Chocolate Mint Cake
Another fresh dessert that you should definitely try is here. Classic flavor combinations await you. Mint and chocolate are represented in this no-bake cake which also happens to be plant-based.
Why Mint?
Mint is one herb that you should definitely consider growing. It is easy to take care of and multifunctional, not to mention incredibly fresh. Mint is great in tea, salads, and budda bowls, but it is especially delicious in desserts where it can easily become a star.
Today's new dessert celebrates mint. A creamy layer of mint goodness is combined with soft and gooey chocolate ganache. The mint brings incredible freshness to the cake. A fresh taste that you will not easily forget.
This is a chocolate dessert and, as such, is thus greatly indulging. However, the fresh mint flavor and the melt-in-the-mouth textures of the cake make the dessert taste lighter and make you reach for another piece of the cake. This cake can indeed be quite addictive.
Plant-based and no-bake!
Yes, you read it correctly, no animal products are used to make this cake. Primarily because I believe that it is not essential to add either butter or milk, not even cream, to create appealing textures and flavors for this specific type of cake. This cake is an example of using nutritious products to create an interesting and delicious dessert.
There are only few main ingredients. I use products that are widely available nowadays (especially in whole-food stores). You can, of course, replace some of the less essential ingredients with substitutes of theirs. For example, if you are not vegan, feel free to substitute the maple syrup with honey. The cake does not require baking so such a replacement is logical and appropriate.
Last but not least, the dessert is easy to prepare. It is one of those no-bake treats that you can put together using only a powerful blender or a food processor. Nevertheless, the final result will meet your expectations regardless of whether you are a vegan or not.
Ingredients:
Crust:
90 g oat flour
30 g almond flour
30 g cacao butter*
30 ml maple syrup**
10 g cacao powder
a pinch of salt
Mint layer:
100 ml full-fat coconut milk
50 g cashews
50 ml maple syrup**
10 g fresh mint
1/4 tsp matcha powder***
[optional] 1-2 drops of mint essential oil
Chocolate ganache:
150 g dark chocolate****
150 ml full-fat coconut milk
5 g vanilla
Preparation:
Pre-step: Soak the cashews in warm/hot water for at least 4 hours (best overnight).
Crust:
Melt the cacao butter over a double-boiler.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients to obtain a slightly sticky dough.
Transfer the dough to a cake tin and press it with your fingers to form the crust.
Refrigerate.
Mint layer:
In a blender, add the cashews (drained of the water) as well as the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
Pour the mixture over the crust and even it out.
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the mint layer to set.
Chocolate ganache:
On a stove at medium heat, heat the coconut milk.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and add the vanilla to them.
Pour the hot milk onto the chocolate pieces and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes without stirring.
After 2 minutes, start stirring vigorously until all the chocolate pieces are melted.
Only after the mint layer has set and the chocolate ganache has come to room temperature, should you pour the ganache over the mint cream.
Refrigerate one more time to let the ganache set.
You can leave the cake in the fridge overnight to make sure the layers have set properly. After that, the cake should be ready for a taste test.
Do you like this recipe? Please share in the comments below!
Tips:
* I like the additional chocolate flavor the cacao butter brings. If you do not have cacao butter at hand, you can always replace it with coconut oil or even with butter.
** You can replace the maple syrup with honey.
*** The matcha powder is used for color. You will not be able to taste the matcha in the final cake.
**** I used chocolate with 78% cacao solids.