Raw Hazelnut and chocolate cake

Red Velvet, Red Velvet, Red Velvet! I really like Red Velvet cake! And recently there has been a lot of it walking through my kitchen. Actually if I was to be honest, almost too much. In fact, I have been giving it away. But this you already know from previous posts. So I had some friends for lunch this week and having had enough of cakes, (at least for a week or so- this is not a permanent state- I promise!) I was craving something a little different. 

This is what I discovered. 
Raw cake. 

I can't say I discovered as much as say- it's everywhere and I just decided to make it. Because it is everywhere. It's like, soo hot right now (yes, I did intent to sound like a 14 year old girl) But it IS so hot right now. All the cafes are serving it. Out with gluten free and in with raw food! 

Honestly, fads make me a little suspect. It feels like in the last 5 years Australia has become gluten crazy. I guess the whole carb thing wore off. Anyway, rightly or wrongly I have become a little stand off-ish when it comes to such things. Raw food however, or at the least raw sweets, have definitely clicked with me. I ate a raw orange macaroon thingy the other day and it was divine (Note to self; must find a recipe for that.)

Apart from the fact that these treats are pretty expensive to buy OR cook, I can see myself becoming a pretty big fan. yummo!

Raw chocolate and hazelnut cake;

The recipe I used is.....HERE, although I did swap the cacoa powder for just Cocoa Powder and not quite as much either (2 tablespoons) and I think I just ended up using normal sugar too. 

Sometimes Ill be walking through a green grocer and Ill look at something and start salivating. As I did this weekend. Yesterday it was the silverbeet that jumped out.

Actually silverbeet is a childhood favorite of mine. Heated just enough to wilt it, then let a nob of butter melt over and coat those delicious dark leaves in silky goodness. I have no desire to eat silverbeet any other way. 

As I was approaching the checkout I remembered reading THIS the day before and ran back for a zucchini too. Though I skipped the cheese and bread, I thought the zucchini looked good enough to shine just on its own.

Just to complete the meal, Princess Squirmy went down for a significant nap so I was able to have a sit down lunch AND eat it hot(!) whilst enjoying the sun (and what a beautiful warm sunny day it was too) warm my bones and tickle my skin.

Simple pleasures I tell you, are just bliss.

This week at the Private dining room........

Halfway across Europe for a coffee and cake

Two days ago I made a cake for a friends daughters birthday and finding myself with some left over batter made up a couple of mini cakes, one of which I took down to the neighbors in exchange for a cup of coffee and a yarn.

Whilst I was there some friends of theirs popped in and it was made known to me that the man in this party, who was half Scottish half Dutch- a potent cocktail that matched my own genetic recipe, was a bit of a cake monster himself.

"Oh yes", I was in formed by his wife, "Its the Dutch in him, the Dutch are all cake crazy! obsessed! They'll travel halfway across Europe for a piece of cake and a coffee- not even a meal, just the coffee and cake! Its all they talk about, cake, cake, cake, cake ,CAKE!"

As she threw her hands up in the air, half in amusement, half in dismissal, somewhere deep inside me there was a resounding "ohhhhhhhhh!"

It all makes sense now........

I'm off to the kitchen to make another two cakes now :)