Vegan Recipe: Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake

From seemingly humble ingredients you probably have stashed in your kitchen cupboard right now, you can make this creamy, dreamy, chocolaty, over-the-top delicious cake. If you’ve got raw- or vegan-food-adverse friends and family, this recipe will convert them in one bite. It's "sneak-down-to-the-fridge-in-the-dark-and-steal-a-bite" delicious, but made entirely of wholesome ingredients. And if you’re under-confident in your baking skills, this no-bake dessert lets your freezer do the work, and the measurements and techniques are very forgiving. Share this treat with lots of lucky friends and family, and keep a bit in the freezer for yourself. For the Crust: 1 cup cashews
 1 cup hazelnuts
 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 1 loosely packed cup pitted medjool dates
 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
(unsweetened) 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon raw honey Directions: 1. In a food processor fitted with ‘s’ blade, process the cashews, hazelnuts, and salt until they’re like a wet sandy mixture. Be careful to not over process the nuts, or your crust will turn out greasy. 2. Add the dates, and process until it the mix sticks together when you pinch a bit in your fingers. Add the cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and honey, and process until mixed. The mixture should stick together when pressed. 3. Press into bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan lined with parchment paper. Work a bit of the crust up the sides of the pan to provide an edge for the filling. 4. Put the whole pan with the crust into the freezer while you get on with making the filling. For the Filling: 1 cup raw cashews
 1 cup raw hazelnuts
 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted 1/2 cup maple syrup
 1/2 cup water
 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
(unsweetened) 1 teaspoon kosher salt Directions: 1. To make your filling as creamy and dreamy as possible, you’ll need to soak your cashews and hazelnut in water for at least an hour, and ideally overnight. If you have a Vitamix (lucky you!), then you might be able to get away with just a half hour of soaking. Just put them in a container and cover with cold water. Let them sit in your fridge for as long as you can, and strain them when ready to use. 2. Place your drained cashews and hazelnuts in your blender. Blitz on a low speed once or twice to get the nuts started. Add your remaining ingredients, and starting at the lowest speed, work your way gradually up to the highest speed. Scrape your blender down and blitz again to combine. Add a bit more water if needed, until your filling tastes smooth, silky, and delicious. 3. Pour your filling on top of your crust, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover loosely with a bit of plastic wrap, and return the whole thing to your freezer until solid. 4. To serve, remove the ring from your pan, and slice right out of the freezer to keep the edges sharp and clean. Enjoy cold or at room temperature. To store, cover with plastic wrap and keep in your fridge or freezer.