Raw Cherry Lime Delight - The Whole Ingredient

Bring a taste of decadence and zest to February with this easy-as-pie raw (and guilt-free!) dessert.

You might have guessed from my last raw dessert recipe that I love to combine citrus with chocolate – and rightly so, it has a well-earned place in the flavour combination hall of fame – but there is just something more particular about lime. It is an individual; it demands distinction.

Now, you may be thinking that there are lots desserts that take lime as their star feature (key lime pie – duh), but, aside from the odd ginger biscuit base or splash of gin (I’m not complaining), you don’t often see a lime dessert that balances more than a couple of flavours. Maybe there’s good reason for that – it is a dominating flavour – but I think what works well in this recipe is the choice of a few quality raw ingredients that work together.

This is a dessert for people who like their chocolate cake to have a little something extra. Raw desserts can often suffer from being a little too cloying, with all the dates and dense chocolate, but I think I’ve found just the right combination with these ingredients. The sweetness from the dates and raw cacao is cut through with a (delightful) burst of freshness from the sour cherries and lime, without making it too tart.

But aside from how tasty this Cherry Lime Delight actually is, it will only take 15 minutes of your precious time to make. 15 minutes!

Here are a few more reasons why you should add this dessert to your to-cake list:

it tastes amazing;
it will only take you 15 minutes to make;
you’ll have a burst of wonderful antioxidants and vitamins from the lime, raw cacao and sour cherries (cherries also contain melatonin, which has many uses from helping us to sleep to protecting against migraines: I for one am happy to eat lots of cake to test the theory);
you can keep it in the freezer, so, unlike other fresh cakes, you don’t have to eat it all in one go and will be happy in the knowledge that you can have a lovely slice whenever there is a cake emergency (Mondays).

This dessert is equally as perfect served in ramekins when you have friends over for dinner as it is to present for a special occasion. Decorated with beautiful fruits and berries, this Cherry Lime Delight will make a simple but fabulous birthday or Valentine’s Day cake!

Raw Cherry Lime Delight

Preparation time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

This is a raw superfood dessert that will wow! Chocolate, cherries and lime all intermingling in a delicious light mousse. Do you have 15 minutes? Then make this cake today.

Author: Laura @ The Whole Ingredient

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: 30 minutes or less, Vegan

Serves: 8-16

Ingredients

For the base:
50g rolled oats
10 dates, pitted
25g raw sour cherries
1 tbsp maple syrup
Juice of ½ lime
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
For the filling:
150g pre-soaked cashews
5 dates, pitted
1 avocado
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp water
Juice of ½ lime
3 tsp solid coconut oil
4 tbsp raw cacao (or cocoa powder)

Method

To make the base, combine all of the ingredients using a food processor. Pulse a few times until you have a fairly smooth paste (I like the oats to still have a little texture).
Line a tine (I used a 6" cake tin, but a smaller flan dish would be fine) with foil and spoon the mixture in, pressing down until you have an even layer. Cover and place in the freezer while you make the filling.
Combine all of the filling ingredients in the food processor and blitz on a high speed until you have a soft, creamy mousse.
Pour onto the base, smooth out using a spatula and return to the freezer until you want to eat it (I would suggest for at least 30 minutes).
If you're not eating the pie in one sitting, cut segments and return the rest for the freezer. It should last for a few weeks.

Notes

Soak the cashews in water a couple of hours before making the cake. If you're in a hurry, this time can be reduced by using boiling water.