Decadent chocolate cake with cashew cheese frosting and fruit

 For this cake I decided to combine two recipes that I have previously posted, the batter from the decadent chocolate cake as it is so perfectly chocolatey and moist and the cashew cheese frosting from the carrot cake for its light and slightly tart flavor. I used peach, mango and orange jam (but any jam will do) in the cake batter this time and I used a few scoops of the same jam as filling in between the cake layers. To decorate the cake, I used a layer of banana slices followed by frozen raspberries, sliced nectarines, crushed pistachios and the crumbs of the cake left on the springform pan. 

Ingredients

For the cake

- 1 1/4 cups flour

- 1 cup Dutch dark cocoa

- 1 1/2 cups sugar (organic)

- 1 Tablespoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- a pinch of salt

- 1/2 cup extra light olive oil

- 2/3 cups peach jam

- 1 cup almond milk

- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

- 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the cashew cheese frosting

- 1 cup cashews soaked overnight (or at least 3-4 hours), drained and rinsed well

- 3-4 Tablespoons maple syrup

- 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

- 2-3 Tablespoons coconut milk

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- a pinch of sea salt

To decorate the cake (use these or any other fruit of your choice)

- 2 bananas, sliced

- 1 peach/nectarine, cut into wedges

- a handful of raspberries, fresh or frozen

- 1/3 cup pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped

Sift the flour with the cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the jam with the olive oil, almond milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and combine. Grease and sprinkle with cocoa two 9 inch springform pans (I used an 8 inch and a 9 inch pan) then pour the batter and bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

 To prepare the frosting, place the cashews in a food processor, add the salt, vanilla, maple syrup, lemon juice and pulse. Add as much coconut milk as needed to obtain a creamy consistency. Taste and add more maple syrup if you'd like it sweeter or more lemon juice, for tartness. Place the cashew cheese in the fridge for an hour. 

To assemble the cake, spread the bottom layer with a few tablespoons of the jam you used in the cake batter, add the second cake layer and spread it with the cashew cheese frosting and top it with the bananas, remaining fruit and nuts. Enjoy!