This week’s white and dark chocolate cake with raspberry chia jam is as delectable as it sounds. The crunchiness of the intensely chocolate base beautifully complements the softness and lightness of the creamy double chocolate filling layers, while the raspberry jam adds that gorgeous zing and cuts through the richness of all the chocolate.

It’s just one of an array of fantastic recipes from Bake It Vegan by Maja Brekalo for simple and delicious plant-based cakes, cookies, brownies, chocolates and more.

White & Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Chia Jam – Ingredients

Yield: 1 (8-inch [20-cm]) round cake; 10–12 slices

• 1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp (90 g) unrefined cocoa butter. Note: Cocoa butter should be organic and unrefined, so it has a gorgeous chocolate smell and aroma. Refined cocoa butter will not!

Raspberry Chia Jam

• 2 cups (280 g) raspberries
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) agave or maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 11⁄2 tbsp (20 g) chia seeds

Base

• 2 cups (290 g) almonds
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 cup (175 g) dates, pitted and softened
• 2 tbsp (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Filling

• 2 heaping cups (300 g) soaked cashews (see Note on page 16)
• 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) agave syrup
• Pinch of fine salt
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 to 2⁄3 cup (120 to 160 ml) water
• 5 tbsp (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

White & Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Chia Jam – Instructions

Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20-cm) round springform pan with parchment paper. Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler and set it aside to cool.

To prepare the raspberry jam, place the raspberries in a small pan and add the syrup and salt. Cook them covered over a low flame for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring and crushing the berries until they are soft and falling apart. Add the chia seeds and stir a few times more until the sauce starts thickening. Remove it from the stove, cover and leave it to thicken and cool down.

To make the base, place the almonds in a food processor and roughly grind them. Add the salt, dates, cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of melted cocoa butter. Keep pulsing until you get a sticky dough. It shouldn’t be completely smooth and instead have some nutty bits left inside.

Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a base, with the edges slightly elevated so the jam will stay safely confined inside the cake. Use a tablespoon to press and level the base, then push even more firmly and shape the elevated edges using the flat bottom of a cup. Spoon in the prepared jam and place into the freezer to chill until the filling is ready.

To prepare the layers of filling, place the soaked, washed and drained cashews in the blender, add the syrup, salt, vanilla, remaining melted cocoa butter and 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of water, reserving the rest, and blend until smooth. If it is too thick to blend keep adding a little bit of reserved water. It is better to add as little as possible to make the filling set better and to get nice clean slices of cake.

Pour half of the filling over the jam and base, shake the pan to smooth the top and pat gently on the countertop a few times to release any air bubbles. Place it back in the freezer to set partially so you can pour the second layer of filling on top; this will take around 30 minutes.

For the remaining filling, add the cocoa powder and fold in with a spatula or blend until smooth. Pour it very carefully over the chilled white chocolate layer, starting around the edges, as it will still not be very firm. Gently shake the pan to smooth out the top. Cover and refrigerate to set for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can chill it in the freezer for 5 to 6 hours.

The cake will become firmer the longer it is left in the refrigerator. If you make it in advance and leave to set and cool for at least a day or two, you will get perfectly sharp slices of this delicious cake. It will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 10 days. You can also freeze it for up to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or 30 minutes at room temperature.

Reprinted with permission from Bake it Vegan by Maja Brekalo, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Maja Brekalo