Raspberry Sour Cream Crumble Cake - Gluten-free, Vegan, No Refined Sugar (Recipe)

Another birthday...another cake!! For my father's birthday last weekend, I ventured down the healthy path and decided to make him a waist-friendly cake. I wanted to figure out whether 'healthy' could actually mean 'delicious'. I opted for a gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free recipe. Since my dad's favourite fruit are raspberries, it was an easy choice when I came across a recipe for a Raspberry Sour Cream Crumble Cake.

The recipe was extremely easy to make, and I have to admit, it turned out great! It tasted wonderfully fresh and light and above all, it didn't make me feel guilty! My family also enjoyed it and found it was a nice change from my typically rich and sweet desserts. 

Here's how you too can recreate this healthy treat:

Ingredients:

Crust/Crumbles

¼ cup & 1 tbsp raw coconut oil
6 large medjool or California dates
1 cup toasted almond slices (I roasted the almond slices in the oven at 350F for 12 minutes)
1 cup coconut flour (If you do not like the taste of coconut, opt for another gluten-free flour, like rice flour or sorghum)
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling/Topping
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup maple syrup OR honey
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ bag of frozen raspberries (1 bag = 12oz / 340g)

Directions: 

1. Defrost raspberries. (If you forget to take them out, you can defrost them in a pot of boiling water).

2. Preheat oven to 325F and grease the bottom of an 9" spring form pan or line with parchment paper.

3. In a small saucepan, slowly melt coconut oil on low heat (or you can melt it in the microwave on low for 30 seconds).

4. Chop dates into small pieces and process in blender or food processor.

5. Add almond slices and process again.

6. Add coconut flour, coconut oil, sea salt and vanilla extract and process until you have a sticky-wet, crumbly consistency. If you pinch it, it should hold together.

7. Set ¼ of the crust aside and press the remainder into the bottom of the spring form pan and up to about 1 inch on the side.

8. For the filling, beat egg and add sour cream, maple syrup, coconut flour and vanilla extract; mix well. It should be a thick, creamy consistency – if it is too runny, add another tablespoon of coconut flour.

9. Pour your filling over your crust and spread out evenly. (I didn't feel that there was enough filling, and so I made another batch by repeating step #8, and poured it on top).

10. Cover with raspberries and add crumbles on top.

11. Bake for 28 - 33 minutes. Make sure the center is cooked through.

12. Allow to cool down before serving, and enjoy!

Yields: 10 servings

Verdict: Light and refreshing treat
Total Prep Time: 45 min
Baking Time: 30 min

Rating: 7.5/10