Blueberry Amazing cake!!!

Blueberries. Blueberries are amazing little fruits. One cup contains about 80 calories and zero fat. 4g fiber and 24% of your daily vitamin C needs. They are rich in vitamins C and K - and they also contain smaller amounts of various B vitamins and vitamin E. They are rich in manganese and contain some potassium too. Blueberries are quite amazing based on their strong antioxidant capacity. Beyond the rigid nutrition data facts - the power of blueberries is in their color - their phytonutrients.

Fron WHFoods.com: "Virtually all of the (blueberry) phytonutrients function both as antioxidants and as anti-inflammatory compounds in the body, and they are responsible for many of the well-documented health benefits we get from regular consumption of blueberries."

..the short story: eat more blueberries! Here is one delicious way (scroll down for recipe!)..
Blueberry Cake
vegan, makes one 9" round cake

1 1/2 cups organic white flour
*sub with other flours if desired
3/4 cup sugar, organic (why organic here)
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp vegan butter, softened
1/2 tsp almond extract (sub with vanilla if desired)
3 Tbsp rolled oats
2 Tbsp flax seeds + 2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup soy milk, vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
3 Tbsp orange juice + pinch orange zest (fresh squeeze room temperature oranges - or warm OJ to about room temp)
1/2 tsp salt
optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon

fold -ins:
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or almonds)

topping: blueberries +pinch rolled oats + sprinkle of almonds

note: I used about 10 ounces blueberries total - buy 2 6oz packs and eat any leftovers :)

Frosting:
1/3 cup vegan butter, softened
2/3 cup virgin coconut oil
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt

note: if you only use coconut oil this frosting is STILL super yummy. You could also add in or sub in some vegan cream cheese if you'd like.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oats and optional cinnamon to a large mixing bowl. Toss a bit.

3. In a small dish, combine the water and flax seeds. Stir briskly and let sit for about 2-4 minutes.

4. Add the water/flax mixture, orange juice, applesauce, vegan butter, salt, extract and soy milk. Tip: try to make sure these ingredients are either room temperature or slightly warmed. I used room temperature oranges to fresh squeeze - and room temp applesauce. This will help your batter blend more seamlessly - and the vegan butter will stay smooth.

5. Stir your batter by hand until smooth. Fold in the blueberries and chopped nuts.

6. Pour your batter into your cake dish - grease and flour the sides before pouring.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes - or until edges begin to brown a bit. Remove from oven to cool.

8. Start your frosting about 20 minutes before you want to frost your cake. Your cake must be cooled when you frost it or the frosting will melt.

9. Add frosting ingredients to mixing bowl and blend with hand beater mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add in a splash of room temperature soy milk or coconut milk if needed to thin out the blend. Place frosting in fridge for just about five minutes before frosting. Any longer and the frosting will get too firm.

10. Frost cake and add blueberries on top. Serve with softened frosting. Store in fridge - but allow frosting to soften a bit before re-serving from fridge.

AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE with GOJI BERRIES

If you like avocados and you like chocolate; you will appreciate this recipe. Its creaminess is thanks to those magical green monsters that are full of healthy fats, protein and fiber, all wrapped up in one delicious package. When I eat avocados, I like to massage the seed on my face and neck, it feels good and it simultaneously rubs the avocado meat on my skin which is great for it. Just remember to wash it off, otherwise people will think you are turning into a goblin...

But hey, maybe it's been a dream of yours to look like a goblin. In that case, you're welcome.

I was gonna make these into individual cakes but decided that I'd throw everything together in a large spring form pan just because I haven't done that in awhile and it DOES seem more impressive. Don't you agree? If not, too bad. What's done is done, buddy. And what's done is also deliciouusss. I didn't add too much sweetener to this, so the flavour of the avocado comes through and combines with the cacao powder and raisin-walnut crust to create a smooth, decadent, uber nutritious experience in your mouth. Yes, it is an EXPERIENCE.

I kinda sorta made this cake as a happy birthday present for my friend (whose name is ALSO Emily, go figure). Almost all my friends are 20 now! We be growin' up, yo. I think my soul is like 72 years old though, and I've always felt that way. These days, instead of wishing my loved ones a "happy birthday", I tend to say "happy continuation day" instead. It's a Buddhist thing. See, in Buddhism it is taught that we are all part of the universe and the universe is equally part of all of us; it has been this way for eternity. Thus, we are never really born and likewise never really die. We simply continue to be! I dig it.

