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.

Recipe: Kale + Edamame Dumplings (Vegan)

Dumplings intimidate me. They seem so delicate and precise, I've always imagined them to be painstaking to make. When I consider that I've been making pierogi with my aunt and cousins for years, this fear seems rather silly. Pierogi are nothing more than Polish potato dumplings.

I have conquered my fear. Surprise! Making dumplings can be way easy. The recipe I followed, from Em at This Rawsome Vegan Life, creates a simple, almost-pureed dumpling filling made of lightly steamed kale and edamame with a touch of tahini, lemon, and garlic. I used my Vitamix and ended up with a thick bright green filling that was easy to scoop and shape in the dumpling skins.

I recently purchased this bamboo steamer for my kitchen and I couldn't be more pleased with how gently and efficiently it steams my vegetables. And now it steams my dumplings, too!

The use of store-bought dumpling skins is a time and effort saver in this recipe. If you're feeling ambitious, you can certainly make your own wrappers using any basic dough recipe you like.

The only part of Em's recipe I took liberty with was the dipping sauce, replacing her simple dipping sauce with my favorite basic soy ginger sauce.

These are so good. I want to make them again. Like now.

Kale Edamame Dumplings
Adapted, slightly, from This Rawsome Vegan Life
Vegan

Ingredients
Filling

• 3 cups kale, roughly chopped and lightly steamed
• 1 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Black sesame seeds (optional)

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• Sriracha, to taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

About 20 dumpling skins (I used Nasoya won ton wraps, which I found next to the tofu in Whole Foods. If you live near an Asian grocery market or a specialty store, there is likely a wider selection of dumpling wraps to choose from.

Instructions

1. Make the filling. Blend all filling ingredients together in a food processor or blender until you get a chunky paste. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. 
2. Assemble the dumplings. Place a rounded tablespoon of filling onto each dumpling skin. Using your fingers with a few drops of water, moisten the edge of the skin halfway around. Fold over and pinch edges. If you have round dumpling skins, you'll have a half moon shape and you can create small folds along the edge. If you have square dumpling skins, as I did, you can fold into a triangle and bend the bottom corners toward one another to make a cute little purse.
3. Steam the dumplings until they're somewhat translucent (3-5 minutes). Garnish with some sesame seeds.
4. To make the dipping sauce, put all the sauce ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake it.