Raw Chocolate-Peach Cake with Chocolate Shell and Carob

Three layers build this cake without a single trip to the oven: a cocoa-almond crust bound with dates, a delicately flavored peach cream made by blending macadamia or cashew nuts, and a dark chocolate shell poured in a thin layer on top. Briefly freezing each layer before adding the next is what keeps the cake from collapsing on itself: by the time the chocolate shell goes on, the peach cream underneath is firm enough to hold a clean slice. Peach shows up twice, blended into the cream for flavor and color, then cut into thin half-moons arranged on the set layer, for a fruity element you can actually see and bite into. The shell itself blends carob and raw cacao rather than chocolate alone, which softens the bitterness slightly while hardening firmly in the cold. The raw cacao butter it contains melts around 35°C, which explains both why it works well warm and why it sets the moment it touches a cold surface. It's an elegant dessert for a summer table, since nothing in it needs cooking, and any leftover chocolate mixture freezes beautifully to top another dessert later.

Ingredients

For the crust

• 2 cups almonds
• 8 to 10 dates
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil

For the peach cream

• 1½ cups macadamia or cashew nuts
• 1 peach
• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon raw agave syrup or honey
• 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil

For the chocolate shell

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup carob powder
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons melted raw cacao butter

Method

1. For the crust, blend the almonds, dates, cacao and coconut oil together until the mixture holds together, then press it firmly into the bottom of a springform pan. Freeze while you prepare the next layer.
2. For the peach cream, blend the macadamia or cashew nuts with the peach, banana, vanilla, agave syrup or honey and coconut oil until smooth, then pour over the chilled crust and return to the freezer to firm up.
3. Cut the remaining peach into thin half-moons and arrange them over the set cream layer.
4. For the shell, blend the coconut oil, carob, cacao, agave syrup or honey and melted cacao butter until smooth, then pour it evenly over the top in a thin layer. Any leftover chocolate freezes well for another time.

Tip

Freeze the crust and the peach cream completely before pouring the chocolate shell, otherwise the warm chocolate mixes into the cream instead of setting on top of it. If the shell cracks when cutting, let the cake sit at room temperature for five minutes before slicing: going straight from freezer to knife is what makes the chocolate shatter unevenly.

FAQ: your questions about raw chocolate-peach cake