This recipe is the love child of elements of the Spongy Chocolate Cake and the cream filling of the Double Chocolate Cream Tarts. The pairing is glorious enough to deserve its own post and provide inspiration for a fabulously fudgy, chocolatey and creamy celebration cake.
A chocolate sandwich cake to me is one of the best indulgences. Perfect for a birthday, any other special occasion or just because you feel like it 😉 The dark chocolate and the natural sweeteners (date paste and some maple syrup) result in a “mature” semisweet richness, while providing more fiber and nutrition than a standard chocolate cake. The fact that it got the stamp of approval from my Dad (a sceptic of vegan desserts, after experiencing some epic fails from my early plant-based days) was a reason for celebration on its own!
Indulgent fudge without cream and lots of refined sugar? Definitely possible and highly advisable.
Cacao butter is one of the key ingredients of this recipe, providing a creamy and subtly fragrant base, which is enriched by the peanut butter and naturally sweetened with dates and some maple syrup. The salt and vanilla enhance the flavor, while a bit of maca or lucuma (both naturally sweet with a slightly fruity-yet-caramel-like aroma) rounds it all off. You can feel free to add in extra elements like raisins nor chopped nuts.
The fudge can be enjoyed on its own or combined with an oaty base and some jam sandwiched in between for a more substantial treat. I love the different textures and tastes in the various layers and find it an all-round satisfying sweet treat 🙂
It’s time for another seriously chocolatey recipe. I present to you a ridiculously easy and wonderfully satisfying vegan chocolate cream (it’s almost mousse-like), perfectly paired with a raw, oat-based cacao crust. Both elements require minimal ingredients and are so easy to whip up. This may well be one of my favourite recipes I’ve made (of course it had to be a chocolate one).
Double Chocolate Cream Tarts
Makes: 3 small tarts (each serving 1-2 people)
Ingredients: Tart base
75g oats, ground into a flour
15g cacao powder (ca. 2 tbsp)
10g ground flaxseeds (ca. 1 tbsp)
2.5 tbsp soft coconut oil (I use a neutral one; melted cacao butter should also work)
2 tbsp maple syup
pinch of salt
Ingredients: Chocolate cream
115g silken tofu (drain the water from the package; further pat dry with a kitchen towel if necessary);
2.5 tbsp cacao powder
2.5 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp peanut butter (ideally a thick, spreadable texture – the less runny it is the more firm the cream will be)
pinch of salt
optional: fresh or frozen raspberries and hemp seeds to decorate; you could also use edible flower petals or toasted nuts.
Method
For the base combine all ingredients (ground oats, cacao powder, ground flaxseeds, coconut oil, maple syrup and salt) in a bowl until there are no dry bits.
Divide the mixture into three mini pie dishes and, starting from the base and working your way up to the sides, press it down to form an equal layer covering the inside of the dishes. If your dishes do not allow for an easy removal you may want to line them with cling film to avoid a crumbly crisis later. Once done place the dishes in the fridge. If you do not have pie dishes you could try using a muffin tray.
For the chocolate cream simply blend together all ingredients (silken tofu, cacao powder, maple syrup, peanut butter and salt).
Remove the tart dishes from the fridge and evenly distribute the chocolate mousse among them. Optional: Feel free to add a jam or peanut butter layer first, if desired. I found them perfectly indulgent just as they are, but depending on my mood I may try variations in the future. Top with any desired toppings. I simply crumbled some frozen raspberries on top and added some hemp seeds.
Place back in the fridge until ready to eat.
Note: You can also use the cream as a frosting for muffins or (cup-)cakes. I recently made my chocolate sponge cake into muffins and sliced them in half after they had cooled. I spread chocolate cream onto the bottom part and iced the muffin top with it, adding some fresh raspberries for the final touch – definitely another combo I can highly recommend!
Enjoy!
Feel free to tag @blueberrysmiles22 if you share your creations on Instagram, so I can share in the joy 🙂
I have a new obsession and it involves neither chocolate nor peanut butter – a revelation! This is a recipe I did not expect to ever create… I am the person who will always go for something chocolatey if given the option. Lemon, fruit and especially carrot cake never made my heart beat faster. Well, until now, that is…
Posting a new recipe has been on my to-do list for a while, but it ended up happening in the most spontaneous way possible: After lunch today my boyfriend said he’d love a snickers. Neither of us have had one in ages, but we always have chocolate, nuts and nut butter around, so I knew I could whip something up. While he initially sounded sceptical – how would it be possible to recreate something so highly processed? – he was eating his words after his first bite into these easy bars that are pure chocolatey peanutty bliss.
Another sweet treat recipe today as, let’s face it, they’re the most fun to make (and eat). While chocolate nut butter cups have, rightly, been all the rage, I wanted to switch things up a bit by combining the silky smoothness of chocolate with the hearty crunch and hint of saltiness from the granola.
I hope you’re all well and staying healthy and sane. In a time where it’s not as easy or advisable to go to the shops too often and where your favorite local cafe is most likely closed, it’s all the more important to be able to whip up some satisfying treats using simple, ingredients you have in your cupboard and fridge. I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoys having a little pick-me-up to look forward to mid-afternoon…
Which is where these delightfully easy, fun and delicious chocolate peanut date squares come into play. They don’t require too much prep and use ingredients that you can keep for ages. Whether you’re at home working, studying or just chilling, one of these with a cup of tea or coffee is the perfect way to have a mindful moment.
Sometimes all you crave is something rich and chocolatey – whether for dessert or, like me yesterday, for breakfast. That’s why I created this creamy concoction out of wholesomefully plant-based ingredients. The banana, sweet potato and dates are a nutritious source of carbs (lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals), the avocado and flaxseeds provide healthy fats and the cacao is chockfull of antioxidants. This powerhouse combo is also super filling and should keep you satiated for quite a while.
After sharing some recommendations for plant-based eating in my last two posts, I’m finally back with another recipe. I’ve been making this fully plant-based banana bread pretty much weekly lately, as it’s so quick to throw together and perfect for snacking on at work or enjoying on the couch with a cup of tea. I love how fudgy it is when I don’t bake it quite through and how melty the dark chocolate chunks are, before the loaf cools!
The fact that it’s made from simple and nutritious ingredients and is only sweetend with fruit and maple syrup makes it even more irresistible (#begoodtoyourself 😉 ) and the perfect staple bake for week nights or lazy weekend mornings.
Thursday, November 1 was World Vegan Day – a day for celebrating veganism, brought into life by The Vegan Society of the UK in 1994, 50 years after the term “vegan” was conceived. And what better way to celebrate it than to eat lots of fabulous plant-based food with other vegans/vegan-friendly people?
Here in Switzerland, the Vegan Society of Switzerland (Vegane Gesellschaft Schweiz) hosts an awesome annual potluck on November 1st. This year they kindly reached out to me, asking if I would like to bring some dessert and share the recipe, which is where these Chestnut Hazelnut Squares come in. I can’t get enough of them: soft yet substantial, sweet and nourishing. Paired with a cup of hot chocolate or a turmeric latte they’re my favorite fall treat and personal epitome of autumnal “hygge” 🙂
