Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake (Vegan + GF)

If you've read my blog before, you may know that I hate baking but I love pulling out the stops for a serious birthday cake.

There was Chris's 29th birthday German chocolate cake,

And his 30th birthday coconut layer cake.

There was Julie's vanilla buttercream cake.

I have no idea why I have no pictures of the finished cake product. But it was my first time using a Kitchenaid Mixer in all its glory. Man, did I hate those green grapes painted on my kitchen wall

Joe's mocha ice box birthday cake was served at a Revs tailgate.

Becca's funfetti birthday cake had all the sprinkles I could find in the store.

Never before have I attempted a vegan birthday cake! But a birthday needs a cake, even if the cake maker is dabbling in veganism.

I personally prefer ice cream cake over layer cake. I asked my parents for a Carvel cake for every birthday I can remember. So when I learned that Joe and Kyle would be traveling to Gillette Stadium for a New England Revolution game on Joe's birthday, I set out to make some semblance of an ice cream cake using no dairy.

I turned to the internet for guidance. What did you vegans do for inspiration before Google and Pinterest and Blogging? A quick Google search led me to Emily's recipe for deep dish chocolate peanut butter ice cream pie on her amazing blog This Rawsome Vegan Life. One look at her photographs and there was no turning back.

There is no baking involved in making this "ice cream" cake and it's made of pretty amazingly delicious real stuff. I modified Emily's original recipe only slightly, mostly because the spring form pan Steph loaned me was 9 inches and the one Emily used in her recipe was 7. You can adjust the crust and filling ratio as needed.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Recipe adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life
Makes one 9-inch cake (serves 10-12)

Ingredients
For the crust:

• 1 1/3 cups pitted medjool dates
• 2/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

For the filling:

• 4 frozen bananas
• 1 1/3 cups pitted deglet or medjool dates
• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter, plus a little extra for swirling in and topping. (My favorite brand is Teddie) 

For the chocolate sauce:

• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Cooking Directions

1. Make the crust. Pulse the hemp seeds, flax meal, almond meal and 3 tablespoons cacao in a food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and process until the mixture becomes sticky and soft. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan to make a uniform crust. Chill in the refrigerator.
2. Make the chocolate sauce. In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil by microwaving for about 15 seconds. Whisk in the syrup and cacao powder until smooth. 
3. Make the filling. Blend all filling ingredients until smooth, adding water or non-dairy milk as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Spread filling evenly into your chilled crust, intermittently swirling in peanut butter and chocolate sauce. Drizzle peanut butter and chocolate sauce over the top of the cake. Place cake in freezer overnight or until frozen solid. When you're ready to serve, allow to thaw for a few minutes so the cake is creamy and easy to slice. Maybe eat it with some chili in a parking lot.