Goldenberry Jaffa cake

Desserts

Nov 23

This raw goldenberry Jaffa cake is different than most raw desserts you know. Unlike other rich creamy raw cakes, this one is light, nut-free, low in fat, refreshing, tangy, and not too sweet. If you are a sour fruit lover like me you will fall in love with this dessert. Don't be scared by the preparation time. It is super easy to make but it takes a while because of the soaking and dehydrating time.

It is one of the healthiest cakes I made in my life: low fat, rich in antioxidants, carotenoids, iron, magnesium, vitamins C and B. It is also super-rich in soluble and insoluble fiber so it works great as a dietary supplement. But if you eat too much of it you may experience some digestive issues. The whole cake (8 portions) has almost 70g of fiber - that's 3 times the recommended daily intake for women and twice more than the recommended daily intake for men.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Dehydrating time: 28 hours

Soaking time: 12 hours

Total time: 40 hours 45 minutes

8 Portions

Ingredients

For the crust:

65g sprouted dehydrated buckwheat
70g jumbo oats
100g soft dates
1 tbsp cacao powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp cacao nibs
20g yacon or maple syrup

For the goldenberry jelly:

130g dried unsweetened golden berries
110g fresh orange juice
zest of 1 unwaxed organic orange
200g ripe persimmon or mango
40g xylitol
30g yacon or maple syrup
1/2 tbsp psyllium husk powder

For the chocolate ganache:

35g cacao butter
20g cacao powder
45g yacon or maple syrup
20g oat or coconut cream

Method

You will need a 16cm-18cm round cake tin, a dehydrator, a food processor, and a high-speed blender

Start by making the goldenberry jelly because it will take some time to dehydrate it. First, soak the dried goldenberries in orange juice for 8-12 hours. When the goldenberries soften add the freshly grated zest of one large organic orange, ripe persimmon (or mango), and sweetener (you can use any sweetener you like and adjust the amount to your taste).
Place the ingredients in a high-speed blender jug and blend for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and thick. You will still have some unblended goldenberry seeds but that’s the beauty of the goldenberries. Add the psyllium husk powder and blend everything for another 15-20 seconds.
Line the bottom of a loose-bottomed metal cake tin with baking paper or reusable liner. Pour the goldenberry mixture into the tin and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
Place the cake tin in a dehydrator and dehydrate for about 20-24 hours at 50C. The smaller the cake tin the thicker the layer is and dehydration takes longer. If you use a 16cm tin it will need about 24 hours to dehydrate, if you use an 18cm tin 20 hours should be enough. After this time the side of the jelly should peel off the cake tin. Gently press the bottom up to remove the cake from the tin. Flip the jelly and place it upside down on a dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate for another 4-6 hours then switch the dehydrator off and leave the jelly to cool down.
When the goldenberry jelly is done it is time to make the crust. Start by blending the oats, sprouted buckwheat, and cacao nibs in a food processor. When they are ground to a coarse meal add the rest of the ingredients and process until they form a sticky ball. If you want to make a more festive version of the dessert you can add 1 or 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice to the crust mixture.
Use the same cake tin you used for the jelly. Line the bottom of the tin with cling film or reusable liner and place the crust mixture into the tin. Press well with your hands or using a rubber spatula.
To make the chocolate ganache melt the cacao butter in a ceramic bowl over a pot with hot water and stir in the rest of the ingredients. All the ingredients should be at room temperature. If you keep the cream or syrup in the fridge, make sure to warm the mixture up to avoid the lumps and oil separation. The ganache should be smooth and shiny.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of the ganache on the cake crust and spread evenly with a palette knife. Place the jelly disc on the crust and press it gently.
Push the tin bottom up to remove the cake from the tin. Pour the rest of the ganache on the top of the cake (reserve some of the ganache for later to pipe the blobs on the top of the cake). Spread the ganache on the top and sides of the cake.
Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes to set the chocolate.
Transfer the leftover ganache into a piping bag and pipe the chocolate blobs on the top of the cake. Decorate with pomegranate seeds and orange zest.

The cake will last for 7 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.