Raspberry ganache fudge cake

Hello to "home-style" frosting-fresh and not from a plastic tub. Goodness without guilt. I use carob in my cake to cut down on the caffeine, and because I love carob for its malty rich flavor. This cake is to live for, it's one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

Fudge cake:

• 3 cups dry walnuts
  
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  
• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
  

• 1/3 cup semi-soft pitted Medjool dates
  
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
  
• 1/2 cup ripe avocado flesh (from about 1medium avocado)
  
• 1/3 cup cacao powder
  

• 1/2 cup raspberries
  

1. To make the cake, combine the walnuts, cacao powder, and salt in the food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed. Avoid overprocessing.
   
   Add the dates and pulse until mixed well. Shape into 2 stackable cakes of desired shape and set aside.
   
   
2. To make the frosting, combine the dates and agave syrup in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocado and process until smooth. Add the cacao powder and process until smooth.
   
   
3. To serve, frost the top of one of the cakes with half the frosting and top with the raspberries. Stack the second cake on top and frost the top and side. Serve immediately, or place in the refrigerator for a couple hours to firm up.
   
   
4. The cake on its own will keep in the fridge for many weeks. The frosting will keep separately in the fridge for 1 week. The assembled cake with raspberries will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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From cobblers to cookies, puddings to pies-and even cupcakes, Chef Ani's easy-to-make raw sweets are wheat, gluten, dairy, processed sugar and cruelty-free. Deceptively simple, these treats pack loads of flavor and nutrition in every bite.

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About Ani Phyo:

Ani Phyo is one of the nation's premier raw food chefs. The author of Ani's Raw Food Kitchen and Return on Design, she lives in Los Angeles.

Ani will be a guest chef presenter at the Green Festival San Francisco this weekend.

November 13-15, 2009
Friday - 12pm - 7pm
Saturday - 10am - 7pm
Sunday - 11am - 6pm

San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center
635 8th St (at Brannan St)
San Francisco, CA 94103

website: www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco
website: www.aniphyo.com