Raw Chocolate Torte with Salted Pecan Sauce Recipe

Serves

Preparation

30 minutes, plus overnight soaking, 4–5 hours freezing and 20 minutes defrosting

Ingredients

310g/11oz/2 cups cashew nuts
1 vanilla pod/bean
125g/4½ oz/⅔ cup coconut sugar
125g/4½ oz/1 cup raw cacao powder
½ tsp sea salt
170ml/5½ fl oz/⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
Raw vegan chocolate shavings and mixed berries, to serve

Salted pecan sauce

180g/6 ½ oz/1 cup fresh or dried medjool dates, pitted
100g/3 ½ oz/1 cup pecan nuts
4 tbsp agave syrup or brown rice syrup
1 tsp sea salt

Date base

100g/3½ oz/½ cup fresh or dried medjool dates, pitted
225g/8oz/1½ cups almonds
A pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Put the cashew nuts in a bowl, cover with water and leave to soak overnight. Drain in a colander and rinse. Put the dates and pecan nuts for the sauce in a bowl. Put the dried dates, if using, for the crust into another bowl. Cover both with water and leave to soak for 4 hours. Drain and rinse the nuts. Drain the dates for the base, but drain and reserve the date liquid for the sauce.

2. To make the base, put the almonds, dates and salt into a blender or food processor and blend at high speed to form a soft dough. Press the dough lightly into the base of a 20cm/8in springform cake pan and leave to chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

3. Split the vanilla pod/bean in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Reserve the pod/bean for another use. Put the vanilla seeds, sugar, cacao powder, salt and oil into a blender or food processor and add 185ml/6fl oz/ ¾ cup water. Blend until smooth. Pour this filling over the base. Freeze the cake for 4–5 hours until firm.

4. To make the sauce, put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding the reserved date liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce is thick and creamy. Remove the torte from the freezer, then carefully release the tin and slide the torte on to a serving plate. Leave for 20 minutes to defrost slightly. Drizzle the sauce over the top and scatter over the vegan chocolate shavings and mixed berries, then serve.

Extracted from The Vegan Cookbook by Adele McConnell © Adele McConnell. Published by Nourish Books, London (paperback £9.99). Commissioned photography by Keiko Oikawa.

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