Today is a very important day, it is Todd's birthday! We have big plans for the weekend, but tonight we are following our tradition of the birthday boy's choice of meals at home. No rules for this little tradition, he just picks what he REALLY wants and I make it.
I did want to surprise him with something special though, so besides his present and his requested meal with no dish duty I whipped up this Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Icebox Cake! Don't let those fantastic layers trick you into thinking this cake is difficult. It's not! If you can blend it, you can make it.
I love the combining the flavor of Meyer lemons with blueberries, it is a true match made in heaven. Sweet and tart, creamy and crisp this cake really has everything you could possibly want in a decadent dessert.
Happy birthday to my wonderful husband! I love you so much that I cannot even put it into words. I am lucky to have you in my life and cherish every single moment we are together. Now hurry home so we can eat some cake!!
PrintMeyer Lemon and Blueberry Icebox Cake (Gluten Free, Vegan, Raw)
- Yield: 8-10 slices 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped, pitted Medjool dates
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large frozen bananas cut into 1-2 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen organic blueberries
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes preferably overnight
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, in liquid form
- ½ cup raw honey
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
- 1 – 2 tablespoons water, if needed
- ½-¾ cups sliced raw almonds for garnish
Instructions
- Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade combine the almonds, oats, dates, and salt. Process until the ingredients begin to clump together, about 1- 1 ½ minutes. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch spring form pan, gently pressing the crust into the pan and around the edges until the crust layer is level and smooth.
- Blueberry “Ice Cream” Layer: In the bowl of a clean food processor fitted with the “S” blade combine the frozen banana pieces, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Process until the mixture resembles the consistency of soft serve ice cream; this will take at least 1-2 minutes. If your food processor seems to be struggling feel free to add another tablespoon of almond milk. Once the bananas are to the right consistency add the frozen blueberries and process again, scraping the sides as necessary, until the berries are incorporated and the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Pour the “ice cream” over the crust and smooth the top with a silicone spatula. Gently tap the pan against the kitchen counter to release any air bubbles that are trapped in the filling and place in the freezer until set, about 1 ½ – 2 hours.
- Meyer Lemon “Cheesecake” & Almond Layers: In the bowl of a clean food processor fitted with the “S” blade or in a high powered blender combine the soaked cashews, coconut oil, honey, lemon zest and juice. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as necessary. This step can take anywhere from 1-3 minutes depending on the strength of your machine. Pour the blended cashew layer over the partially frozen blueberry layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula until even and gently tap the pan against the kitchen counter to release any air bubbles that are trapped in the filling. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top of the cashew layer and press in gently with the palm of your hand. Place the pan back in the freezer for 6-8 hours or overnight until completely set.
- To serve: Place the spring form pan on the counter at room temperature and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Gently remove the side wall of the pan from the cake. Slice and serve. Store any uneaten cake completely wrapped in the freezer.
Notes
Inspired by Tasty Yummies
To make vegan: simply substitute the honey for agave or cane sugar syrup.
Suzanne says
Hi there- this looks delicious and I'd like to try making it very soon. Are there any suggestions on what I can substitute in for the bananas? Both my husband and myself don't care for them. Could we try all blueberries? Thanks in advance!
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Meg says
Hey Suzanne, hmmm...I have never tried making it with all blueberries, but you could definitely give it a try...the bananas break down into sort of a soft serve consistency when blended. Please, let me know how it turns out!
Melissa says
I made this tonight looks good so far and tastes yummy from my licks.....
serving tomorrow for a birthday dessert...
Meg says
YAY!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
shelley says
This cake looks amazing and perfect for my vegan daughter's upcoming Birthday! I think I will suprise her with it. One question, instead of honey would maple syrup or rice syrup work the same. My daughter doesn't eat honey as it's an animal product.
Meg says
Yay! Shelley, you can absolutely use maple or agave and both would be delicious. I haven't worked with rice syrup so I am unsure how it would affect the taste. I hope you both enjoy it as much as we do!
Jolene Lake says
Just so u nut jobs know dates aren't vegetarian they are pollinated by wasps that die inside them and u eat them.
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Meg says
Hi Jolene, thanks for sharing. But before you start calling people names, you ought to have your facts straight. Wasps have nothing to do with dates. You're thinking of figs. Dates and figs are not the same thing.
Monica says
Currently doing paleo. What could i sub for the oats or can i completely take them out?
Meg says
Monica, I would probably try and up the almonds to 1 cup and add 1/2 cup of another type of nut like pine nuts or raw walnuts. Let me know how it works out if you give it a try.:)
Krsitin says
Do you think there would be any issues in using a 9-inch springform pan instead? That's the only size springform I have and was just wondering if the recipe would need any other adjustments.
Meg says
I think it would be fine, just not as tall as mine in the picture. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Emma says
This looks fantastic. My brother recently asked me to make him a no sugar added 'healthy' birthday cake with blueberries. Just a question. How strong was the banana flavor in this? Thanks.
Meg says
Emma,
Thank you and I hope he likes it! You cannot even really taste the bananas due to the blueberries sort of taking over.
Sylvie | Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Wow, what a gorgeous cake, wishing your husband a very Happy Birthday as well!
Meg says
Thank you Sylvie!
Ricki says
What a gorgeous dessert! I love the colored layers--and everything in this sounds delicious. Beautiful photos, too. 🙂
Meg says
Thank you so much Ricki!
Rose | The Clean Dish says
Holy smokes!! What a stunning cake & AMAZING photos! Awesome job 🙂
★★★★★
Meg says
Awww thanks Rose!!
Beth @ Tasty Yummies says
I cannot get over what a beautiful cake this is, lady! The colors are insane. I am sure he gobbled it right up. He is one lucky man 😉 xo
Meg says
Thanks Beth!! I wish you could have shared it with us and he did totally gobble it all up. haha!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
happy birthday to your husband..you are such a sweet wifey. I just got my hands on meyer lemons not too long ago, I would love to make this icebox cake next time.
Meg says
Thanks Dixya! I would love to know what you think about it when you make it:)
Avi says
Wow! That looks absolutely amazing! So glad my birthday is in less than 2 weeks, going to make this for sure!
What kind of honey did you use?
Meg says
Happy early birthday Avi!! I used a locally sourced honey that I found at our farmers market.:)
Avi says
Thank you!
I am making it two days!! So excited!!
Back to honey, the raw (hard kind) or the liquid kind? Sorry for all the question.
Meg says
No problem Avi! The liquid kind:) I cant wait to hear all about your cake!
Lynell says
This looks like a fantastic dessert. Fancy even! 🙂 I like the combo of blueberry and lemon, I'll have to give this one a try.
Meg says
haha! Thanks Lynell, you are going to really like this cake, I just know it.