English here: Rice pudding cake with ginger and chilli – vegan version

The vegan version of one of the blog's greatest hits. Even if you do not normally eat vegan foods, you can surely appreciate ingredients like rice that is cooked with almond milk, whipped almond cream that has been folded in and the coarse marzipan-like, spicy almond/cashew bottom. Another way to serve a danish rice pudding dessert. Although it can of course be made without chili, I do believe that, together with the ginger, it matches the sweet taste and really suits it well. They are both very discrete in the cake and gives just a hint of hot seasoning. Chili powder is medium hot (standard bought chilipowder) – adjust the volume if you use your own or other than standard.

Ingredients – base:

200 g almonds

100 gr cashew nuts

200 gr really good dates – pitted weight

1 tsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp grated nutmeg

½ tsp salt

Ingredients – filling:

60 gr rice (the type used for porridge)

5 dl plant milk – eg. almond- or rice milk

2 dl plant milk – eg. almond- or rice milk

4 tbsp Sukrin (sweetener made from erythritol and stevia) or 8 tablespoons raw cane sugar

2 tsp agar agar with small top

300 ml plant based whipping cream – i.e.. almond cream – be aware that not all plant based creams can be whipped, read the package carefully

1 package of silken tofu – 300 gr

1 – 1½ tablespoons fresh, finely grated ginger

2 tsp chilli powder or fresh, finely chopped chilli to taste

2 – 3 teaspoons vanilla powder (not sugar) or other similar vanilla product (i.e. essence)

Ingredients – topping:

1 glass of Amarena cherries

1 dl Amaretto (liquor or syrup – it is available as both)

½ teaspoon chili powder or some fresh very finely chopped

1 tsp agar agar with small top

How to:

First make a rice pudding of milk and rice. Bring milk to a boil over medium heat while stirring. Add rice and stir well. Let cook for 2 minutes without lid. Reduce to low heat and put the lid on. Let the porridge cook until it has absorbed all the milk – it takes about 40 minutes. It must be stirred periodically during that time – especially towards the end, so that the porridge does not catch at the bottom of the pot. When the porridge is ready, take it off the heat and cool completely. For instance. put cold water in the bottom of the kitchen sink and place the pot in it to cool.

The almonds are toasted lightly in a medium hot pan – stir regularly, until they begin to smell nice and get a little color – not too much though. They can also begin to make little popping noises, but they don't neccesarily do that. Let them then cool.

All the ingredients for the base, except dates, needs to be blended in the food processor. Let it blend until a very coarse flour has formed. Add the dates and blend shortly until the mass has begun to form a doughlike ball.

Put some baking paper at the bottom of a springform of about 25 cm and spread and press the almond mixture using your fingers (be careful to add some at the edges). Put it somewhere cool while you're making the filling.

Finely chop the chilli if you use whole ones and grate the ginger. Put Sukrin / sugar, chili, vanilla and ginger in food processor bowl with the silken tofu and blend it until the tofu becomes a consistent 'cream'. Leave the mixture to be in the food processor with the lid on – but get ready for pouring liquid through the hole in the lid.

Whip the cream to semifirm peaks.

Now place the cake bottom, cream and rice porridge ready on the kitchen table. When the different things has to be mixed in a little while, it has to be done very very fast. Agar agar solidifies when it has cooled down to 80 degrees celsius, so when it has to added to the rest in a little while, you must do so as fast as possible with a whisk and then immediately pour it into the springform.

Pour the 2 dl of plant milk into a small pan together with the two teaspoons agar agar and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat so it still boils, but on low heat and whisk it while boiling it. Boil for 4 minutes.

When the 4 minutes are up, it is now you gotta move really fast. Start the food processor again at medium speed and pour the hot agar agar liquid in. As soon as it has been distributed, rush to pour the contents into the rice porridge and whip it fast until it is well mixed. Then pour in the whipped cream and whip it again until distributed - pour it into the form on top of the base and even the surface. Place the cake in the fridge for a few hours.

Pour Amarena berries in a sieve over a small saucepan and drain them. Spread berries evenly over the cake.

The drained juice is mixed with Amaretto and ½ tsp chilli and 1 teaspoon of agar agar. Bring to the boil and cook it on medium heat while you whisk it for 4 minutes. Immediately pour the hot liquid very gently over the cake and place the cake in the fridge again. The liquid should not cool before you pour it on – it must be hot.

When the cake has cooled down after 20 minutes of time, it can be eaten or covered with film and stored refrigerated.

When the cake has to come out of the form the cherry layer can be loosened around the edge with a butter knife before the form is opened.