We've done our fair share of wholesome and healthy recipes like vegan pesto zucchini noodles and desserts made with beans, as well as documenting our week of fresh produce, but this takes the cake (pun intended!). This latest food creation is making cake a truly guiltless pleasure. These artfully layered "desserts" from a cafe in Japan by Chef Mitsuki Moriyasu have got us intrigued. So much so, we decided to put our veggie-slicing skills and Jenga-stacking practice to the test. Though our creation may not have the same level of structure and beauty, we are pretty darn proud of its color and taste.
Get ready to get stackin'.
Ingredients:
-- crackers (we chose ones with whole grains and seeds)
-- mixed greens
-- zucchini
-- bell peppers
-- avocado
-- radish
-- almonds
-- cauliflower
-- tomatoes
-- pears
-- carrots
-- parsley
-- celery
-- corn
-- cabbage
-- cucumber
-- goat cheese
-- grapefruit
Avocado "Icing" Ingredients:
-- avocado
-- silken tofu
-- goat cheese
-- pinch of salt
Create a base layer on your cake stand or plate with the goat cheese to provide a sticky foundation for your cake. To form a level base for stacking, try a cracker layer. Instead of slices of bread, like the sandwich cakes we've seen, we tried a crouton version with multigrain crackers. From your base layer, let your creativity run free! The color of these fruits and veggies makes any combination bright and fun.
Our chosen order of abundance was crackers, avocado, cabbage, mixed greens, bell peppers, goat cheese, crackers, cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, cauliflower, goat cheese, crackers, zucchini and finally carrots. BAM, that is one stacked pile of fresh goodness.
Stacked and loaded. Now for the "icing!"
Mix together one avocado, 1/4 - 1/2 cup of silken tofu, 1/2 cup of goat cheese and a pinch of salt in a blender. The ratio can shift depending on how much of the cake you would like to cover. We iced the top of ours.
Voilà! A healthy tower of color.
Show us your salad cake by tagging us on Instagram + using the hashtag #iamcreative!
DIY Production and Styling: Anita Yung
Photography: Kurt Andre