Is there anything prettier than a frozen berry dessert? Gazing at it, I can see a myriad of blues and reds dancing around in cool iciness, just waiting to turn off the summer heat with class. It always looks so regal. And stunning. And delicious. No wonder I just had to make one. Better yet, a luscious creamy berry freezer cake. No bake desserts are such a blessing during the summer aren’t they?
I originally made this gorgeous dessert so many years ago I had to dust off my memory a bit in order to re-create it. In fact, it was one of the first raw desserts I ever made. It was such a delight back then I wondered why I waited so long to revisit it. It’s the perfect summertime treat adding both flair and convenience. And it easily convinces skeptics that dessert-time can indeed be both healthy and happy, and delicious.
For the filling I use two different dark lovelies; blueberries and blackberries. In case you haven’t noticed, I have a special reverence for blueberries Blueberry Bedazzler. I like to call them my fantasy berries because no matter what I’m doing, just looking at them nudges me into a beautiful setting. I am suddenly in a lush grove surrounded by wild blueberries; quickly dropping them into my handy woven basket.
Among the blueberries there rests the blackberry, looking mysterious and elusive. I added this plump berry for its subtle flavor and dark, almost black color. When I’m fortunate enough to get fresh blackberries I use them in smoothies, salads, and of course, desserts like Elegant Whipped Lavender Berry Mousse . Blackberries are a bit of a mystery to me because I can mix them with just about anything and they never seem to dominate the scene. They just linger in the background making everyone else look and taste better; a great little berry that adds depth and nutrients without being ostentatious. I think of blackberries as chic and understated which is what I often like.
I added a twist to this berry dessert by using Cultured Coconut Yogurt as the base. It’s the perfect substitute for nuts in this recipe. And well, sometimes I just wanna have a nutless day. It helps make this filling silky and smooth, and when frozen becomes a wonderful icy texture that’s rich enough to satisfy any ice cream urge. Super easy too. Just blend and freeze; no ice cream/sorbet maker needed.
I used coconut yogurt for the frosting as well. All I needed to add was a little sweetener and some coconut oil and frosting made. The best part of using coconut yogurt is that your dessert isn’t just dessert, it’s a dairy-free, probiotic-rich explosion of flavors and nutrients. But in case you don’t have any coconut yogurt on hand, no worries. You can use pretty much any thick yogurt you want.
For the crust, I started with a clean sometimes snack food; unsweetened coconut chips. Coconut chips are the large dried coconut meat pieces that you usually see as garnish on cakes and other desserts. Lately it’s become trendy to turn them into everything from bars to croutons. I used them for both the cookie crust and the garnish.
The rich and subtle flavor of coconut chips makes them a bit unique in the culinary world since they are friendly to both sweet and savory dishes. And let’s not forget the subtle sweetness, an array of healthy fats, and abundant nutrients. Hero food.
You can use finely shredded coconut if you want but I like the rustic appeal of shredding the large coconut pieces myself. I picked up the flavor by tossing in lemon, coconut sugar, and one of my favorite spices, ginger. Ginger is the great unifier here, joining both the berry and rich coconut flavors. Lemon goes with just about everything, but with berries it’s a marvel.
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Wine-hued, sweet, and tart with lemon, ginger, and coconut, this gorgeous dessert can easily be served after a simple meal or feast, during a nourishing mid-day interlude, after a round of outdoor fun, during an intimate moment….hmmm, is there ever a bad time for a delicious berry dessert? I hope you will try this mouthwatering treat and relish every berry moment.
This recipe is raw, dairy/nut-gluten-free, and serves 2 – 4 persons
Black and Blue Berry Freezer Yogurt Cream Cake
Lemon Cookie Crust:
The crust will be about 1/2-inch thick. For thinner crust, simply cut the recipe in half.
