I was looking for a good dessert recipe to use for Christmas lunch that is also healthy, after all, what’s the point of a healthy lunch only to have a very bad for you dessert?
Mum actually sent me this recipe a few weeks before hand and I had kind of forgotten about it until I happened across it again going through recipes I had set aside that looked interesting. This one fit the bill perfect, it would be nice and cool if Christmas day turned out to be a scorcher, it’s a little bit different to the typical vegan, gluten-free cake, and the flavours sounded amazing. So I went for it. Unfortunately I realised part way through that the original recipe called for a 6″ springform pan and I was using a 9.5″ one, but fortunately I was able to adapt from there on to work. The cake is a little smaller than it should have been if all the ingredients were directly proportional to the original, but frankly I think it is a pretty good balance and it would actually be too big if it were any bigger.
So, make sure you use a 9.5″ springform pan with these ingredient quantities.
That aside, I was surprised how easy it was to make for an amateur cook like me and the cake was a hit, the family all loved it and raved about it. This is definitely one to go in the “things to make again” collection.
I found that the cake was mildly sweet with a nice zing to it from the lime that helped balance it out. So it didn’t feel heavy or sickly. Since it is served from frozen it is also quite refreshing after a big meal, and I noticed that the macadamia texture and flavour was much more subtle than some other dairy substitutes can be. As a bonus, macadamia nuts can help reduce cholesterol, so not only is this cake entirely cholesterol free, it should actually help contribute to bringing down your cholesterol. A big bonus for me and anyone else with high cholesterol or heart disease risk factors.
Enjoy, I know we did and definitely will again so a bit thank you to Audrey from Unconventional Baker for sharing this recipe on her blog that I was able to adapt!
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 3 pitted dates
- 1 tbsp organic maple syrup
- 3 cups macadamia nuts
- 18 tbsp dark agave
- 14 tbsp lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups fresh strawberries
- 1 cup more fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- Fresh strawberries
- Put the macadamias into a pot of water and boil for about 15 minutes or soak overnight.
- Put all the crust ingredients into a food processor and process until it is a fine crumble that sticks together when you press it together.
- Put the base mixture into your 9.5" springform pan and press it down so that it sticks together. Place it in the fridge to set while you work on the filling.
- By now your macadamia nuts should be soft. Take them off the boil, drain and rinse them a few times. Make sure the nuts are cool.
- Put all filling ingredients including the boiled macadamia nuts into the food processor and process into a smooth, creamy mixture.
- Put 3/4 of the filling into the spring form pan on top of the crust and spread evenly. Set the pan aside.
- Place the ingredients for the extra strawberry layer into the food processor with the leftover filling and process it until it is a smooth, creamy mixture.
- Spoon the mixture on top of the cake evenly. Using a spoon or spatula gently smooth it out.
- Cover the springform pan with plastic wrap to protect it and then place on a level surface in the freezer overnight.
- Transfer the frozen cake from the pan into an airtight container and decorate with fresh strawberries. I used about 6 strawberries cut up.
- Serve or put back in the freezer for later. Allow about 15-20 minutes at room temperature for the cake to soften before slicing.
- Freeze the leftovers so they keep their shape and stay fresh for another day.
- If you don't have dark agave you can use an alternative sweetener such as maple syrup, rice syrup etc.
