Vegan Nectarine Chia Cake (No-Bake)
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This week I found myself loading summer fruits into my grocery cart.
I saw the variety popping off the shelves and I simply couldn't stop myself.
So I bought 2-3 kg of juicy, sweet red plums and some expensive figs (worth every penny, trust me—tastes like heaven) and of course: a big, sweet watermelon, another 2-3 wonderful early-season mangoes, and finally, a handful of nectarines.
I think you get the picture—I'm a sucker for summer fruit.
And because I didn't plan the shopping trip properly (noting to myself for next time: never go to the supermarket with a sugar crash), I bought a massive amount of nectarines. A few days later, they had over-ripened and no one in the house would look their way. (That's how it is in summer—when abundance is all around us, nobody spares a glance for the aging nectarines.)
Despite being urged at home to toss the elderly nectarines in the trash, I decided it was possible (and necessary) to make a light, summery cake out of them—one that requires no baking at all. I even gave it a catchy, charming name: No-Bake Vegan Nectarine Cake (Years ago I considered switching careers to copywriting, what do you think? Do I have a chance?)
To my great surprise, the cake was devoured instantly (okay, I wasn't actually 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? Toss them in the pot. Grapes that won't make it to the beach? Them too. Peaches? Nectarines? Perfect!
This vegan nectarine cake is slightly tart with a thin, firm base that has a subtle coconut flavor, which I find pairs perfectly with the fruit confiture.
A bit about the recipe
As mentioned, I used a homemade fruit and chia jam made using this recipe.
The chia's job is to thicken the fruit and sugar mixture into a jam-like consistency, significantly reducing the amount of sugar needed (and providing healthy fatty acids like Omega-3 along the way).
While you can't substitute the chia, you certainly can swap the fruit. Use any fruit you like: apples, raspberries, plums, or even mango.
The cake base contains coconut oil, which provides a rich flavor and wonderful aroma while also firming up the crust.
The date spread in the base can be replaced with any sweetener you prefer.
Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness coach Noam Bechar:
One slice (out of 10), weighing 88g, contains:
112 calories
3.5g protein
20g carbohydrates
2g fat (of which 1g is saturated)
Want another quick cake? How about cupcakes with beetroot?
Vegan Nectarine Cake
No-Bake
Ingredients
For the Confiture
- 1.5 cups roughly chopped nectarines 4-5 nectarines
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar brown sugar works too (coconut sugar adds a nice nutty flavor)
- juice from half a lemon
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
For the Crust
- 100 g oats 3/4 cup
- 2 tbsp date spread
- 70 g coconut oil 1/3 cup
- 1/4 tsp table salt
Instructions
Prepare the Confiture
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Cut the nectarines into relatively large pieces and transfer to a small pot.
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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 juices (about 5-6 minutes).
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Remove from heat and add the chia seeds.
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Mix well until all seeds are fully incorporated into the fruit juices.
Prepare the Crust
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In a food processor, blend all crust ingredients well until a uniform dough forms.
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Press the dough into an English cake (loaf) pan.
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Pour the confiture over the dough and spread evenly.
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Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