- 3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground ginger to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla or 1/4 tsp vanilla-flavored stevia to taste
- few drops lemon essential oil or 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 – 4 Tbsp coconut/palm sugar or other natural granulated sweetener to taste
- 1 Tbsp coconut butter/coconut cream
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
- 1 Tbsp water or enough to process.
- Add ingredients to a food processor and process until fine and crumbly. Make sure the mixture adheres between your fingers. If it’s too dry add a little more moisture and process again until desired texture is achieved.
- Transfer to the bottom of a 7-inch spongiform pan or cake pan. You can also use a larger pan keeping in mind the cake will be shorter in height.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the pan evenly.
- Set aside or refrigerate until ready to fill.
Berry Yogurt Filling:
You can use any dark berry you wish for the filling.
- 2 cups Cultured Coconut Yogurt or other thick yogurt of choice
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries (measure frozen berries before they have thawed)
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blackberries (measure frozen berries before they have thawed)
- 1/4 cup red wine or coconut water or water
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 – inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled or 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground ginger to taste
- 1 tsp acai berry powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup coconut butter/coconut cream
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup honey or other light sweetener to taste
- berry-flavored stevia or stevia to taste (optional)
- Add the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides periodically.
- Pour the mixture into the crust and spread evenly, smoothing out the top.
- Place in a freezer for at least 5 – 6 hours or until firm enough to cut.
- While the cake is freezing, make the Yogurt Frosting.
Yogurt Frosting:
- 1 cup thick Cultured Coconut Yogurt (prepared as thick as possible preferably using coconut water) or other thick yogurt of choice
- berry-flavored stevia or stevia or other natural light sweetener to taste
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted or warmed to liquid.
- Add the ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Blend or process until smooth.
- Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. I refrigerate for one hour prior to using.
- When the cake is ready, spread the frosting over the top. It is now ready to garnish.
Garnish:
- Assorted berries
- Acai or other berry powder of choice
- Coconut chips
- Garnish cake with berries, acai powder, and coconut.
- Slice and serve.
- Cake can be stored frozen up to 2 months. Once frozen, leave out on the counter to thaw for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
looks amazing. the frosting looks like a cloud. one question. can i use anything besides yogurt? don’t have coconuts on hand and don’t do dairy either. thanks in advance.
Thank you for the compliment. Yes you can use cashews instead. Macadamia nuts would work as well. I would use about 1 1/2 cups cashews (or macs) and about 1/2 cup coconut water or water and blend until smooth and creamy. I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful evening!
wow looks like a painting. i think i have enough coconut meat. i need a slice right now. thanks!
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great night!
How did you know that coconuts and berries are my favorite mix? Beautiful post as always. I may need to make this for anniversary next weekend. Thanks so much!
It was lucky guess :). Happy Anniversary! I hope you enjoy the cake. Have a great week!
Great recipe. I’ll be making this tomorrow. Stunning as always. Thank you!
You are so welcome. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great evening!
I would never have thought using yogurt like frosting. Will have to try this. Hugs for another great recipe. :) you shuld consider doing a book. I would luv print copy of recipes.
Thank you so much for the compliment. At this time I don’t have any plans for a book but you never know. In the meantime I hope you enjoy them here. Have a great evening!
Oof, is beautiful like painting! Love your website. Please I want to know if I can make banana besides coconut meat? Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words. I’m so glad you love the website. I think you are asking if you can use bananas instead of coconut? Using bananas would change the texture of the cake and make it more like iced fruit rather than a creamy cake. If you have cashew or macadamia nuts that would work better. I hope this helps. Have a wonderful evening!
i couldn’t resist commenting. the photos are stunning. i have a great reason now to go crack a few coconuts.
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day!
i struggled a little with the coconut yogurt (my first time) but in the end it came out great. i did exactly as outlinedin your yogurt post. you are right the crust tastes just like a cookie. i sweetened the topping a little more and used a 9-inch pan so it was shorter but still looked really good. will make it again. it was delicious and overall pretty easy for a cake. i feel so accomplished now. thanks! oh and i froze the frosting too.
