Calming Chamomile and Orange Cake

In need of some relaxation? This delicately divine cake is for you – calming chamomile, orange, all encased in a luxurious gluten free crumble. One for the herbalists amongst! Vegan + dairy free.

Calming Chamomile and Orange Cake

Prep Time 20

To set 2

Servings

Calories 374kcal

Author Buffy Ellen Gill

Ingredients

Base & Crumble

2 c dates
2 c almonds
2 c desiccated coconut
Zest of 1 orange
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp liquid sweetener brown rice syrup/coconut nectar
2 tbsp coconut oil melted

Filling

1 heaped tbsp dried chamomile flowers / 1 chamomile tea bag
1/2 c boiling water
1 1/4 c cashews soaked 1-2 hours
3 tbsp sweetener brown rice syrup/coconut nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 c coconut oil melted
5 drops wild orange essential oil (optional)

To serve

Bee pollen if desired
Orange segments
Coconut yoghurt

Instructions

In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the chamomile flowers and put a lid on top to keep the infused oils inside - leave for 10-15 minutes while preparing the base.
Blitz all base ingredients until crumbly but with some texture. If your food processor is not the strongest, blend the dates first, then add the almonds, then coconut zest and salt until a couscous texture is achieved, then add wet ingredients. The mix needs to hold together between your fingers when pressed, if it doesn’t, add another 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil (see notes).
Press 2/3 of this mix into a lined square tin, and press down until very firm, compact and flat.
Drain your chamomile infusion, squeezing the flowers to remove all possible liquid, then blend with the infused water with the remaining filling ingredients until super smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Pour over base.
Lightly press the remaining base/crumble mix over top, so it sticks into the cream filling. Place in the freezer for a few hours to set, or in the fridge overnight.
Once set, remove, slice, and serve with coconut yoghurt, sliced orange, and extra orange zest. Store in the freezer up to 2 months, or fridge up to a week.

Notes

For extra orangey goodness, add a few drops of wild orange essential oil to the filling. If you do this, just make sure you're using a high-quality, food grade essential oil - I personally use and love these ones here. If you'd like to learn more about the incredible therapeutic benefits of plant-based essential oils, and how you can use them in your life, check out my introductory workshop here.
Make it nut-free: To make this nut free, simply swap the almonds and cashews for sunflower seeds and watermelon seeds respectively. You can also use activated buckwheat to replace the almonds in the base, but make sure to add an extra 4-5 tablespoons of coconut oil until it holds together as the buckwheat won't release any oils to help bind.
Make it diabetes-friendly/lower sugar - to make this diabetic-friendly, use yacon syrup (instead of brown rice syrup/coconut nectar) in the filling, halve the dates, and add an extra few tablespoons of yacon syrup (or coconut oil for a less sweet option) to the base as well.
To create your chamomile infusion you can use either loose dried chamomile flowers, or a ready made chamomile tea bag - just make sure to choose a high quality one (i.e. organic, and where you can see the actual flowers in the bag is best!), and brew for at least 10 minutes with the lid on - you’ll get the best flavour result.
If you have time, use dried activated almond and cashews (see my post here on why and how to dehydrate/activate). Otherwise raw works great too (I used raw for this shoot and they were amazing).
I like to set this in the freezer, rather than the fridge, as it makes it that extra bit firmer so you can achieve a nice clean slice like in my photos. Simply leave it in there until its super firm but not quite starting to freeze - that's the perfect time to remove and slice.
If your food processor isn’t the strongest, blend your base in the order recommended above. How sticky your mix ends up will depend on the dryness of your dates and nuts, as well as the strength of your processor. Stickier dates = more stickability. Drier dates = more floury mix (this means they may need a bit more melted coconut oil OR 1-2 tbsp of hot water to hold). Drier nuts = more likely to release their own oils, which will again = stickier/oilier base with better hold. Finally, a hefty food processor with more grunt will warm the base, helping to release oils = a stickier mix. If your processor is not the strongest, you could also use medjoul dates instead of regular ones (which are quite dry), that way you’ll be guaranteed to achieve a nice sticky crumble mix which holds well. If so, you may be able to omit the liquid sweetener at the end - try blending see how yours turns out, then decide if you need (a) the extra sweetness, and (b) the extra hold. Let me know how you get on and what works for YOU!

Nutrition