine to a similar one. You can spray the insides if you like or just use a knife and remove the sides very carefully after the cake has set.
I made your cake and it was a big hit!! Wish I could upload my photo of it for you to see. I made it in an 8″ springform pan and make 1.5 times the recipe.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know you liked it :)
Is it possible to substitute the cashews for peanuts, for example?
Unfortunately the cashews are pretty crucial in this recipe, as they make the filling really creamy and tasty. You could try blanched almonds maybe, but I’m not sure how it will end up. Hope this helps!
What type of dates do you use please? They are different sizes so don’t want to mess up my holiday dessert, thanks!
Medjool dates are my favorites! :)
guys, honey is not vegan… it comes from animals called bees.
You can use maple syrup or coconut syrup instead to keep this entirely vegan :)
Your photos are beautiful!
Thanks so much!