So anyone who knows me knows that I don’t measure things when I cook. I am absolutely useless at following recipes (because I can’t be bothered measuring anything and I always throw in extra stuff) and I always struggle to make cooking an exact science.

I think that because I work and studied quite a technical field (Engineering) I really enjoy the freedom and creativeness of cooking – it just breaks up the monotony and adds spice to my life 😉

So here it is…my weekend creation…but this time…I went out of my comfort zone and measured all my ingredients (the best that I could) and jotted it all down for all of you 🙂

Raw Nutty Caramel Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

Base:

• ½ C Dates (soaked in water until soft – don’t throw out the water!)
• ½ C Raw Almonds
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• ¼ teaspoon Salt

 Caramel Filling:

• ½ C Dates (soaked in water)
• 1 Tablespoon of Almond Butter (any nut butter should do)
• ¼ teaspoon Maca Powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon of Salt
• 2 Tablespoon of date water (the water the dates were soaking in)

 Nutty Layer:

• ¼ Cashews

 Chocolate Top:

• 2 Tablespoons Cacao
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Malt Syrup

Approximately 150cals, 6.5g fat, 22g Carbs (16g sugar) for a serving

(it’s pretty rich, you’re going to want to share!)

It is super super easy to make!

1. Blend all the Base ingredients together until you get a sticky mixture (I used a simple food processor).
2. Put the mixture into whatever container you want (I used a mini cake tin but you could use muffin tins, a square tin or even a plastic container) lined with cling wrap (so the mix will come out easy)
3. Once the base mix is flattened, pop it in the fridge.
4. Mix all the ingredients for the Caramel filling in the same food processor (the less dishes the better). You may want to use more water to get a smoother consistency; it really depends on your dates.
5. Once mixed well, spoon it out on top of the base and smooth it with the back of a spoon. Clean out the processor as best as you can.
6. In the same processor, blitz the Nutty Layer (I used cashews but you can use whatever nuts you want).
7. Sprinkle the crushed nuts on top of the caramel layer and then pop it back in the fridge.
8. Finally, process all of the Chocolate ingredients together and pour it on top of the crushed nuts and put it back in the fridge or freezer to set.

And that’s it! Once it’s all set (shouldn’t be too long at all), pull out the slice/cake/treat – whatever you want to call it. It should be easy with the cling wrap. Decorate it however you want (I used crushed nuts and a almond butter stuffed date). Store in the fridge or freezer, depending on how you like it! Then devour it – guilt free!

Let me know if you give it a try – and continue to follow me on my journey as I try new things and post whatever’s cooking along the way!

S xx