Chocolate Raspberry Bavarois - Vegan & Gluten-free

Bavarois is a traditional delicate French chocolate dessert with a creamy, aerated texture, made with gelatin and whipped cream, served cold.

Once again, we have asked Hana, at Nirvana Cakery, to create a vegan and gluten-free adaptation of the traditional using our Amore di Mona Gourmet Dark Chocolate. If you haven't treated yourself to all of Hana's remarkable plant-based creations, visit her website, Nirvana Cakery, and be amazed.

This Bavarois is fairly simple to make, with layers that set up quickly so it doesn't need to be made beforehand.

Ingredients

Crust layer:

1 cup sunflower seeds (120g)
1/3 cup shelled hemp seeds (40g)
2tbsp raw cacao powder
½tsp cinnamon
pinch sea salt
6 medjool dates, pitted
1tsp maple syrup

Chocolate layer:

5.3oz Amore di Mona chocolate (150g )
1 cup gluten-free oat cream (240ml)
1tbsp agar flakes
1tbsp maple syrup

Raspberry layer:

2 cups frozen raspberries (200g)
1/2 cup water (120ml)
1 cup gluten free oat cream (240ml)
3tbsp agar flakes
2tbsp maple syrup

Topping:

fresh raspberries or other seasonal berries
chocolate shards

Instructions:

Place sunflower seeds into food processor or blender and pulse few times until they are coarsely ground. Add hemp seeds, cacao, cinnamon, sea salt and pitted dates and blend until the mixture starts coming together when pressed. Add maple syrup if needed and blend until the mixture sticks together.
Spoon the mix into 6" round cake tin with removable base. Press tightly and evenly onto the base. Place into a fridge.
Chocolate layer: Finely chop dark chocolate, place into a medium bowl and set aside.
Pour oat cream into a small pot, stir in agar flakes, bring to a boil and leave to simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes stirring frequently until the flakes have dissolved. Stir in the chopped chocolate and mix until completely melted. Finally mix in maple syrup and carefully pour onto the crust layer. Place into fridge to set. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes to set.
Raspberry layer: Place raspberries into a small pot, add water and bring to a boil, gently simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until broken down and mushy. Now press the mixture through a mesh sieve. Measure 240ml (1 cup) and pour it back into the pot. Add oat cream, maple syrup and agar flakes and stir well. Bring the mix to a boil and leave to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes stirring frequently until the flakes have dissolved.
Take off the heat and leave to cool down before carefully pouring on top of the chocolate layer. Place back into fridge to set. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes to set.
Gently remove the cake from the cake tin and place onto a cake stand. Top with some fresh raspberries, seasonal berries and chocolate shards.
Enjoy!