Think that chocolate cake you’ve been eyeing will blow your diet
for the week? Think again. Eco Chef Ani Phyo’s desserts are
actually good for you. But before we get to the cake, let’s talk
about the chocolate.
All chocolate comes from the same place, a berry called a cacao
pod, which contains 30 to 40 beans. But there the similarity ends:
Low antioxidant conventional cocoa powder is processed with salt to
help it dissolve more easily in liquid, while real cacao powder,
which is basically ground, raw beans with the fat removed, is a
virtual superfood! Real cacao chocolate is full of powerful
antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals and supply
nutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium and iron for radiant
skin, healthy hair and strong nails. A 2003 study found that a quarter-ounce of cacao each day
actually lowers blood pressure, while the caffeine increases
alertness and tryptophan makes us feel happier.
No wonder you still want that cake.
So have a piece! Ani only uses cacao in creating the chocolate desserts that are part of her amazing new book, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats. And she believes the stuff not only makes us happier, but healthier. “The desserts in my book are more than treats: They provide healthy, whole food nutrition that you can include in any diet as a meal, snack or dessert,” Ani explains. “Eating more of my desserts will help you become healthier. A traditional slice of cake includes flour, sugar, eggs, butter and trans fats. Mine is made from delicious, vitamin- and antioxidant-rich nuts and fruit. Plus, in the hot summer months, who wants to cook?”
Not us. So we begged Ani to give us the recipe for the super-yummy Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake pictured above. (Then we realized it’s also in the book. Duh.)
RECIPE
Combine three cups of walnuts*, two-thirds of a cup of unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder and one-fourth of a teaspoon of sea salt in a food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed (avoid over processing). Add one cup pitted Medjool dates and pulse until well mixed. Shape into two stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.
To make the frosting, combine one-third cup semi-soft pitted
Medjool dates with one-fourth cup agave syrup in the food processor
until smooth. Add one-half cup ripe avocado flesh and
process until smooth.
To serve, frost the top of one of the cakes with half of the
frosting and top with one-half cup raspberries. Stack the second
cake on top and frost the top and side. Serve immediately, or put
in the fridge for a few hours to firm up, where it can keep for up
to three days.
P.S. Lazy like us? Skip the recipe and grab a box of Ani’s Raspberry Ganache Raw Chocolate Cake Mix (it’s the world’s first raw food cake mix, natch). Mix up the frosting, add raspberries, and you’re done!
Just in time to savor that second piece.
*Ani uses organic, preferably farmer’s market ingredients.
Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the founder and editor of EcoStiletto. You can find more info about Rachel on our About Us page.
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