blueberry strawberry banana ice cream cake

All I've eaten today is blended frozen fruit which ends up being like ice cream, or this recipe. I love my life. This cake is one delicious demon. It is creamy, sweet, fresh, tart and colourful all at once. Actually that has nothing to do with demons so never mind that. Plus it is super easy to make (surprise, surprise) and can be eaten the same day you make it. I'm probably going to eat 3/4 for my dinner tonight.

Cannot. Resist. Fruit. 

I ran out of bananas (it felt the freaking raw vegan apocalypse over here) so I used walnuts in the berry layer for creaminess. If you don't want to use that many nuts, because there's also cashews in the vanilla ice cream cake layer, then use another banana or one cup of dates. And another option is to decorate the finished cake with chocolate drizzle. You know my stance on chocolate - you can't go wrong with it. 

Random note: I AM SO EXCITED, and not just because of this cake. Because then it wouldn't be random, now would it? I have found an internet location which will provide me with the best songs ever, for free, whenever I want them. I'm set for at least a year. It's Annie Mac's Soundcloud, where she gives you awesome free songs each week. Holy crap I just downloaded like a billion tracks and love every single one. You should do the same, and hopefully react the same. Let me know. 

Anyways - back to ice cream cake. I am seriously getting stoked about the increasing amount of sunshine here. The birds are chirping, the grass is growing, I feel the green slowly coming back and I want to run outside and plant seeds everywhere. The sunshine makes me think of growing my strawberries, which makes me want to eat strawberries...

So, here. Strawberries. 

blueberry strawberry banana ice cream cake: 

10 strawberries for outside, cut in half

Vanilla ice cream cake layer: 
2 cups cashews
2 bananas
1 cup dates
1/4 cup melted coconut oil 
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod (or 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
Vegan milk or coconut water, as needed 

Berry layer: 
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup fave vegan milk or coconut water, use as needed
1 cup dates, walnuts or another banana 

To make the first layer: place the halved strawberries around the edge of a spring form pan. Set aside. Now blend all the vanilla ice cream cake ingredients together until smooth, adding as little vegan milk or coconut water as possible (I used about 1/4 cup?). Spread into the bottom of the pan, this should press the berries to the inner edge. Put in the freezer.

To make the berry layer: blend it all up until smooth. Carefully spread over top of the vanilla ice cream cake layer and put in the freezer for about 2 or 3 hours, until it's set. Then cut and serve with other berries! Let it soften a little before eating, because it makes it creamier.

banana chocolate caramel ice cream cake

I dreamt about making this cake so I figured I better do it in what we like to call "reality" as well. It consists of banana vanilla ice cream, date caramel and avocado chocolate pudding. I decorated it with bananas and a goji berry coulis, but that's optional. I just like adding other colours for contrast. The crust is also optional, it's there to add another texture.

I consider food a form of art. Not simply because of it's visual appearance, but more so because of what it symbolizes: a beautiful, symbiotic relationship between our bodies, our selves and what we are made of. What we choose to consume and put in our precious bodies is literally what we choose to become, physically speaking. I want to be creamy bananas, gooey dates and luxurious avocados. Not the greasy, fried dead body parts of my friends. No thanks - that's gross. 

The banana ice cream got a bit icy (Boo.) so let this cake thaw for about 20-30 minutes until it gets creamy again. It's gonna be hard not to eat half of every layer as you make them and put them in bowls. I know I did. Like, what the heck, Nature - why you gotta be so awesome all the time? You're making the rest of us look bad. All I can do is play with your perfect creations and pretend to take credit for "making" them. Shh...

banana chocolate caramel ice cream cake:

Crust (optional):
1 cup almonds
1 cup dates

Caramel:
1 cup dates
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon almond butter

Chocolate pudding:
1 avocado
1/4 cup cacao 
1 tablespoon nut milk
1/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup dates + 1/4 cup water)

Banana ice cream:
3 frozen bananas
seeds of one vanilla pod

Goji berry coulis (optional):
1/4 cup dried goji berries
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1/8 cup water

Make the crust: pulse the nuts in your food processor until they become crumbs, add the dates and process until combined and sticking together. Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and set aside.

