Vegan Blueberry Cake

By Michelle Anderson

Cake Decorating Expert, about.com

If you are looking for a fabulous vegan option for your event, this cake is the perfect choice. You can easily double and triple the recipe and create stacked cakes to serve for a more elegant affair. Just put cake boards under each layer and make sure you dowel the  bottom layers because this is not an extremely dense cake. You could use this cake in the trend of naked cakes very easily and with great effect because the berries would look lovely in between the different tiers. The blended nuts create an almost cheesecake like texture and the flavor pleasantly combines with the tart sweet berries. You can also use any other kind of berry for the topping, such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and currants. If you use a slightly less sweet berry you will probably have to add extra sugar to the berry layer. 

Ingredients

•  For the crust
• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup dates
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• Pinch of sea salt
• For the cake layer:
• 3 cups raw cashews
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• For the berry layer
• 2 cups blueberries 
• For the icing
• 2 ¼ cup raw almonds, soaked for two hours and skinned
• ¾ cup water
• 6 tablespoons cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons honey
• Pinch sea salt

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 1 9-inch cake

 

Preparation

 For the crust

1. Place the nuts, dates and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbs and stick together when you press them between your fingers.
2. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a spring form pan and even it out.
3. Place the crust in the fridge until it is very firm, about one hour.

For the cake layer

1. Place the raw cashews, maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, coconut oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sea salt in a blender and pulse until very smooth.

1. Pour the batter into a bowl and stir in the orange zest.
2. Reserve ¼ cup of the batter and pour the rest into the crust.
3. Place the cake in the freezer and make the blueberry layer.

For the blueberry layer

1. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and add the ¼ cup of filling mixture.
2. Use a potato masher to crush the blueberries and mix the filling into them until there are still chunks of berry but the filling is mixed in well.
3. Spoon the filling onto the cake and place the cake back in the freezer overnight.
4. Take the cake out the next day and frost.

For the icing:

1. Place the almonds, water, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a blender and pulse until very creamy and smooth, about five minutes. You will have to scrape down the sides at least once.
2. Place the frosting in the fridge for about two hours to make it spreadable. You can also store it overnight and use it the next day.
3. Spread icing on chilled cake and decorate for your event.
4. Keep the cake in the fridge until you serve it.