Like creamy, dark truffles. But as a smooth chocolate cake. That you can store in the freezer so that you don’t have to eat everything at once. Or, always be prepared when that I-must-have-something-anything-will-do! feeling (sorry, guests I mean of course) arrive …
A smooth chocolate cake made with the finest cherries from a garden close to you. And puffed quinoa from maybe a bit further away.

I think chocolate and cherries is an almost irresistible combination. The tastes just wobbles around each other. Like Dolly Parton and her husband Dean for 37 years, like the first kiss or garlic paired with thyme. Some taste just belong to one another…

The cherries we got in the golden area of cherries, plums and strawberries an hour from where we live. 5 kilos of wonderful cherries, the biggest I’ve ever seen actually!
Time to make cakes, jam, fruit leather and, and, and ….

The hardest thing with cherries though must still be the cores. In each and every little sweet cherry. But I think I’ve found the solution!
In addition to using a well-covering apron and possibly two gloves for well-manicures nails, my best tip is to use a pet bottle.
Say what? Well it works very simple; Pull out the shaft of the cherry. Place the cherry on the bottle opening (lid off). Take a skewer or similar and press on top of the cherry.
The core will flip smoothly into the bottle and you get a beautiful whole cherry with just a small hole in the middle.
Keep in mind that the exercise gives skills. It really works super fast ones you found out how it works!

This cake will of course also be delicious without the cherries as well if they are out of season!

But now it’s time for smooth chocolate cake!

Smooth chocolate cake with cherries and puffed quinoa

Ingredients
200 grams of creamy coconut milk
50 grams of cacao (raw if preferred)
100 grams of pitted medjoul dates
100 grams of  deodorized coconut oil, melted
1 small pinch of salt
————
30 grams of puffed quinoa (plus a little extra like decoration on top)
40 grams of roasted sunflower seeds
300 grams of cherries (makes about 270 grams of pitted cherries)

How do I do it?
1. Core the dates. Soak them in lukewarm water. This will make them softer and easier to mix if you have a less powerful mixer.
2. Core the cherries. Cut them in two and set them aside for now.
3. Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry baking pan until they start to smell nutty. Pour them into a bowl and set them the side for now.
4. Squeeze the water from the soaked dates.
Add the coconut milk, melted coconut oil, cacao, salt and the soaked dates into a mixing bowl. Mix until you have a completely smooth mousse. If necessary, add another few drips of coconut milk to make the mixer spin easier.
5. Pour the batter into a bowl and add the roasted sunflower seeds and the puffed quinoa. Gently mix with a spatula. It’s important that everything is evenly distributed through the mousse.
6. Prepare a small baking tin (mine was about 7×5 cm) with baking parchment. The paper should cover both the bottom and the sides.
Pour half of the mousse into the baking tin. Add half of the chopped and halved cherries (preferably in a somehow decorative way).
Pour over the remaining mousse and spread it out evenly. Place the remaining cherries and finally sprinkle some puffed quinoa on top.
7. Place the baking tin in the freezer. Let it freeze for a few hours.
Cut the cake into slices when you are ready to enjoy it. Let it slightly de-freeze before serving.
Store the cake in the freezer.

The recipe is free from lactose, nuts and gluten.