Make the caramel: process the ingredients in your food processor until smooth, thick and creamy. Place in a bowl and set aside. Follow the same instructions for the chocolate pudding and goji berry coulis.

Make the ice cream: blend the bananas and vanilla in your high speed blender until thick, smooth, creamy and white. It may take a minute but then it changes into ice cream really fast, so pay attention.

Assemble the cake: spread the ice cream in the bottom of your spring form pan and then spread the caramel over that, mixing it into the ice cream a little with a spatula. Then carefully spread the chocolate pudding over this and put in the freezer overnight. When it's ready, let it thaw for 20-30 minutes then decorate with the coulis and serve with bananas and other fresh, organic fruit.

chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwiches (suitable for hipsters)

I've made ice cream sandwiches before... but that was when I was just starting out with this whole blog thing. I'm so happy with where I am now. Thank you all for your kindness. Anyways - I was deciding what to make last night and ice cream sandwiches popped into my brain (not literally... that would be gross. How would that even work? Okay, never mind.) 

They turned out exactly as I had hoped. Soft chocolate pieces holding together raw, dairy-free ice cream. In fact, I used three different kinds of ice cream for these guys. Banana soft serve, olive oil, and vanilla caramel. Each one is unique and delicious in it's own special way... AW SO SWEET. (Now that I DO mean literally.)

My boyfriend liked them so much that he tried to eat them all but I was able to stop his beastly manner and satisfy his sweet tooth with just one. Must save the rest for my family! And... myself...

The crust is nut-free (if you don't add peanut butter) because I used mostly buckwheat groats - they are rawkin' and seriously nutritious; gluten-free too, which is never a bad thing. Another plus? These babies are suitable for hipsters! I used triangle molds for some of them so I know the trendy alternative youth of my generation will flock to these like a grimy pair of used sneakers. I'm not judging - I have only love for you (and you and you). To be honest, I myself have been called a hipster on many an occasion. Ain't no thang.

Make these for your sweet heart, your friends, family or complete strangers. I wish I had made more so I could eat more but alas, it's just one for every member of my family. Feel free to play around with the crust - I bet it would be awesome if you added a bit of cayenne. Let's get spicy up in here. 

I don't really remember what a conventional ice cream sandwich tastes like but it can't be better than this. Whole food frozen treats? Count me in! There's simply nothing better than indulging in something decadent and delicious, knowing you are making your body, the earth and the animals happy. Well I don't really have anything else to talk about for today so I will leave by saying: MAKE THESE! The recipe is below.

chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwiches: makes 8-10, depending on the size

Crust:
1 cup buckwheat groats, preferably soaked in water for 1-3 hours
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 cup dates, or more as needed 
2 tablespoons nut butter (optional)

Ice cream:
banana ice cream OR
coconut ice cream (this is the more decadent option) 

To make the crust: pulse the dry ingredients in your food processor until it's like a rough flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it forms a ball or clumps together.

Using half the crust mixture, press into the bottom of cookie cutter molds or whatever else you want to use. Scoop softened ice cream into each one and then set in the freezer for an hour or so, until the ice cream is hard again. Press on the remaining half of the crust mixture. Let them set in the freezer for 30 more minutes and then push them out of the molds, gently. Enjoy!

olive oil ice cream & vanilla coconut ice cream with caramel

I do not miss dairy ice cream. Usually it's full of chemicals, drugs, antibiotics and unhealthy fats. Even if that doesn't bother you - it's an abusive industry that steals baby food from another species. That's mean and weird.

But if you don't consume dairy then how will you survive without ice cream!? Do not fret: because I have something better (in every possible way). It's raw, vegan, healthy, creamy and equally delicious. Especially if you like coconut. If not, still no need to cry over spilled coconut milk; you can adjust the coconut flavour to your liking.

Today I have two majorly delicious recipes for you. The first I am sure everyone can enjoy, it is a vanilla bean coconut ice cream with a caramel swirl. The second is slightly less known but believe me - one of the best ice creams I've ever tasted. It is olive oil ice cream. I know, it sounds strange but I wouldn't joke about ice cream. It's outta this world. I had heard about it before and finally decided to face my skepticism and make it. It's hard to imagine the flavour of olive oil and ice cream complementing each other but as you taste you have an epiphany. I did, anyway.

