Raw Vegan Chocolate Cream Cake

I found this recipe on Pinterest a long while ago from http://www.pure2raw.com/2012/02/raw-triple-chocolate-cheesecake-recipe/. It perk my interest because the picture of the little chocolate cheese cake looked so good and it is dairy free! I have  developed lactose intolerance recently (the last couple of years) so I immediately wanted to try the recipe. I was a little skeptic about how good it would taste since it is raw and vegan. But I was in heaven when I had my first bite. It has become one of my favorite treats, right up there with Alicia Silverstone's chocolate peanut better cups. This chocolate cream cake is smooth, rich, and creamy; so good!

By the way, I am so glade that Roland purchased the Vitamix blending station (the same thing at Jamba Juice). We always make fun of his obsession with blenders but I sure love using it.

Crust
Ingredients:

1 cup almond meal (original recipe called for pecans)

3-4 medjool dates

1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of Real Salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till combined. The crust material should slightly stick together. If it is too dry, add a little more maple syrup. Scoop the almond chocolate crust into mini cheesecake pan and press down with fingers to form the crust firmly into pan. Set aside and make the filling.

Filling

Ingredients:
2 cups cashew pieces
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave)
1/2 cup water (use half or less if you soak the cashews for a long time)

2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raw cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted into liquid

Directions:
Soak cashews for about 10-15 minutes (optional), rinse well and drain. Place cashews into blender with maple syrup, vanilla, and water, and cocoa powder and blend until creamy. Add in the coconut oil  (make sure the coconut oil is in liquid form) and blend till smooth. Scrape down the sides if necessary so the filling is nice and smooth.

Scooping the filling into mini cheesecake pans and fill to the top. Place the chocolate cream cake into the freezer to set for a few hours before removing from pan.

I like the vegan chocolate cream cake as is but it is fun to have some optional toppings such as chopped almond and chocolate ganache (1/2 cup vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips and 1/8 cup coconut beverage or any nut milk,  melted over a double boiler).

2012 Bike Rides

It has been more than a year since I last wrote a blog post or finish any posts that were started. October 8th last year, Kimberly was engaged and that put a immediate stop to my blogging; life went crazy for a few months. Kim was married on the end of 2011 so I guess I have been lazy for almost  a year!?

My 2012 new year's resolution includes attending "workout classes" at the gym. It took almost a whole month to get the courage up to try a zomba class. The zoomba class was very fast paste, had a super fun teacher, but it was hard to figure out what I was to do with my arms and legs. The Spin classes took a little longer to work up the discipline; I went to one class in the summer of 2011 and it was incredibly difficult and not so much fun. I managed to start going to the spin classes about 12 weeks before the Goldilocks bike ride; did not want to be in the same shape as last year. And now I've committed to spin three times a week.  My weekly work out class schedule is three zomba classes for fun, three spin classes for the cardio training, and one muscle blast class for "torture" (I guess to toughen the body and the mind).

Kimberly and I did the Goldilocks and the Little Red Riding Hood women's only bike ride this spring. I think the spin classes had really paid off. We did the 40 miles loop for Goldilocks and 50 miles loop for Little Red Riding Hood and it was so much fun, so unlike the 2011 Goldilocks!

May 12th 2012, Goldilocks

 

Starting line - getting ready.

The weather could not be more perfect, sunny, but not too warm.

Rest stop. Similar cute signs were every where.

Finish Line. ( I did get there before Kimberly, just saying)

It felt great to be at this end of the balloons. 

Both of us got new shoes this year.

June 2nd 2012, Little Red Riding Hood

The weather was a bit cloudy and cool but we decided against jackets.

Hanging around before our start time.

Starting Line

First rest stop.

Ready to head out again after the first rest stop.

Second rest stop.

The scenery was beautiful all the way.

Third rest stop, I think this was my lowest point.

Lunch at the third stop.

Finish line.

We got a little bit of drizzles when we started the ride, but the weather cleared up and it was a beautiful day.

Lunch after we finished.

 Ice cream bar, I think we earned it.

Our souvenir bracelet. Peace!