Recipe of the Week: Strawberry Shortcake

I've been on a cake roll these days. Guess I'm making up for lost time. lol Being born in July, strawberry shortcake was my de facto birthday treat for years. Don't ask me why I finally decided to attempt a raw version of this childhood favorite right at the end of strawberry season (at least, around here). Not great timing I know, but what can I say? Creativity has its reasons...

This recipe has earned me the nickname 'Carmi CRAWker' on Raw Freedom Community (he he) and I must say it is definitely a new favorite. In fact, for me, strawberry shortcake never tasted so good: light and creamy, and not too sweet. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Strawberry Shortcake
Inspired by Cafe Gratitude's I Am Rapture

This recipe is for a 6" diameter pan or tub.

Cake
3/4 cup well packed dates, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch salt
1 cup loosely packed left-over pulp from making milk or ground almonds
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup cashews

Whipped Cream
1 cup cashews or a mixture of cashews and macadamia nuts
1 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh coconut milk (simply blend 1 part dried coconut with 3 parts water in high speed blender)
1/8 - 1/4 cup honey or agave (depending on how sweet a tooth you have)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon lecithin* or 2 teaspoons psyllium husks (see notes)

Strawberry Layer and Decoration
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced

*Lecithin acts as an emulsifier. Look for soy lecithin (preferably non-GMO), in granules or powdered form, at your local HFS. If using granules, make sure to grind them up in a high speed blender of coffee grinder. You can also buy sunflower lecithin which is raw and non-GMO.

To make the Whipped Cream:
Blend all ingredients except coconut oil and lecithin until smooth. Add coconut oil and lecithin and blend until thoroughly mixed. Set in fridge for about 1 hr.

(I ended up having too much cream for the cake, and served the last of it with fresh strawberries. Soooooo good!)

To make the Cake:
Place dates in food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. You may need to add a little water.

Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.

If using ground almonds instead of wet almond pulp, you might want to add a couple of teaspoons of water for moisture.

Assembly:
Grease a spring form pan with a little coconut oil or line a large margarine tub with plastic film.

Next form an even layer on the bottom with half of the cake mixture.

Top with 1/2 of the strawberries, followed by some of the whipped cream. Put in fridge to set.

When firm, form another cake layer. Then top with more strawberries. (Remember to save a few for decoration).

Again top with whipped cream and set in fridge.

When firm, gently remove cake from the pan or margarine tub and place on serving plate.

Decorate with strawberry slices and serve.


Carmella's Notes:
~ For the whipped cream, I used 2 teaspoons psyllium husks instead of lecithin, as suggested in Cafe Gratitude's recipe. As a result, I found that I had to let the cream set in the freezer rather than the fridge. The consistency also made it difficult for the cake to hold its shape well once at room temperature. However, this may not be a major issue if you keep the cake in the freezer, thawing pieces as needed.

~ In order for each layer to retain its distinctive shape, it's key to let the whipped cream layer set in the fridge (or freezer) before patting down the cake layer. Yah, yah, I know it's just for visual purposes, but hey! Remember that we taste with our eyes first.

~ For a simpler version of this, put a cake layer, followed by strawberries. Top with whipped cream and let set in the fridge. Decorate with strawberry slices and serve. Perhaps not as impressive but definitely still as delicious!

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