Years ago, my mom found an original version of this recipe which became a family favorite – decadent, creamy, rich, tart from the raspberries, sweet from the white chocolate, decorated with fruit and, if we were feeling ambitious, chocolate leaves. However the original also used gelatin (not even vegetarian, let alone vegan!), cream, and white chocolate which for a while was almost impossible to find in a good vegan form. So I am thrilled that I can resurrect this personal favorite, and true showstopper of a dessert using a combination of vegan versions of required ingredients (such as actually decent vegan white chocolate – halleluiah!) and the magic of silken tofu to help create a creamy, silky texture while also providing structure and form. The filling is not quite a mousse, not quite a sorbet – I’d probably say it’s most like an amazing raspberry white chocolate sherbet.
The toppings can be simple, just pile raspberries and chocolate on top and no one is going to complain, or complex. I grabbed (and washed) leaves from our garden and painted them with tempered chocolate to make chocolate leaves but then again, it’s Valentine’s Day so it was worth the extra effort!
Vegan Frozen Raspberry and White Chocolate Torte
Equipment
- Food processor
- Standing Mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 10 oz vegan chocolate sandwich cookies such as Oreo or Newman's Own
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
Raspberry White Chocolate Filling
- 1/3 cup Chambord raspberry liqueur
- 14 oz Silken tofu
- 24 oz Frozen raspberries, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 12 oz Vegan white chocolate Such as Lieber's, linked here. If using bar chocolate instead of chips, chop it into fine pieces.
- 2 cups Vegan heavy whipping cream Such as Silk
- 3/4 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Fresh raspberries for decoration
- Dark chocolate for decoration
Instructions
- Place the frozen raspberries in a mesh colander or strainer over a mixing bowl and allow them to fully defrost – you can start this a few hours before you begin preparing the rest of the cake.
- Prepare the springform baking pan by spraying it well with a non-stick baking spray and ensuring it's in it's closed (spring locked) position.
- Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in the food processer and pulse a few times. Then, with the processor running, pour in the melted vegan butter. You want everything to be the consistency of heavy, wet sand – if it's too dry, you can melt and add a bit more vegan butter, a tablespoon at a time.
- Pour the cookie crumbs into the springform pan and use your fingers to press them down to form the crust. You want the crust to go about an inch or two up the sides, and fully cover the bottom. Once you've formed the crust, place the pan in the freezer for the crust to chill for at least an hour.
- While the crust is chilling, make the filling. Using a spoon, press the defrosted raspberries through the strainer so you have about 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cups of raspberry juice and puree.
- Add the raspberry juice, the Chambord, and the sugar to a small sauce pan and place over medium heat. Stir occasionally and heat until the sugar is fully melted and the mixture is simmering but not yet at a full boil.
- Remove the liquid from the heat and pour it over the vegan white chocolate. Note, if using bar chocolate instead of chips, chop it into fine pieces first so the small pieces will fully melt in the hot liquid. Stir to combine – everything should be fully liquid and lukewarm.
- Add the white chocolate raspberry mixture to the blender along with the silken tofu and blend to fully combine. Pour into a large mixing bowl and set in the fridge to cool down but not fully solidify.
- Next, in the bowl of a standing mixer, add the vegan heavy cream and vanilla and start to beat with the whisk attachment. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, one 1/4 cup at a time. Beat until the cream forms peaks and doesn't deflate when the whisk is lifted from the bowl.
- Finally, spoon the whipped cream into the cooled raspberry white chocolate mixture, and gently stir to combine. You want to try and keep some of the volume from the whipped cream but you don't want clumps of whipped cream so try and evenly mix it in.
- Pour the combined filling into the springform pan on top of the crust, then place in the freezer to chill for at least 12 hours. You can make the cake up to three days before serving.
- Prior to serving, release the springform pan clasp and gently lift it away. Decorate with raspberries, dark chocolate shavings, and other toppings of your choice, such as chopped pistachios, mint, or more white chocolate chips. If you have a very cold freezer, you may want to let the cake sit out for 15-20 minutes before serving.
