No-Bake Vegan Nectarine Chia Cake
This week, I found myself loading up my grocery cart with summer fruits.
I saw the variety practically jumping off the shelves and I just couldn't stop myself.
So I bought 2-3 kg of red, sweet, juicy plums, some expensive figs (worth every shekel, believe me—heavenly taste), and of course: a large, super sweet watermelon, 2-3 wonderful mangos from the start of the season, and finally, a handful of nectarines.
I think you get the picture—I'm a total sucker for summer fruit.
And since I didn't plan the grocery trip properly (note to self: never go to the supermarket with low blood sugar), I bought so many nectarines that after a few days they became overripe, and no one at home would look at them. (That's how it is in the summer; when there's abundance everywhere, no one looks twice at the "aging" nectarines.)
Despite being urged to throw the elderly nectarines in the trash, I decided I could (and should) make a light, summery cake out of them—one that requires no baking at all. I even gave it a catchy and charming name: No-Bake Vegan Nectarine Cake (Years ago, I considered a career in copywriting—what do you think, do I have a chance?)
To my great surprise, the cake was devoured instantly (okay, I wasn't actually that surprised), leaving behind only a few chia seeds as a memory.
The beauty of this cake is that it works with any ripe fruit: Got some aging plums? Throw them in the pot. Grapes that won't make it to the beach? Add them too. Peaches? Nectarines? Perfect!
This vegan nectarine cake is slightly tangy with a thin, firm base that has a delicate coconut flavor, which I find pairs beautifully with the fruit confit.
A bit about the recipe
As mentioned, I used a fruit and chia confit I made following this recipe.
The role of the chia is to thicken the fruit and sugar mixture into a jam-like consistency, allowing us to significantly reduce the sugar content (and gain healthy fatty acids like Omega-3 along the way).
The chia can't be substituted, but the fruit certainly can. Replace it with any fruit you like: apples, raspberries, plums, or even mango.
The base contains coconut oil, which gives it a rich flavor, a wonderful aroma, and helps firm up the crust.
You can replace the date spread with any sweetener you prefer.
Nutritional Values by Clinical Dietitian and Fitness Coach Noam Bechar:
One slice (out of 10), weighing 88g, contains:
112 kcal
3.5g protein
20g carbohydrates
2g fat (of which 1g is saturated)
Want another quick cake? How about beetroot cupcakes?
Vegan Nectarine Cake
No-Bake
Ingredients
For the Confit
- 1.5 cups Roughly chopped nectarines 4-5 nectarines
- 2 tbsp Coconut sugar Brown sugar also works (coconut sugar adds a nice nutty flavor)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp Chia seeds
For the Crust
- 100 g Oatmeal 3/4 cup
- 2 tbsp Date spread
- 70 g Coconut oil 1/3 cup
- 1/4 tsp Table salt
Instructions
Prepare the Confit
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Cut the nectarines into relatively large pieces and transfer them to a small saucepan.
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Add the sugar and lemon juice and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the nectarines soften slightly and release their juice (about 5-6 minutes).
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Remove from heat and add the chia seeds.
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Mix well until all the seeds are incorporated into the fruit liquid.
Prepare the Crust
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In a food processor, blend all the crust ingredients until a uniform dough forms.
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Press the dough into an English cake (loaf) pan.
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Pour the confit over the dough and spread it evenly.
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Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
