Raw Cranberry Raspberry White Chocolate Cake
At the beginning of November when the first snow hit, and the temperatures plummeted from 60F degrees down to the teens I thought to myself, winter is here. Because it felt like winter was here. Never mind the date on the calendar, walking in a winter wonderland to me is winter. Oddly enough too, it felt like it should be a few weeks from Christmas, not Thanksgiving. So, I was thrown off a bit, feeling like I should be making Christmas cookies instead of pumpkin pie. But now that Thanksgiving is over, I am in the groove of things and excited to start the Christmas stuff.
I thought I would start off by making a festive raw cheesecake. White chocolate reminds me of Christmas in desserts for some reason. I think it is because my Mom used to sometimes make a white chocolate peppermint bark when I was a kid. So, I decided that I wanted white chocolate in this cake. No, not the melted fake sugary stuff...I used cacao butter. Which to me is just a little special and something I use for a treat. I thought ribbons of red berries throughout this white chocolate cake would be festive, so I used a combination of raspberries and strawberries. Raspberries for sweet, cranberries for tart for a perfect balance.
Let me tell you, this cake was heavenly. Silky smooth, melt in your mouth white chocolate vanilla base ribboned with jammy berries. I imagine this as part of a Holiday dessert table. Christmas is coming, and I am ready! What are your favorite Holiday flavors?
Raw Cranberry Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
Makes one 6 inch cake
3/4 cup dried finely shredded coconut
10-12 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped (if they are not soft, soak them in water until they are and drain them well)
Berry Puree:
3/4 cup fresh organic raspberries
3/4 cup fresh organic cranberries
2 Tbsp raw coconut nectar (or your choice liquid raw sweetener)
a pinch sea salt
1 Tbsp orange juice plus 1 Tbsp zest
Filling:
4 cups young coconut meat*
1/2 cup coconut water
1/3 cup raw cacao butter (warmed to liquid)
Fresh cranberries and raspberries for garnish
For the berry puree, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.