This French Forest Berry Cake recipe stands out due to its elaborate but easy-to-achieve appearance and its unique taste of berries from the forest, freshly picked or frozen. As an added plus, this non-dairy cream-style cake requires no baking.
Yields: 36 small pieces of cake
Time: 1 hour preparation time, 12 hours refrigerator setting time
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
200 g walnuts
140 g sunflower seeds
160 g dates
2 tablespoons agave syrup
FOR THE WHITE CREAM
200 g cashews (soaked in water overnight)
200 ml almond milk (see recipe for homemade Almond Milk)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons baobab powder (alternatively: 2 tablespoons of lemon zest)
50 g cocoa butter
FOR THE BERRY CREAM
200 g cashew (soaked in water overnight)
200 ml almond milk (see recipe for homemade Almond Milk)
100 g fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries, or a mix of those berries (defrosted overnight)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons agave syrup
50 g cocoa butter
FOR THE DECORATION
mint leaves, lemon slices, and berries
Directions
THE CRUST
Mix the nuts and sunflower seeds in a high-speed food processor, gradually adding the dates.
Last add agave syrup to taste.
The mixture should hold together.
Put the crust into a pan measuring about 28 cm x ca 27 cm and a height of 8 cm.
Spread the crust as evenly as possible and then press it down firmly.
THE WHITE CREAM
Drain the soaked cashews and wash them well.
Blend the cashews with the almond milk in a high-speed food processor.
Next add the agave syrup, lemon juice, and baobab powder.
Finally cut the cocoa butter into small pieces and add them to the food processor. Process until smooth.
It is important for the cream to have a very smooth consistency.
THE BERRY CREAM
Drain the soaked cashews and wash them well.
Blend the cashews with the almond milk and the (unfrozen) berries in a high-speed food processor.
Next add the lemon juice and agave syrup.
Lastly cut the cocoa butter into small pieces and add them to the food processor. Process until smooth.
The color of the berry cream can be made more blue by adding the water from the frozen blueberries.
LAYERING THE CREAMS
Place 6 tablespoons of the berry cream on the center of the crust.
Then place 6 tablespoons of the white cream directly on top of the previously placed 6 tablespoons of berry cream. The cream will start spreading by itself.
Continue this method by next placing 5 tablespoons of white cream in the very center on top of the berry cream, and then 5 tablespoons of berry cream on top of the white cream.
Next place 4 tablespoons of white cream in the very center on top of the berry cream.
Continue this way until all is used, except for 5 tablespoons of the white and 5 tablespoons of the berry cream.
Place these remaining amounts in the refrigerator to use for decoration at the end.
In the pan, the cream spreads by itself to create circles that reach as far as the pan’s edge.
Take a wooden toothpick or wooden skewer and stick it in the center of the cream layer down to the top of the crust (but not into the crust itself).
Then pull the stick in a straight line to the edge of the pan in order to create a marble effect in the cream. (Avoid scraping the crust.)
Next stick the toothpick or skewer again in the center and pull it to the other side of the pan’s edge.
Continue with this method until you have drawn 8 straight lines with the toothpick or skewer in all directions, like the rays of the sun.
Now place the pan in the refrigerator to set overnight.
The next day, remove the cake from the refrigerator and cut the cake into 36 small pieces, each measuring about 7 cm x 3 cm.
DECORATION
The decoration is created by using the remaining 5 tablespoons of white and 5 tablespoons of berry cream.
You can add more berry juice to the berry cream in order to achieve a stronger blue color.
Stir the creams every 5-10 minutes until they reach a consistency that is soft yet firm enough for making decorations using a pastry bag (piping bag).
Place a flower decoration tip on the pastry/piping bag.
Place the creams in the pastry/piping bag. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to make a flower on top of each French Forest Berry Cake piece (see the photo for an example).
Finish the decoration by adding mint leaves, lemon slices, and berries to each piece of cake.
Invite your friends to enjoy this elaborate French Forest Berry Cake experience.