Ahh – I have about a million and one (okay…exaggeration – more like 60+) recipes sitting in a folder waiting to be made. These are mostly the recipes of other bloggies (the rest composed of random Food Network recipes or stuff I’ve randomly come across).
They’re a combination of sweet and savory recipes – and today…I decided on a sweet one. Not just any sweet one…
Gabriela’s Raw Chocolate Coconut Cake.
Chocolate. Yesss.
Coconut. Yesss.
Nutritional. Yessssss.
Though I’ve been dying to make this recipe, I’ll admit that I was still slightly skeptical. Over a year ago, attempted some raw brownie bites that were essentially composed of the same ingredients…dates, cocoa powder, nuts…but I wasn’t really a fan of the end result.
However, Gabriela‘s creation isn’t in the same category. This recipe seriously hits it out of the park.
Yeah – this cake is chock full of dates and nuts (of course, both delicious in their own right), but can you taste them? No. You.taste.chocolate (and coconut). Glorious. Glorious. Chocolate.
It’s good. Better than good. It’s lick-the-mixing-bowl good.
Gabriela’s Raw Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Coconut Frosting (my adjustments are in italics)
(adapted from Katie’s Raw Chocolate Cake and Averie’s Coconut Oil Chocolate)
- 3 cups walnuts
- 20 medjool dates
- 3/4 c cocoa powder
- 1/3 c coconut oil
- 1/2 c agave syrup
- 2 tbsp of melted dark chocolate chips (I honestly don’t know if this made much of a difference, but I just love chocolate…) – I thought this might make for fun, crunchy chocolate ribbons through the cake once it refrigerated – but so far I think it just added a bit to the chocolate factor – no harm, no foul!
Process walnuts, dates and 1/2 c cocoa powder in a food processor until it takes on a sticky consistency. Melt chocolate in the microwave and cool slightly – process into the walnut, date, cocoa powder mixture. Press into the bottom of a pie pan. In a separate bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave, then stir in agave and cocoa powder. Whisk until well combined. Pour coconut oil mixture over cake in pan, then place in fridge until frosting has hardened. Serve.
Results? Divine.
I made mine in a spring form pan lined with parchment, just so I knew I could get it out of there (I don’t have room in my fridge for a whole cake pan). When I removed it – it had a sort of organic, wavy edge that I love! – not to mention the fluid look of the frosting! Love!
This cake only multiplied in greatness after I cut a slice out of it…
Oh.My.God. — I mean just look at it?! Perfectly decadent. Plus, you can’t really see it, but the difference in texture between the “cake” and the frosting is awesome. The frosting is initially cool on the tongue, but then in just melts into coconut/chocolate heaven.
I have no problem admitting to the fact that I was a
total copy cat here… it’s worth the chocolate cake!
While this mix is actually a cake mix – I baked it like I would a banana bread…and it came out deeelicious. The ends were chewy and the bread itself was really moist and studded with all of those walnuts and chocolate chips.
