Cake of the Day: Raw Strawberry Shortcake from ‘The Fully Raw Diet’
They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, raw food pioneer Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram shares a decadent no-bake strawberry cake from her cookbook, The Fully Raw Diet.
(Photo: Melissa Skorpil)
Fully Raw Strawberry Shortcake
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Raw vegan strawberry shortcake? No way! Yes, WAY!!! This is a miraculous, mind-blowing extravaganza of a dessert. The results are pretty massive, so I usually save this for when I have to feed and impress a crowd. The preparation is intensive, but I promise that I will never make you spend time with food preparation unless I believe the results will be spectacular.
For the crust
1 pound (about 24) fresh Medjool dates, pitted and quartered
2 ounces dried mulberries (about ½ cup)
3 ounces (4 to 6) raw dried white or black figs, stems removed, quartered
Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the filling
2 ¾ pounds strawberries (about 2 ½ pints), greens on
1 cup raw almond milk
1 banana, peeled and frozen, coarsely chopped
½ pound raw cashews
For the glaze
¼ pound strawberries, greens removed
4 fresh Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
Equipment:
Sharp chopping knife
Cutting board
9-inch springform pan
9-inch parchment paper circle
Mixing bowl
Food processor
High-speed blender, such as Vitamix
Rubber spatula
Thin-bladed knife
Cake platter
Line the springform pan with the parchment and set aside.
To make the crust, toss all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Put half in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth enough to cling to itself in a ball. Transfer to the springform pan and repeat with the rest of the crust ingredients. Wet your hands with cold water and press all the crust mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan. If the crust should start to stick to your hands, wet them again. Set the pan aside.
To make the filling, set aside 10 perfect strawberries for the garnish. Remove the greens from the rest and slice in ¼-inch slices. Set aside.
Put the almond milk, frozen banana, and cashews in the blender. Blend until smooth, starting on the slowest speed and gradually working up to the fastest. Blend on the highest speed until the mixture is uniformly smooth and the sound of the blender is high pitched and steady. Use the tamper to help everything blend smoothly. Reduce the speed of the blender to the lowest setting before turning it off. The filling should be thick like whipped cream.
To assemble the dessert, arrange about one-third of the sliced strawberries in a single layer on the crust. Top with a coating of about one-third of the filling. Repeat with another layer of strawberries, another layer of filling, a final layer of strawberries, and a final layer of filling.
To finish the dessert, make the glaze. Wash out the blender. Put the strawberries and dates in the blender and puree following the same method you used for blending the filling. Pour onto the top of the cake and spread evenly with a spatula.
Cut the reserved strawberries in half lengthwise, leaving their greens on for decoration, and arrange on the top of the cake around the edge.
Put the cake in the freezer to firm for about 4 hours.
To serve, run a knife around the edges and then remove the side of the springform pan. Put a sheet of parchment paper over the cake and cover with a cutting board. Invert the cake with the cutting board so that the base of the springform is now on top. Remove the pan base, using the parchment paper between the crust and pan base to help you lift it. Invert the cake again on to the cake platter and remove the parchment paper from the top. Cut the cake into serving pieces, and allow them to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours to allow the harder frozen section to soften.
This cake can be frozen solid and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, although the texture of the berries will suffer a little. If you do this, thaw in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Reprinted with permission from The Fully Raw Diet by Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).
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