Easy "Bake"...No Oven

So I have been singing the praises of Ani Phyo and her two I-can't-live-without-them raw food cookbooks. You have to try this delicious, good for you Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake from her raw desserts cookbook. Here's what Ani Phyo had to say about its nutritional benefits in this bit from her interview for Crazy Sexy Life:



"The cake is made with walnuts, considered a super food by the FDA for it’s high levels of omega-3. Walnuts provide amino acids, vitamins E, A, calcium, iron, and have been found to keep our blood cholesterol levels in check. Walnuts are mixed with raw cacao powder, which is defined as a superfood by the FDA for it’s high levels or antioxidants, which fight free radical damage, premature aging and illness. I use dates, a whole food fruit, to sweeten and to bind together the nuts and cacao powder into a flourless cake texture. Dates are full of fiber, potassium, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All of the ingredients in my cake are good for you super foods. On the other hand, the baked version uses bleached white flour that’s been stripped of any nutrient value. It’s sweetened with refined white sugar and empty calories, and uses eggs and butter, which contribute to high cholesterol levels. The baked version doesn’t offer much nutritional value.”




It's also insanely easy. I made it with my two year old and it was so simply and quick to put together. And no, the frosting doesn't taste like avocado. It's just chocolaty deliciousness. Here's the recipe. (By the way, this is an excellent beat-the-heat recipe for summer, since you don't heat up your house by baking. Plus, with the energy your saving by not turning on your oven, this is one green cake!)


I recommend using the raw cacao powder available at Whole Foods and New Season's Market called Holy Kakow. It's a single origin cacao, fairly traded, distributed by a local company (for me anyway. Portland, OR) and less expensive than any other raw cacao powder I've seen around. Talk about an all-around winner of a product!