The sweetness of the ice cream picks up the fruity tones of olive oil and the olive oil provides extra creaminess and a savoury layer of flavour to the ice cream. I'd say I just created a new pair of best friends. Apparently olive oil ice cream is pretty normal in places like Italy, which is not surprising when you think about it. Why not, right? Food is about experimentation and discovering new favourites!

I didn't calculate the nutritional information for this recipe because... well, I never do, since I don't think that it is important. As long as your diet is comprised mostly of plant-based whole foods, you're golden - and this recipe fits that category. Having said that, the fat content is probably quite high for this one so just make sure not to eat much other fat in your day.

vanilla coconut ice cream with caramel & olive oil ice cream:

Ice cream:
3 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3-4 hours
1 1/2 cups young coconut meat
2 1/2 cups coconut water (or plain water if you're not cookoo for coconut)
1/2 cup agave/maple syrup
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Caramel:
1 cup dates
1/4 cup vegan milk (or more, as needed)
1 tablespoon nut butter

To make the vanilla ice cream: in your high speed blender, blend all the ice cream ingredients - EXCEPT the olive oil - until smooth and deliciously addictive. Add what you think it needs then pour about half of it into a freezer safe container. Set aside.

To make the olive oil ice cream: add the olive oil to the remaining ice cream mixture in your blender and blend until it is incorporated. Now the moment of truth - taste it. AMAZING, RIGHT? Put this into another freezer safe container.

To make the caramel: blend all ingredients until smooth, adding as much liquid as needed.

If you have an ice cream maker, I'm jealous. Use it according to its instructions for each ice cream (separately). If you want a caramel swirl in your vanilla ice cream, gently stir in the caramel by hand when the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve.

If you don't have an ice cream maker (like me), put each container into an ice bath until cold. Then put them in the freezer and stir them every 30 minutes until frozen. Same directions for the caramel swirl as written above. Serve with chopped nuts and sprinkle with salt.

vanilla blueberry tart

Holy walnuts, this is delicious. The filling is basically just an awesome blueberry-banana smoothie and the crust is walnuts and dates. You're gonna love my nuts (or be disturbed by my grotesque and obscure sense of humour). In any case, you actually will love this recipe, which includes nuts. Owned by me. Making them my nuts. So you will love my nuts. HAH.

Try to get organic blueberries, since you just need frozen ones it'll be easier to find them. If you'd like to use less nuts in this recipe then sub in another banana instead of a cup of cashews in the filling. The cashews do make it creamier though, so it just depends on what you like.

My food processor broke down when I was trying to make the crust so we ended up returning it and buying a new one - but not before I finished this recipe. I cut up the dates and nuts for the crust BY HAND. So it looks a bit rustic. It made me appreciate my food processor a tad more intensely. 

What is your favourite kind of music? I like all kinds but the ones that usually gets me in the best mood are 90's R&B and hip hop songs... I know. They all just have such positive messages and are fun to listen and dance to. The 90's were the sexiest and most original time for hip hop. I MEAN LOOK AT THIS. 

vanilla blueberry tart: makes one large tart and a few smaller ones

Crust:

1 1/2 cups walnuts

1 1/2 cups dates

Blueberry filling:

1 cup cashews

1 cup dates
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (optional) 

2 cups frozen, organic blueberries

1 banana

seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Cashew Cream:

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup agave syrup

seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod

water, if needed

To make the crust: pulse nuts in your food processor until crumb-sized. Add the dates and pulse until it all sticks together. Press into the bottom of a tart shell or spring form pan.

To make the filling: blend all ingredients until smooth, adding as little as possible to keep it creamy. It should taste RIDONKULOUS. Pour onto your crust and let it set in the freezer overnight. (I lined my tart tin with whole blueberries then poured my filling around them so it looked cool when I removed the tin.) 

To make the cashew cream: blend all ingredients until smooth, adding as much or as little as you need. Slice and serve with fresh blueberries.