3.9
July 24, 2020

Brighten your Summer with a Slice of Lemon Lavender Sunshine. {No-Bake Vegan Recipe}

I’ve incorporated lavender into my life wherever I can.

When I lived in Washington, I visited a lavender farm in Sequim; it became one of my favorite places.

Now you can transport yourself to the lavender fields and blueberry farm with this no-bake cake.

Raw cashew cakes can replace cheesecake or traditional ice cream cakes. This cake is only sweetened with pure maple syrup, blueberries, and dates.

It’s made with some of my favorite things on earth: lemon, lavender, and blueberry (use local organic blueberries if in season). There’s nothing like picking fresh blueberries, but frozen will work too.

Make in nine-inch pan. Serves about 16.

I use all organic ingredients. It’s important to purchase organic nuts.

Ingredients:

Filling

1 cup cashews

4 cups cashews (soaked and rinsed)

1/2 cup brazil nuts

1/2 cup Medjool dates (pitted)

1 cup liquid sweetener, maple syrup

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Maca (optional)

1 pinch Himalayan pink salt

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 juiced lemons)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon dried lavender (remove stems and hard pieces)

1 can coconut cream (5.4 fl oz)

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Any fresh fruit, dried fruit, edible flowers or herbs for decoration.

Crust 

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup brazil nuts

1/2 cup Medjool dates (pitted)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Maca (optional)

1 pinch Himalayan pink salt

Instructions:

Crust

1. Blend pitted dates together in a food processor until they form a ball. Carefully remove and set aside the ball of dates.

2. Add cashews and brazil nuts to the empty food processor. Blend for a minute or two until ground. Once blended, add in Maca powder and salt and blend again.

3. Pull the date ball apart into pieces and add into the mixture along with the maple syrup. Blend until combined. Consistency should hold together when pinched. If it doesn’t add a little water (1 tablespoon at a time) and blend again.

4. Remove mixture from the food processor and measure about 1.5 heaping cups of the mixture and press with your hands into a lined nine-inch springform cake pan. You can use a glass or bottom of a measuring cup to press down. Put in freezer.

5. If there’s extra crust, you can roll those into balls to top the finished cake.

Filling Base

1. Prepare the cashews for the filling. Soak 4 cups of cashews in a bowl. Add water covering all and allow an extra inch over the cashews. Cover bowl with a tea towel. Soak between two and 12 hours.

Soaking tips: 

If soaking overnight, cover and place in the refrigerator.

Soak two hours in room temperature water, one hour in hot water, or 30 minutes in boiling hot water (note: they won’t be considered raw anymore if put into boiling water).

2. In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the following ingredients and blend:

4 cups cashews (soaked and rinsed)

1 cup liquid sweetener, maple syrup

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon dried lavender (remove stems and hard pieces)

1 can coconut cream (5.4 fl oz)

Use blender pusher if necessary until mixture is smooth and creamy.

3. Reserve a small amount of base mixture (or either mixture once separated) to pipe and decorate the finished cake. Keep this portion in a piping bag in the freezer for when you are ready to decorate.

4. Divide base mixture in half for a swirled cake.

Lemon Half

1. Blend base filling with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1.4 cup lemon juice, and zest of lemon.

2. Remove mixture from blender and place into a container easily poured out of.

3. Put second half back in blender.

Blueberry Half

1. Blend remaining half of base mixture with 1 cup blueberries.

Remove pan with crust from the freezer and pour each mixture in blobs separately if you want to swirl the flavors (or you can pour one layer, let freeze a bit, and then pour the second layer on top).

If swirling, once you pour the blobs in, gently tap the pan on the table to remove air bubbles. Use a clean butter knife to make swirls and combine the flavors. Tap once more. Put in freezer to firm overnight.

To remove from pan, allow to thaw for about 10 to 20 minutes. I usually run a knife around the edge (dipped in hot water and dried off) before releasing the cake from the pan for the best results.

Now you can pipe your reserved cashew cream (allow to thaw slightly from the freezer before piping). You can use the rolled crust, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and edible flowers or herbs. Have fun decorating.

Cake will keep in the refrigerator for five days or the freezer for weeks in a sealed bag or airtight container.

Enjoy!

~

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Monica Rullo Bookbinder  |  Contribution: 315

author: Monica Rullo Bookbinder

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