This is one of our absolute favourite cake recipes for 3 simple reasons: it only requires 4 main ingredients, takes about 15 minutes of active work to make and is a WONDERFUL vegan and gluten-free alternative to cheesecake!!
Besides the main ingredients, there are endless combinations so that the recipe is customised to your taste. It can be adjusted to suit many dietary requirements, and you can also prepare it as a layered dessert in a glass. Win, win, win, win, win!
Ingredients:
- 1 can of coconut milk (chilled in the fridge for at least 2 hours)
- 200 grams of dark chocolate
- 4 tbsp of peanut butter (swap for half amount of margarine or coconut oil if nut-free)
- 150-200 grams of digestive biscuit (gluten-free for GF diet)
- Optional: (vegan) gelatin – this will help ensure the mousse stays stiff when prepared as a cake, without this I recommend preparing it as a layered dessert. Agar works well.
You will need:
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 handheld mixer (or manual whip)
- rolling pin
- round, loose bottom cake tin (we used a 21cm radius one) or glasses
- baking paper
Steps:
1. If using a cake tin, cut out a circle of the size of your tin of the baking sheet and place it on the bottom of the tin.
2. Place the digestives in a bowl and using the blunt end of the rolling pin, crush them up until fine. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can also use the bottom of a glass.
3. Open the can of coconut milk and spoon off the white, solid top layer into a separate mixing bowl, saving the liquid on the bottom for later.
4. Melt the dark chocolate – the best and safest way to do this over steam, but you can also use the microwave: place the chocolate in a bowl and heat it for 10 seconds at a time until it softens, then mix it until it melts into a smooth liquid. Let it cool.
5. If you are using gelatin, prepare it as per the instructions on the packaging.
6. Measure out 2 tbsp of peanut butter and mix it in with the biscuit crumbles. If your peanut butter is not runny enough, you can melt it slightly in the microwave or mix it with 1-2 spoons of the liquid of the coconut cream to loosen it up. You want to end up with a sticky but still crumbly mixture. Spoon into the cake tin and press it down to the bottom to create a firm layer. Pop this in the fridge until you prepare the mousse.
7. Whip up the coconut cream until airy and light (about 3-5 minutes). Gradually mix in the melted chocolate and the gelatin, if using it, until the whole mixture is smooth and there are visible bubbles. Rest it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
8. Assemble: spread the other half of peanut butter over the biscuit bottom (if using any.) Now pour over the mousse and gently tap the sides of the tin to even out the top. Rest it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight to allow the mousse to cool down completely.
If preparing as a layered dessert, start with a layer of crumbles on the bottom (no need to press it down), a thin layer of peanut butter, then top it up until about half-way with mousse then repeat each layer again. Rest it in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
9. Once the cake is set, gently loosen up the edges with a clean knife before removing the sides of the tin. We recommend not moving it off the tin-bottom as the cake is fragile. Garnish it with fruits, chocolate shavings, rice puffs or just have it as is.