And what better way to "continue to be", than with raw vegan chocolate mousse cake? No better way - this is it, people. So make this recipe, nom it down and thank the universe and your own creative spirit for the gifts of life and ability! I hope you are having an amazing week; I know I am. It's safe to say that things are going swell, even swimmingly! And you know when ANYBODY says "swimmingly", they must be feeling freaking fantastic... listening to this mix doesn't hurt either.

AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE with GOJI BERRIES 

Crust:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins

Mousse cake:
2 avocados
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
3-4 tablespoons coconut nectar or date paste
Pinch of salt

Topping:
1 tablespoon each of almond butter, cacao powder and coconut nectar
1/4 cup dried goji berries

To make the crust: pulse the walnuts into powder in a food processor, then add the raisins and process until it begins to stick together. Press into the bottom of a small spring form pan. Put in the fridge.

To make the cake: blend or process all the ingredients until smooth and thick. Spread evenly on your crust and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. 

When ready to serve: take our your cake. Make the chocolate sauce by stirring the almond butter, cacao powder and coconut nectar together until smooth. Drizzle over your cake and garnish with goji berries. Slice. Ain't it nice? Oh, I also sprinkled some chia seeds on there.

vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust, strawberries, cacao nibs + pistachios

Every part of this is epic. Chocolate cookie crust. Creamy vanilla cashew cheesecake. Strawberries topping it all off. I was going to put this recipe in my COOKBOOK (it is still extremely exciting for me to type that word) but I reached over 15,000 likes on facebook yesterday and thought "Hey, these guys deserve something special for being so freaking amazing, loving and supportive". So here ya go.

It kind of tastes like a giant Oreo, plus strawberries. Eeeexxxccellent. You know what else is excellent? The fact that every single recipe in my upcoming book is going to be just as awesome as this one. I'm not kidding around - I am putting my ALL into this book because I really want it to be a practical tool in the kitchen, as well as a powerful one to impress. Wink wink. Also, I am perfectionist and have to be proud of what I create. There will not be one boring or mediocre recipe in the entire {un}cookbook. That's my promise!

The toppings for this cake are optional but they make it so perdy, don't ya think? I'll be keeping it in the freezer until Saturday, when I'll be hosting a raw vegan dessert party. Yes; that IS the best four word combination possible. As you know, I've been making at least one dessert recipe every day and I figured I can't eat them all - as much as I'd like to - so I may as well share them! Other ways to give away loads of desserts: I'm going to be catering the desserts for a friends party next weekend, and also handing out my extra recipes to the homeless people downtown. Wholesome nutrition for everyone!

vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust, strawberries, cacao nibs + pistachios 

Crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates

2 tablespoon cacao powder

Cheesecake:

1 cup each of cashews, pine nuts, shredded coconut, and dates
1/2 cup water, as needed

Seeds from one vanilla bean (and/or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 tablespoons each of maple syrup and melted coconut oil

Topping:

Strawberries
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped

To make the crust: pulse the pecans in your food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and cacao and process until it begins to stick together. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a small spring form pan (mine was about 6 inches) and put in the fridge. 

To make the cheesecake: blend all the ingredients until smooth and thick. Pour into your crust and then refrigerate overnight so it can set and the flavours can develop. Two days is even better. Decorate with the toppings and enjoy! 

fruit + coconut ice cream cake with brownie crust

I am really loving coconut milk and frozen fruit as combination ingredients lately. If you're getting tired of it - I am sorry. But no need to fret, because summer is quickly approaching and she promises a fresh, local, always-changing variety of new produce each week at the farmers market. I am excited to be inspired every Saturday by the organic options available to make new raw food creations for myself, my family, friends, and you, of course! But for now - I must stick with frozen fruit, and coconut milk is an excellent pairing.

Thus, an ice cream dome cake appears. 

This recipe is very similar to my last one (fruit popsicles with coconut milk) but I added bananas to the ice cream part because... well, bananas. I ended up having extra room on the bottom of the cake so I improvised and added a brownie crust. It was a good idea. FACT: brownies are always a good idea. I also discovered that if you ever have extra raw brownie mix and you mix it with banana slices, your world will be turned upside down and angels will sing. 

True story. 

As with all my ice cream cake recipes - be patient and let your cake slices thaw before eating, it is so much better. Not only will you skip the potential numerous brain freezes, but the cake will also become creamier and you'll be able to taste the flavours more. Just for your information, this will be my last recipe for a little while because I have my final exams coming up, and I also have a bit of a project I am working on which I may or may not eventually tell you about. Much love. 

