Hi there, it's Veronika!

As you know, I'm not a cook, nor a photographer. So by no means, I'm attempting here any posh recipe show off. I'm just not-good-at-that. I'm better in maths.

And not really good at English, so please note my Honest Language Disclaimer (no, it's not about profanity) before we can continue. I warned you.

So... I couldn't stay away from this topic too long. What did I expect? Running a vegan blog without recipes? Such a thing doesn't exist... I guess.

And as promised in my summer(!) article where I challenged myself to be sugar-free, while also being a vegan (ok, that second part is not really a challenge for me =), here is FINALLY (lot's of applause!) my recipe for vegan cake, which happens to be raw (cool, that's extra portion of healthiness - what a weird word!) and also happens to have no added sugar. What? Yeah, sweet dessert without added sugar. That's the kind of magic I like.

This is not my own recipe, I found it when I became vegan (a good couple of years ago in my mid-twenties) and that time my English was even worse than now (obviously), so I was looking for new recipes for my new vegan lifestyle on Czech websites. I'm Czech, you probably got that vibe =)
So the recipe comes somewhere from a Czech vegan website, yet I don't remember which one. I just wrote down the recipe and started changing it to my taste (I practically always alternate everything in order to simplify it... it's got nothing to do with being a mathematician and simplifying fractions, I just like things simple and easy and quick to be done.)

The original version was mango, I make it raspberry. Not sure why I just do. And you can see lots of alternations - mainly to get rid of too much fat in the cake and too much sweetness!

Vegan RAW strawberry (mango) cake - as in my handwritten recipe notepad, with all changes and alternations (I won't take a picture, this one I wrote in Czech - that'll be good luck for you with translation =)

Bottom layer:
1 cup (150 g) walnuts
1 cup 50 g desiccated coconut
+ 50 g porridge oat (haha! I can put oats everywhere and nobody would know it's not supposed to be there - coconut was just feeling too fat in it... so I lowered the amount and added oats instead... I love oats)
1/2 cup (100 g) dates (or perhaps sultanas if you're desperate)

Fruit layer:
300 g raspberries (or 1 mango =)
2 bananas (wasn't there originally, but bananas are good)

Top layer:
1 cup (150 g) cashew
1/3 cup (50 g) agave syrup just don't use it, it's too sweet
1/3 cup (20 g) coconut oil this is just unnecessary, it feels too fat
1 lemon/orange/lime - I think I'm successfully forgetting this ingredient every time though...

To cut the chase, with all my alternations it looks like this:

Vegan RAW fruit cake

Bottom layer:
150 g walnuts
50 g desiccated coconut
50 g porridge oat
100 g dates

Fruit layer:
300 g raspberries (or 1 mango or any suitable fruit, berries or kiwi sounds good)
2 bananas

Top layer:
150 g cashew
1 lemon/orange/lime

Blend separately each layer until it's got a smooth texture. As layers suggest, bottom goes on the bottom of a cake mold, then fruit layer and the top layer, well, on top =)
Save a bit of fruit layer on top to decorate as well. Bananas make it go brown (as you can see on my pictures), lemon juice should help (I always forget) - add few drops on top to stop the colour change of the fruit decoration on the top layer. Cool it down in the fridge or freezer - freezer is generally better for a longer storage because without coconut oil it goes soft easier even in the fridge. And of course even for a VERY long storage (it would go bad even in the fridge after a few days, obviously).

As you can see, I got rid of all agave syrup completely - before I even though about doing a sugar-free challenge. It just felt sweet enough with all the dates and fruit. So it's suitable for a sugar-free challenge, should you be interested in a one as I did - check it out here.

PRO TIP: It is good to soak nuts before using. For a couple of hours, to help digestion and so on. The real pros actually know for how long and also all the other reasons why soaking nuts is good. Google knows too, google it =)

I bet you'll make it way better looking than me. But even if not, you'll surely make it as tasty as I do it because it's a super easy recipe for a lovely healthy vegan raw dessert you will love - my honest promise =)