I have a sweet tooth which I really shouldn’t pay too much attention to but sometimes a recipe presents itself that I just can’t ignore. This one is super easy to make (no baking), is actually very nutritional and is so delicious that you will be sneaking into the fridge all the time until it is gone (that won’t take very long). The main ingredient is lots and lots of almonds.

One teeny ounce of almonds contains 12% of your daily allowance of protein. And absolutely no cholesterol of course. You will get 35% of your daily allowance of vitamin E, that valuable antioxidant with so many cancer-fighting qualities. And most of the fat in almonds is monounsatruated, also known as the “good” fat. This little nut is also loaded with minerals like magnesium, phosphorous and zinc as well as lots of healthy fiber. And don’t forget calcium and folic acid - they are in there too.

See… I knew there were lots of reasons why I love this cake. I found it on the sproutpeople.com website… a very crunchy sprouty place with some very cool recipes.

Here we go….

Ingredients

• 2 cups of almonds
• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup of sweetener - maple syrup, rice syrup, honey, barley syrup or dates.
• 2/3 cup of nut butter - almonds, cashew, tahini, peanut
• 1 tsp of vanilla, rum or almond extract
• 2 tbs of wheat germ
• Optional for topping: nuts, coconut or fruit (strawberries/raspberries/peaches)

Preparation

Soak two cups of almonds overnight and remove excess water in a colinder. Then place almonds on paper towel or a dry clean towel and sprout for one day. This yields about 2 2/3 cups of almonds.

Note: Almonds do not actually sprout. They will plump up with the water they soak in. They are commonly called soaks instead of sprouts. Once a dormant dry seed soaks up water it comes to life and it is that life that makes sprouts and soaks so nutritious.

Place the sprouted almonds in a food processor. A blender will not work!

Add cocoa powder (the kind used for baking) or carob powder.

Add 1/2 cup of sweetener (note honey is strong and will add its own flavor).

Add 2/3 cup of nut butter

Peanut butter is yummy; cashew butter adds little flavor of its own but contributes a rich texture; as do all the nut butters. You can omit the butter all together together, however, we find that the creamy oils attenuate the “icy” mouth feel of the dessert. Seed butters like sesame might also sustitute well but if using seed butters you should use the toasted kind, as raw seeds and nuts contain phytic acid which once eaten readily bond to minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium, preventing their absorption in the body. Sprouting or cooking (heating) reduces or eliminates phytic acid.

Add 2 tbs of wheat germ (also optional) if you want a bit of a flour texture.

Add 1 tsp of extract

Pulse/blend all of these ingredients until fairly smooth. If you like a few chunks, that’s fine. If you want it smoother, pulse/blend more.

The Pan/Mold

Use a 4″ diameter spring-form pan (the same kind of pan you would use to make a cheesecake) and carefully put the batter in the pan.

Freeze for at least 4 hours (I covered my pan in a plastic bag) and then gently remove when frozen. Use a sharp paring knife all around the inside to help loosen it. Also, spraying the form with a nonstick product or rubbing a tiny amount of oil (not olive oil!) or butter around the inside before filling will help release the torte from the mold. You may then lift the torte with a spatula onto your serving plate — or you can freeze it right on the plate.

Decorate it any way you wish or just keep it plain. Fruit looks lovely on the top. Fine coconut flakes are beautiful sprinkled on top and of course slivered almonds are great! Slice as you would a cheesecake.

You may also make torte balls out of this recipe. When you have made the batter, lightly oil your hands and make balls slightly smaller than a golf ball in size (will make about 12). You might roll them in sprinkles or crushed nuts or flake coconut, or sesame seeds, or other garnish. Then place on your freezing plate and stick in the freezer for 4 hours.

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June 14th, 2007 | Permalink