As a child of the 80s & 90s, I have vivid memories of sticking to the vinyl seats of the non-air-conditioned boat cars my parents drove. We made epic journeys, from humid Pennsylvania to the dry, great plains of Nebraska and South Dakota with the windows down and hot air blasting our permed hair across our faces. One road trip included a flat tire and a long, roadside “hang out,” while we relied on the kindness of a trucker’s CB and awaited a tow truck. The turnpike, in Nebraska, in mid-summer is a hot place to be. So is my kitchen.
In the winter, brunch and dinner parties are a necessity. The oven and bodies warm the home, but the summer is another story. I could install an a.c. unit, but a combination of shear laziness and a healthy fear of the unit plummeting, from my third-floor window onto an unsuspecting passerby, leave the magical cooling device in the box.
In an effort to entertain friends without baking them, the summer months require creativity in the form of no-bake desserts. After all, a girl should be able to have her chocolate, eat her cake, mingle and not melt into a puddle of humidity. This is the cake for summer!
Stay cool!
-Quelcy
No-Bake Cashew Chocolate Mousse Cake with Fresh Mint (Vegan & Gluten Free)
About This Recipe: This recipe is easy to make, but if serving guests, be sure to leave yourself enough time to soak the cashews overnight and to allow the cake to set in the freezer. The dates add a fruity note to the crust, and the peanut-butter, banana and cashew filling is like a milkshake. Top with fresh mint for flavor, fragrance and show. This dessert is great for summer gatherings.
No-Bake Cashew Chocolate Mousse Cake with Fresh Mint (Vegan & Gluten Free)
adapted from Call Me Cupcake
yield: 9-inch cake
Crust Ingredients
15 pitted, non-sorbate prunes
1 cup whole ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup raw shelled hemp seed
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons espresso or strong coffee
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Filling Ingredients
2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil
1 can (13.5 fl oz) organic coconut milk (full fat)
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (to taste)
1 cup organic, creamy peanut butter
½ cup espresso or strong coffee
1 cup cashew nuts, soaked in water overnight then drained*
2 organic ripe bananas
Chocolate Sauce
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
Garnish
fresh mint
Directions
Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until they form a paste.
Press mixture into a 9-inch springform pan (if you don’t have a springform pan, use a pie tin or a regular cake pan covered with parchment paper). Put the pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Put coconut oil, coconut milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, peanut butter and coffee in a saucepan, and heat very gently until all ingredients have melted and easily combine (this step is to make the filling easier to blend in the food processor/blender).
Pour the ingredients from the sauce pan plus the cashews and the banana into a blender or food processor, and pulse until mixture is as smooth as possible.
Pour the filling into the crust, and freeze for 2-4 hours, or until filling is set.
For the Chocolate Sauce
Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Drizzle sauce over cake and return to refrigerator to set.
Before serving, garnish with fresh mint. Story any leftovers in the freezer. Remove a few minutes before eating to thaw to desired texture.
Enjoy!
