Vegan & Raw Tropical Fruit Ice "Cream" Cake

It’s no secret that the weather patterns have changed. While summer temperatures rise in Seattle, my hometown, Cleveland, got buried with six to eight inches of snow. 
 
I love my apartment where my balcony overlooks the Kinnear Park trees and the Puget Sound. The best part is watching the buds turn into blossoms. The funny part about living in the Northwest is that I feel like “Bella,” or a vampire-like human whose pale skin cannot handle the heat.

Normally, I yearn for 80-degree plus weather. Well, I think Germany decreased my core temperature in the last year because I felt nauseous and my scalp burned at the first couple 70-degree days. From Nice, France to Crete, Greece, I lost my ability to acclimate to hot temperatures. 
 
I needed to cool off and craved a natural sweet treat as part of my spring cleanse.

Lately, I’ve been drinking fruit-infused water to boost my natural cleansing process, which you may enjoy this detoxifying Raspberry-Lime water.  I love sweets and can sometimes overindulge in the sweet life.  Needing to reduce my temperature, I craved something sweet, but approved by nature.

​I dug deep into my memory bank and my imagination soared to my tropical trips in Hawaii, Mexico and Fiji.

Whenever I think of anything tropical, I always think of mangos, pineapple and coconuts. Why not create a “cool” tropical treat?
 
The beautiful pink flowers blossomed on nearly every bush in Seattle and I thought what a beautiful compliment a warm –colored flower can have with warmer-colored fruits, but chilled to perfection.
 
Chilling and relaxing sounded nice too. Why not just chill and enjoy the sun? Or for those in Cleveland, the snow! 
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This is one of the easiest, healthiest and most affordable desserts and is naturally sweet and delicious! The recipe is raw and uses whole-foods, but to be truly raw one must not exceed certain temperatures such as cooking above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. However, I am not sure about freezing the foods. If you know whether authentic raw food can be frozen, please comment below, as I really have no idea the answer.

Regardless of the debate, you can also eat this like a thick smoothie without freezing it. 

It’s beyond delicious and will melt your winter memories away. Feel free to play around with different ingredients that suit your palate. 
 
I used a 6-inch spring foam pan to make this. If you desire an extra-thick cake, double the recipe or use a small 3-4 inch pan. Enjoy and let the good times roll this spring.  

Vegan & Raw Tropical Fruit Ice "Cream" Cake
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Makes 1 6-inch cake

Ingredients:
2 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup coconut cream (cream from a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk)
1/2 mango
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup dates
1/4 tsp orange zest (optional for the extra-orangey taste)

Directions:
To make the coconut cream, place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. Carefully, open the can and scrape the cream from the top of the can. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into a 6-inch spring foam pan and set in the freezer for 4-8 hours. In order to cut the cake, let it set out for several minutes and return it back to the freezer. 

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