Stay cool and fruity. 

fruit + coconut ice cream cake with brownie crust:

Ice cream:

400 ml fresh raw coconut milk (or 1 can of store-bought) 

1/4 cup raw cane sugar (or preferred sweetener, to taste)

1 banana

Brownie crust:

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cup raw oats (or buckwheat groats for a gluten-free version)

2/3 cup dates

2 tablespoons cacao powder

Fruit:

Whatever fresh or frozen you have or like, about 2 cups

Prepare the cake vessel: find a bowl that can hold about 6 cups, or use a small dome cake pan and line it with plastic wrap, tin foil or whatever. I used a dome shaped colander and plastic wrap, it worked fine. Alternatively  you can just make this using a normal cake pan. Line the sides of the pan or bowl with your chosen fruit. 

To make the ice cream: blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into your pan or bowl and put in the freezer until solid, about 3 or 4 hours. 

To make the brownie crust: put the walnuts, oats and cacao in your food processor and pulse until they become a flour. Add the dates and process until it starts to stick together. Press onto the "top" of your ice cream cake (it will become the bottom when you flip it later). Put in the fridge for about an hour to let everything set. Then carefully flip your cake onto a plate and take off your lining - voila! Decorate as you wish, slice, and let thaw before eating. 

deep dish chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake

Holy mega chocolate-peanut butter-gasms. This is THE Ultimate Epic Healthy Cake (notice the official-looking capitalization there). I set out to make one cake to rule them all, and I think I succeeded. But you should be the judge. Make the recipe and tell me what you think.

I would apologize for all the ice cream cakes I've been making lately... but that sentence just wouldn't make any sense: "I am sorry I have been making so many ice cream cake recipes." Yeah, that's just plain silliness. I am so NOT sorry. 

The crust of this is made of hemp seeds, flax seeds, cacao and dates; and the filling is a blend of bananas, dates, cashews, coconut oil, and cacao. I swirled in some peanut butter and raw chocolate sauce as well, and also put them on top, along with some cacao nibs and hemp seeds. 100% pure raw food goodness right here. It don't get no better than this.

And you don't need to worry about eating too many nuts (but seriously, nuts are so good for you) in a slice, because 1/8th of the cake gives you your daily intake of every ingredient! I'm clever like that. *WINK* Also, if you're allergic to peanuts, you can use whatever nut butter you want. I don't want to kill you.

So as always, you can indulge in this decadent dessert absolutely guilt-free. In fact, you can feel great about eating it because it contains TONS of good stuff for you. The benefits of eating hemp, flax, cacao, raw nuts, fruit, coconut oil and dates are too many to count. This cake is basically a super food nutrition house, in disguise as a sinfully delicious deep dish ice cream cake.

In other words: dis cake cray. 

deep dish chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake: 

Crust:

1 cup dates

1/2 cup hemp seeds

1/3 cup whole flax seeds

3 tablespoons cacao powder 

Filling:

3 frozen bananas
1 cup dates
2 cups cashews
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/4 cups water or vegan milk, as needed
1/4 cup cacao powder
2 tablespoons nut butter (whatever kind you like, I used peanut butter of course)

Optional:
Raw chocolate sauce
Fave nut butter 

To make the crust: pulse the hemp and flax seeds and cacao in your food processor until they become a rough flour, then add the dates and process until it all gets sticky. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan. Put in the fridge. 

To make the filling: blend all the ingredients until smooth, adding water or vegan milk as needed to make it creamy. Spread evenly into your crust, occasionally swirling in nut butter and chocolate sauce if you're using them (soooo recommended). Put in the freezer overnight or until frozen solid, and let it thaw a little bit before serving, so it's nice and creamy. enjoy!

berry ice cream cake with chocolate eggs, pistachios and cinnamon

Here is my Easter gift to you! I actually had no idea what I was going to make until I began getting out ingredients yesterday morning and even as I was making it, I still didn't have a clear idea what it was going to end up being. But look how it turned out! It's just a sign of how easy raw food recipes are. Yeah, man. Yeah. 

I'll give it to ya straight: this recipe is an ice cream cake made of bananas and cashews with different layers of strawberry and blueberry. On top is a nest of cinnamon sticks surrounding coconut cream eggs. The "eggs" are simply dates filled with coconut oil, covered in raw chocolate. I also sprinkled on some chopped pistachios for colour and edged the cake with more cinnamon sticks. 

I admit - I have been making mostly banana ice cream cakes lately, but I just can't stop. They are so easy and you can do almost anything you want with them, as you can see in my last few recipes. Anyways, Easter colours are usually light shades of pink, green, blue and yellow and so I think I got most of those covered with this recipe. Not the yellow but hey, I can't do everything. Wait a sec - does sunshine count?

