I’ve been searching for an easy and quick raw vegan cake that doesn’t call for cacao. Not finding something that didn’t call for ingredients I didn’t have, I just made one up. And it was pretty darn tasty. Here’s what I did.

Raw Citrus Cake

Makes 3 small, 4 inch single layer cakes or 1 thin single layer 8 inch cake

Crust

1 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup pitted dates

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp of sea salt

Process walnuts into a powder. Add dates, vanilla, and salt. Process until just combined, careful to not over process. Rub pans with a bit of coconut oil for easier removing of the cake later. Press into small pans or one 8 inch pan. Set aside.

Filling

1 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup raw almonds

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp raw agave

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Zest from 1 lemon

Water as needed

Large coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Process cashews and almonds into a fine powder. Add vanilla, agave, lime juice, lemon juice and zest. Process until smooth, adding tiny amounts of water to smooth out the paste. Add the filling over top the crust and smooth the top. Top with coconut flakes (I used Let’s Do Organic Flakes, they are delicious), slightly pressing them into the filling. Place pan (or pans) into fridge for several hours to set.

To remove, run butter knife along edges of pan and invert. The cake will fall out easily. If making double layers, stack one on top of another. Top with additional lemon zest.

Enjoy!