Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Cake with Caramel (Mars Cake)
This no-bake chocolate cake with caramel (aka Mars cake) is rich and decadent, combining a fudgy chocolate almond "nougat" layer, date caramel layer, and dark chocolate toppings in this delicious no-bake caramel chocolate cake. Best of all, all you need is 10 ingredients, a food processor/blender, and under 15 minutes of hands-on prep! The resulting raw cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and 100% vegan.
Add all the base ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and process into a crumbly, slightly wet consistency. Don't over blend; otherwise, you'll lose the texture, and you'll end up blending a smooth nut butter.
Transfer the blended mixture to a greased or parchment-lined 8-inch/20 cm round cake tin with tall sides. I used a springform tin for the best "release" of the raw caramel chocolate cake.
Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the tin, smoothing down the top. You can flatten the top with the help of a glass with a flat bottom. Then set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the peanut caramel layer
Remove the stones from the dates.
Place all the caramel layer ingredients into the blender (cleaned from the base layer). Blend/process until smooth. This can take quite some time, and you may need a little water or milk (1-2 Tbsp at a time) to help create a smoother caramel.The raw caramel mixture should be like a thick, spreadable paste when ready (refer to the pictures on the blog).
Transfer the caramel mixture to the cake tin over the nougat layer and use a spatula to smooth. Then transfer the tin to your fridge to chill and thicken for between 20-30 minutes.
Step 3: Add the chocolate topping
After chilled, remove the cake from the tin. If the top layer is a little messy/uneven, you can use a clean spatula or finger dipped in a bit of water (to avoid sticking) to try and smooth it out slightly (if wanted, I don't always do it).
To prepare the topping, melt the chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler, stirring until melted. Then pour this mixture over the vegan caramel chocolate cake. Use a spatula to spread it over the sides if needed.If you plan on adding any more toppings, then add them now, before the chocolate is set. Then transfer the mars bar cake back to the fridge. This will help them adhere better to the no-bake chocolate cake.
It may be easiest to do this on a cooling rack with a tray beneath (to catch extra dripping chocolate). Alternatively, you can simply add this layer to the top of the cake instead of covering the entire thing. To do so, only use half the chocolate and coconut oil and pour it over the cake while it's still in the cake tin for a clean top layer.Then, place the vegan caramel chocolate cake back in the fridge to chill until set. Then slice. Be warned, this cake is DECADENT so I recommend cutting it into 12-16 slices.
How to Store?
Store: store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.Freeze: I like to slice the cake into the servings first. Place parchment paper between each piece to stop them from freezing together and then freeze. Store for up to three months.Allow the slice/s to thaw in the fridge or on the counter before enjoying. They won't freeze "solid," so you don't need to wait too long for a slice to be enjoyable, though they'll be chewier while still thawing (which I quite like).
Notes
For a date-free caramel: I really like the flavor and texture of the date caramel. However, if you struggle to source high-quality Medjool dates where you live, you could create a date-free caramel (which combined nut/seed butter with maple, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt).
For easier slicing: if you try to slice the no-bake chocolate caramel cake straight from the freezer, the topping might crack. For that reason, I recommend either allowing it to sit on the counter for five minutes and/or using a sharp knife dipped in boiling water. Then, make a slice, wipe the blade, dip it back in the water, wipe, slice, and repeat!
Make snack bites: for small vegan Mars chocolate caramel bars, use an 8 or 9-inch square pan. You can slice 16 larger pieces (2-inch square pieces). To do so, slice the no-bake chocolate cake into four even squares, then slice each of those into four pieces. For bite-sized snack pieces, cut each of the squares in half again for 32 portions or 2x1-inch pieces (for a small after-dinner snack, etc.).
Other add-ins and variations:
Espresso/Instant coffee: just a little coffee helps to enhance the flavor in any chocolate treat. You can use a little espresso or instant coffee (1-2tsp) added to the blender with the base ingredients.
Dutch-processed cocoa: stepping away from a Mars bar, but equally as delicious. Using 40-50% Dutch-processed cocoa not only creates a super dark base layer but also provides a rich Oreo-like flavor to the raw vegan chocolate cake.
Flaky salt: a pinch of flaky salt sprinkled over the melted dark chocolate topping will add a little crunch, and salt creates a depth of flavor for chocolate and caramel treats.
Chocolate chips/chunks: for even more decadence, you could mix ¼ cup chocolate to the base layer, pulsing them into the mixture in the last few seconds, so they aren't broken up too much.
Vegan turtle brownies: turtle candy usually combines chocolate, pecans, and caramel. To adapt this raw cake recipe to no-bake turtle brownies, you can use a square/rectangle sheet pan (for thinner brownie slices. Then I recommend using ½ almonds and ½ pecans in the base layer. You can also sprinkle crushed pecans over the melted chocolate layer before setting it in the fridge/freezer.
Check the blog post for more tips and answers to top FAQs.