Before I made this cake, I was really wanting to make SOMETHING with some kind of raw vegan creme egg because they are such a popular Easter dessert component. But I was at a blank for ideas. Then it hit me when I took out my dates as I was making the ice cream part - I could make eggs from dates! So I filled them with coconut oil, covered them in raw chocolate and sprinkled on some chia, hemp and black sesame seeds. They turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. *Proud face*

berry ice cream cake with chocolate eggs, pistachios and cinnamon: 

Vanilla ice cream cake layer:

1 banana

2/3 cup cashews

1/3 cup dates

1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Strawberry layer: 

1 banana

2/3 cup cashews

1/3 cup dates

1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil

1/3 cup water

1/4 strawberries

Blueberry layer:

1 banana

2/3 cup cashews

1/3 cup dates

1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil

1/3 cup water

1/4 blueberries 

Chocolate cream eggs:

3 dates

1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional) 

Raw chocolate, in liquid form 

Garnishes:

Cinnamon sticks

1/4 cup chopped pistachios 

To make the ice cream cake layers: blend the ingredients from each list separately and until smooth, adding as little water as possible. Then spread each layer into a spring form on top of one another, gently stirring together some parts of the layers with a spoon. This will give it a swirl effect. Put in the freezer for a few hours until it's set. 

To make the "eggs": take the pits out of the dates carefully, not pulling them apart completely. Fill each one with a tiny bit of coconut oil, if using, then cover in liquid chocolate and put in the fridge or freezer until hardened. 

Assembly: take the cake out of the spring form pan. Place a few tiny cinnamon stick in circle like a nest, and put the chocolate eggs in the middle. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios around the egg nest and line the sides of the cake with cinnamon sticks. Enjoy! Store in the freezer if you don't eat it all right away. 

raw chocolate molten lava cakes with goji berries

Holy cow. If you like chocolate, you'll love this. It's like a mega awesome super chocolate party in your mouth which this results in an excellent, ethereal sense of well being. Don't worry if it sounds too intense - I know you can handle it. You're stronger than you think. Like an ant lifting 100 times your body weight. I will change the subject now because I feel this getting weird.

I remembered a few weeks ago that before I went vegan - and baking was my favourite new hobby - my specialty was a chocolate souffle that ended up being a lava cake because I took them out of the oven right before the inside baked so you got a soft chocolate cake surrounding a gooey middle. I figured I better make it raw and vegan. So here ya go, cutie pie. Indulge guilt-free. In fact, indulge PROUDLY.

I used cacao butter instead of coconut oil for the liquid center just for a change and LOVED it. Geez. The cacao plant gives us endless delicious food options. Just listen to this guy rave about the godly benefits of cacao here. You may have heard about the cacao controversy in the raw food world (or not...) - my personal stance on it is that I feel great after eating it, and ancient civilizations have consumed it since like the dawn of time without an issue. Case closed for me. Chocoholic for life, in the haus yo. 

This weekend I am planning on doing a whole lot of not much. If you came to my house - that would be creepy - you will find me sleeping, reading, watching old movies (who else loves Nosferatu from 1922!? Holla!) and making more goodies for you. And probably eating them all myself. Don't make fun of me. Oh! but I AM gonna be semi-productive and write a philosophy paper... at some point.

raw chocolate molten lava cakes with goji berries: makes about four cakes

Cake:

1/3 cup each of raw oats, walnuts, dates, and raisins

1/4 cup cacao powder

Molten lava middle:

1/3 cup each of melted cacao butter, maple syrup, dates, and cacao powder

1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, Himalayan sea salt, and chili powder

Nut milk, as needed 

To make the cakes: pulse the oats, walnuts and cacao powder in your food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and raisins and process until it all starts to stick together. Using about 2/3 of the mix (you have to save some for the tops), press into the bottom and sides of lined cupcake tins and put in the fridge. Use the rest of the mix to make the tops by pressing it into cookie molds the same diameter of your cupcake tins. Put  those in the fridge as well.

To make the molten middle: blend all ingredients until smooth, adding the milk as needed to make it creamy and a "molten" consistency (whatever that means... hopefully you know). Take the cakes out of the cupcake molds and pour the molten mixture into each one, filling up almost to the top. Now carefully press the tops onto the cakes, gently pressing together the edges. Flip over and decorate with cacao nibs and goji berries. Eat da lava, mohn. 

A few substitution options: to make these gluten-free, use buckwheat groats instead of oats. If you don't want to use cacao, use coconut oil instead of cacao butter and carob instead of cacao powder.