This is an easy one and proved to be quick enough to make the morning before our wedding last Friday.

Yes! We did it.

On 11.11.11 and it was actually shortly after 11am that we exchanged rings on the beach of Cherry Bay at the bottom of Harrison Scenic Reserve in Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand – check on Google Earth for the evidence! (35°18’21.02″ S 174°06’34.64″ E)

Oh, you are waiting for the recipe right?!

This cake was first made at the 2004 International Raw Food festival in Portland, Oregon and won the first price then. Slightly altered for our wedding 7 years after, here it is!

Strawberry and Coconut Cream Cake

12 pieces from a 20cm spring form (so keep your wedding party small!)

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1.5 cups cashews, unsoaked
• 1.5 cups shredded coconut
• 6 small dates, pitted
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Berry filling

• 500g fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries, defrosted
• 6-8 dates, pitted
• 1-2 tsp organic vanilla essence, depending on strength
• 1 tsp lemon juice, amount depending on acidity of the berries you use
• 1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder
  (as a rule of thumb use 1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder for 2 cups of liquid mixture)

Coconut cream

• Meat from 3-5 young coconuts. It should make about 2 cups when blended with the coconut water.
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup young coconut water
• 1/2 cups premium virgin coconut oil (use more for a firmer cream)
• 1 tsp organic vanilla essence
• seeds from half a vanilla bean, cut open lengthwise and scrape out seeds
• 2-3 Tbsp agave nectar, according to desired sweetness
• 1/2 tsp lime juice, optional

Method:

• To make crust grind cashews in a food processor into a fine flour. Set aside.
•  Process coconut until broken down into coarse meal, add dates. Process till dates are finely distributed in coconut mixture. Add agave nectar, coconut oil and cashew flour. Process till a homogenous dough forms.
• Press into a spring form (line bottom with plastic wrap) or pie dish with the bottom of the crust 5mm thick. Press sides up about 2cm and finish with a flexible rubber spatula so the whole crust rim has an even height and thickness. This might take a bit patience and practice. So don’t attempt to make your first cake of this sort on your wedding day! 🙂
• In a blender combine defrosted berries, vanilla essence, lemon juice and dates. Blend at high speed into a smooth liquid.
• Adjust flavour. Then add psyllium husk powder and blend again to finely disperse it throughout the mixture.
• Pour filling into the pie crust. Make sure it stays inside the perfectly shaped crust rim. Flatten the top with a spatula.
• Refrigerate for 20 min to allow to set.
• Combine all ingredients for the coconut cream in a high speed blender and blend until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved. This can take a few minutes. Make sure the mixture is folding over while blending. Upon your own risk open the blender lid and use a rubber spatula to fold the cream from the sides of the blender jar to the centre until a vortex forms. This process will warm up both your blender motor and the cream. Keep it raw and monitor the temperature of machine and cream!
• When your cream has reached the right consistency pour it over the berry layer into the cake tin or pie dish. Tap the cake a few times hard onto your counter to allow air bubbles rise to the surface of the cream.
• Level the top of the coconut cream with a spatula, then put the cake into the freezer for about one hour for the coconut cream to set.
• Garnish with sliced strawberries, lemon zest and mint.
• Enjoy and be happy ever after!

René

🙂