This rich chocolate mousse cake comes from The Millenium Cookbook.
Ingredients
Serves 12-16.
Cashew Crust
- 1/3 cup unsalted cashew nuts
- 3 T unrefined sugar or sucanat/brown sugar
- 3 T canola oil
- 1/2 t vanilla extract
- 1 cup unbleached plain flour (or substitute a non-wheat flour like quinoa flour to make this recipe gluten-free)
- 1/8 t sea salt
Chocolate Mousse
- 2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips
- 900 g / 2 lb extra firm silken tofu
- 3/4 cup unrefined sugar or sucanat/brown sugar
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 1/8 t sea salt
Maple Almond Praline
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup slivered almonds
Raspberry Sauce
- 2 cups fresh or 11 oz unsweetened frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup unrefined sugar or sucanat/brown sugar
Instructions
Cashew Crust
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly oil a 20 cm / 8 inch round springform or false bottom pan.
In a food processor, grind the cashews until they resemble fine meal. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Process again until well combined.
In a small bowl, stir the flour and salt together. Add the cashew mixture and mix into the flour, beginning with a spatula and ending with your hands.
Press the crust into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown and dry.
Chocolate Mousse
In a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate chips.
In a blender or food processor combine the tofu, sugar, vanilla and salt. Process, then add the melted chocolate and blend for 2 minutes or until very smooth and completely combined.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly oil the sides of the cake pan above the pre-baked crust. Pour the mousse mixture into the pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a paring knife around the inside of the pan. Let the cake cool to the touch, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Un-mold just before serving.
Maple Almond Praline
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Add the almonds and stir constantly until the maple syrup has completely crystallized onto the almonds and the almonds appear dry. Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
Raspberry Sauce
In a blender, combine the raspberries and sugar, then blend to a smooth sauce. Strain the sauce through a fine meshed sieve.
Serving
To serve, cut the cake into 12-16 pieces. For each serving, pool raspberry sauce on a plate and top with a slice of cake. Top with 1 T maple almond praline. You can also add a garnish of fresh fruit, sprinkled cocoa powder and a sprig of fresh mint leaves.