Salted Caramel Banana Raw Cake

Okay.. Right, so blogging.. It’s been a while hasn’t it.. my apologises. I have been extremely snowed down with this semester at uni  and I know, I know, most people would say “you’re a uni student, isn’t all you guys do is party and have super long holidays?” and yes the latter part is true, but I’m sure if you ask any medical science student, the first isn’t so much, so many assessments, exams, quizzes, and labs. (oh and making up songs about metabolic pathways in the body.. weird.)

Well anyway, I’m making a come back, with a bang!

So recently I won a lil comp with loving earth because they loved my Cacao and Raspberry Layered Raw Slice recipe so much, simply by tagging #lovingchoc (woo hoo!! go Elsa) and they kindly sent me out a pack of some of they’re new chocolate products; the Creamy Coconut Mylk Chocolate, Choc Chip Turkish Delight Luvju, Carob Luvju , and of course… the Salted Caramel Chocolate. and let me preach to you, IT IS LIFE CHANGING!! all of it.

So I told myself, I would attempt to use the Caramel blocks from this goodie box to make a recipe, you know, I also told myself I would save both of the Caramel bars for this recipe, but of course once I got a lil taste of this gold, I ate it all. (hehe oops!) But don’t worry it wasn’t in one sitting 😉

I was brainstorming what I could use it with, and suddenly it came to me, on top of a bowl of porridge one morning.. Caramelised banana!! mmm what a sweet sweet combo, and since I love experimenting with my vitamix and raw cakes, it seemed perfectly fitting.

I love making raw cakes, because they are the perfect little treat to have every once in a while.. Its packed with healthy fats so you only need a small slice to leave you feeling extremely satisfied, and they’re awesome cause you can’t burn them! (derrr)

So here it is, the recipe for the devine ” Salted Caramel Banana Raw Cake! ”

What you shall need:

For the base:

– 1/4 cup buckwheat grouts

– 1 cup activated (soaked overnight) raw nuts- I used almonds and hazelnuts

– 1/2 cup of dried coconut flakes

– 1 crack of sea salt

– 1/4 cup of coconut oil

– 1 tsp of maca powder (optional)

– 4-6 fresh medjool dates (more or less depending how sweet you like your desserts)

For the filling

– 2 cups of activated (soaked overnight) raw cashews

– 1/2 tsp vanilla powder

– 1/3 cup coconut oil

– 2 tbsp coconut nectar (optional as bananas and caramel chocolate should give enough sweetness alone)

Banana layer:

– 1 to 2 really ripe frozen bananas (depends how big your nanas are and how banana’y you like it, I added 1 then tasted, then added another 1/2 and it was enough)

Caramel layer:

– 100 g Loving Earth Salted Caramel Chocolate (1 bar)

– 1 tsp mesquite powder (optional)

– 1 tsp maca powder (optional)

To decorate: 

– 100 g Loving Earth Salted Caramel Chocolate (1/2 bar)

– anything else you think looks pretty on top if presentation is your thing 😉

So this mixture was way too much to fill my little spring form in the picture (as you can see its not much bigger than my hand) I used the extra mixture to make mini raw cakes in muffin tins. It’ll be the perfect amount for a ‘normal’ sized cake pan/ spring form.

Also, I know I probably say this every time, but a high powered blender is almost essential for these types of cakes, you really need to ‘cream’ the nuts… Trust me, I’ve learnt trying to make my first ever raw cake in a $15 food processor.. hmm fail! 😦

Method:

1. For the base- Blend the nuts and coconut flakes until crumbly, add the dates (remember to pitt them first!!) and blend again until well combined. Transfer to a mixing bowl

2. add the maca powder, buckwheat, salt, and melted coconut oil, mix really well, with your hands, until fully combined and able to be pressed into balls that hold themselves.

3. either line your cake tray/ springform with cling wrap or brush with coconut oil (helps to get it out) and press the base layer into the bottom firmly and evenly. I like to use a silicon spatula to get it really firmly pressed, especially around the edges. transfer to fridge or freezer while you make the filling.

4. For the filling- rinse the cashews and add to the blender with the vanilla and sweetener if using. Blend on high powder for a few minutes or until the cashews have been completely combined, then add the melted coconut oil and keep blending until silky silky smooth. (I sometimes need to stop and give it a stir manually so bits are not getting stuck under the blades and then continue blending).

5. Transfer half of the cashew mixture to a bowl, and add the banana/s to the blender and keep blending until well combined. As I mentioned earlier; Add 1 banana, taste, then add more if it needs it. Use your spatula to get all of the mixture out of the blender and into the cake tin, smooth out flat over the base and return to the freezer.

6. Melt the caramel chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, add the remaining cashew mixture back to the blender and add the mesquite and maca powder and the melted caramel chocolate. Blend until completely combined. If the banana layer was quite gooey then wait a little bit before adding the caramel layer, just to make it easier to smooth over. (my caramel layer was a thicker consistency than my banana)

7. Leave in the fridge or freezer to set (I left mine over night). Melt the caramel chocolate over boiling water, then carefully remove from cake tin, and transfer to a flat surface. Pour the caramel chocolate over the cake, you can completely cover it or use a spoon and make swirly patterns. return to fridge to set (will only take 20 minutes). Then you may serve to your drooling taste testers whom are waiting patiently. 😉

note: it doesn’t matter which layer you put on top of which, I have suggested to put the banana layer below the caramel layer because the banana layer may oxidise if exposed to air (go slightly brown around the exposed edges) which is completely fine, just looks slightly funky. or subsequently you can add a couple of tbsp’s of lemon juice to the banana layer to stop this, but I’m not sure how that would go down on the taste buds 😉

Tastes a bit like banana bread meets caramel slice (the healthy kind of course).

I do hope you enjoy this recipe, with hopefully many more to follow in the coming months.

Lots of love, sparkles, and health

Elsa xx