This raw avocado chocolate cake recipe was one of the first recipes I’ve developed when I was providing raw cake trainings in between 2018-2019. This one is a little more developed over time. It is so easy to make and super delicious! I guarantee you will love it.
Cashews, which are used commonly in raw cakes, can give a feeling of density, are not economical in today’s conditions, and also are not produced under ethical conditions. So we have quite a few reasons to give up cashews. There are still no fair trade cashews in many countries. Unfortunately, most of the cashews come from places such as India, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, where human labor is exploited, where there is no fair working and hygienic production conditions. If you are a vegan who questions the source of the product you use, you might be interested in this video:
When we say goodbye to cashews, one of the great alternatives we can use in raw cakes is avocado- the healthiest fat in the world! It grows locally in so many countries today. No matter how high the avocado tree’s water consumption is, we can contribute to our planet by consuming it in season and minimizing our purchase of out-of-season products.
Yield: 15 cm round cake – 6 pieces
INGREDIENTS
Cake Base:
40 g dried white mulberries
40 g raw hazelnut butter
40 g buckini (activated and dehydrated buckwheat groats, see notes*)
15 g raw cacao powder 30 g maple syrup (or similar liquid sweetener of your choice, see notes**)
1/8 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
Avocado Chocolate Cream:
1 ripe avocado (approximately 150-160 g, weight after peeled and core removed)
30 g raw cacao powder
60 ml maple syrup (or a similar liquid sweetener of your choice, see notes**)
60 ml almond milk
30 ml coconut oil melted
25 ml cacao butter melted
5-6 drops of food-grade wild orange essential oil (or mint, lemon, rose etc. choose a flavor and use only, see notes*)
1/8 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Throw the white dried mulberry into the food processor and mix it until it comes to a crumb form.
2. Then add the buckinis (buckwheat groats that you soaked in water for 1 hour, rinsed and dehydrated at 46 C for 4-5 hours, beforehand) Mix mulberry and buckini together.
3. Then run the food processor again, adding raw cacao powder, maple syrup, hazelnut butter and salt. Mix in the food processor until everyting combines together.
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer it to a 15 cm round cake tin lined with parchment paper. Spread and flatten the dough by pressing it down with your hands, cake mould handle or with the back of a spatula or spoon.
5. Transfer all cream ingredients, except coconut oil and cacao butter, to a blender. Blend until it becomes a smooth liquid. Then add the melted coconut oil and cacao butter and mix again. Taste the mixture, adding a little salt or sweetener if needed. Depending on the variety, softness and fat content of your avocado, you may want to add another tablespoon or two of almond milk. The consistency should be slightly thick but at the same time pourable fluidity.
6. Pour the mixture on the cake base, smooth it out with a spatula or gently shake the mold from side to side to prevent bubbles.
7. After 2 hours in the freezer or 4 hours in the refrigerator, remove from the mold, cut into pieces and serve.
8. Garnish with orange zest or edible flowers. You may also want to dust some the raw cacao powder on top and garnish with raw cacao nibs.
Important Notes on the Recipe:
***The intensity of essential oils can vary from brand to brand, start with 2-3 drops, taste and then continue adding. Adding too much at once can cause bitterness. Medicine Flower or doTERRA brands are my favorite.
**Maple syrup, date syrup, grape molasses or coconut nectar syrup can be used as liquid sweetener in this cake. If you use date syrup or grape molasses, it will not comply with the raw nutrition rules, but you will still get a delicious cake. Agave can also be preferred as a raw alternative, but I personally do not recommend it anymore. Agave has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener on the market. Yes, that’s right, Agave Nectar beats table sugar and even high fructose corn syrup. Agave is 90 percent fructose, while maple syrup is around 35 percent.
While some people avoid high fructose corn syrup, which only has a fructose content of 55%, they continue to take agave because of its low glycemic index while unknowingly consuming a product with 90% fructose.
Alternatively, you can use whole dates, in this case, soak the dates in water, drain them, then puree them with very light water and add them to your avocado mix.
*As an alternative to buckini, you can use any nut flour ( for nut-free nutty alternative use tiger nuts) , but if you want a crunchy base, buckini is the best alternative. To make the buckini, put the raw (green) buckwheat groats in a bowl, cover with warm water. Let it soak in water for 1 hour. After 1 hour, squeeze a few pieces with your hand and check, if it breaks easily, it means it is activated. Transfer to a strainer, rinse thoroughly under running water and drain. Then, spread it thinly on the dehydrator and dehydrate at 46 degrees for 4-5 hours or until completely dry. Gently move the buckwheat groats with a spatula every hour or so to make the dehydration process easier.
Now the buckini is ready, transfer it to a glass jar, close the lid and store it at room temperature for months, you can use it in your raw recipes.
If you have a dehydrator, this is a very easy process, but if you do not want to be involved in this long process, you can purchase activated dehydrated buckwheat groats from the health stores. Sprouted dehydrated versions are also great in this recipe.
TIP: If you don’t like to consume oil, try this recipe in the jar. Just remove the coconut oil and cacao butter from the ingredient list. It will still taste so good. Today I don’t consume bottled oils as before and usually make my cakes in the jars. No need to wait to solidify the oils in the cream for long hours. It is also healthier, more economical, and much more delicious! Cake or jar cake may be preferred depending on the situation, you may want to make a birthday cake using oil for your loved ones, or you may just want to enjoy a healthy dessert for yourself without oil. You can use my base recipe for any kind of ocassion.
If you loved this recipe, you might be interested in our Gourmet Raw Cakebook: A complete guide to raw vegan cakes.