I was recently faced with an almost impossible mission: out of 8 people attending a birthday party, 2 were gluten-free and the other 2 were fasting (no dairy, eggs or meat), so I had to make a cake that met both characteristics, being both for fasting and gluten free. As the Aries in me loves challenges, I set out to search and improvise. After a few days of research and brainstorming, I came out with this thing: a cake of 3 layers of different textures and tastes, but which came together wonderfully. Quantities are relative, because also the Aries in me hates to sit with scales and pen in hand while creativity screams in agony, so the most used unit of measurement is the eyemeter. So let’s proceed to the most thorough explanations, as the Capricorn in me demands, who is also trying to come out, the poor thing. The first layer consisted of half a kg of dates, pre-soaked for 12 hours, then well drained, 200 grams of freshly cracked walnuts in the middle of my friend’s living room and 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes. All this is mixed in the blender or in the robot, the compartment for the dough, the bottom of the cake form, the one with folding walls, is covered in a thick layer of about one cm and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. That was simple. As we progress in the formation of the cake, the complexity of the layers increases, as does the suspense. For the second layer, I bought a pineapple compote and one of other exotic fruits that make you think of summer and salsa. Dancing salsa, not eating. I chopped the fruits finely, spread it evenly over the first layer and while I happily enjoyed the syrup from the compote, I prepared a jelly from 3 sachets of Dr. Oetker’s cake jelly with 6 tablespoons of sugar, as it says on the package, which I poured over the fruits. Again in the fridge, this time until the next day, although it probably would have been 2-3 hours like the first layer, but I was too lazy and the complexity of the third layer made me tired just thinking about it. So the next morning, with fresh strength, I attacked the third layer. For which I needed 2 large pieces of well-ripened avocado, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of carob, honey to taste, i.e. about 2-3 tablespoons, a few drops of vanilla essence, 2 tablespoons of melted coconut butter and about 2 tablespoons of water. I blended them well, then spread the resulting composition over the jelly layer, on my inseparable phone, on the fridge, on the worktop, and generally everywhere around me within a meter radius. Back in the fridge for 2 hours, then the final attack, peeling off the side of the cake pan and decorating with pink sugar hearts and chocolate roses. Epic. It was so successful that I received a firm order to make one for the Christmas table. I’m going to try to avoid the chocolate roses, but I’m not giving up pink hearts nohow.