Thank you for the taking the time to post this. I’m so glad my recipe inspired you to make a cake. Good job! Sounds like you figured a lot out already and I’m glad you enjoyed the results. Have a wonderful day!
omg this looks amazing! going to get sum coconuts now. looks super healthy too. gorgeeeeous photos!
Thanks so much for the kind words. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day!
beautiful as always. i’m making your coconut yogurt now about once a week. really helped my digestion a lot and helped cleared up my skin too. good reason for me to try this. thanks so much for all of your work here. it really is appreciated.
You are so welcome. I’m so glad you appreciate the site and that you are feeling better. Eating fresh foods can really make a difference in the quality of our lives. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a wonderful day!
Hi I just found your site and I have to say it’s beautiful! The photos are amazing and the information is so helpful. I spent about an hour here already just looking at all the delicious recipes. I want to try them all! I am going to make the coconut yogurt first then maybe this cake next. Thank you for creating this beautiful environment. It feels very special here. A big hug from Australia!
Thank you so much for all of your kind words. I’m so glad you love the site and I hope you love both the yogurt and this cake. They are truly special. A big hug back to you from America! Have a great day!
this looks amazing. what an artist you are. i’m going to try it this weekend. thank you soooo much for not using nuts since i’m allergic to them. hugs to you from austria!
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful day and some hugs from America back to you!
gorgeous photography and what a great recipe! your posts are simply flawless. thanks so much for all you do. thanks to your site my body has been singing a lot lately. :)
You are so kind. I’m so glad you are finding the site helpful. I hope you keep enjoying the recipes. Have a wonderful evening!
I’m making coconut yogurt right now for this cake. Just lovely. Looks perfect for my birthday party on Tuesday. Thanks so much!
Well, Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day and enjoy the cake. Have a great evening!
It was a perfect birthday. The cake was delicious and everyone was so impressed with it. I made a few modifications but kept in mind all the amounts. Thank you again dear lady.
What a gorgeous looking berry dessert!
Thank you so much for the lovely compliment and for visiting the site. Have a wonderful day!
stunning photos. gal pal and i will be making this weekend. looks so good! have to make the coconut yogurt first. thanks!
Thank you for the kind words and for checking out the recipe. I hope you both enjoy it! Have a great day!
wowzers. i would never have thought of using yogurt for frosting. i added some fruit powder with a tablespoon of coconut oil to. it was pink and looked so pretty! the whole cake was so gorgeous and deeeeelicious! thank you so much!
Thank you for the kind words. Your version sounds so pretty. I’m glad you had fun with the recipe and loved the results. Have a great day!
genius. yogurt for frosting. who wudda thunk it. such a lovely post. i need to make this one. am a confirmed coconut yogurt addict.
Thank you for the kind words and welcome fellow coconut yogurt addict. :) Once you make the yogurt the rest is easy. I hope you enjoy the cake. Have a great day!
What an insanely pretty cake! I love that no nuts! I will make this tomorrow for husband’s birthday. He loves berries and yogurt. Have to go shopping to day for the ingredients. Tonight I make the yogurt with your recipe for yogurt. I am looking forward to eating it. Danke!
Aw, thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you enjoyed the cake and the yogurt. Have a wonderful day!
hello. i couldn’t resist commenting on how gorgeous this post is. your photos look like artwork and the cake looks delicious. unfortunately i’m allergic to coconut and will have to pass on this piece of loveliness. i will be trying some of your other recipes though without coconut. seems i have the opposite issues of most i do well with nuts but not coconut. oh well, i’m learning to live with it although i drool over all the coconut recipes i can’t have especially trying to eat mostly raw foods. i do use raw dairy which i know is not vegan but doing my best to find suitable substitutes for coconut. anyway just had to say that your site is very inspiring and beautiful. take care.
So sorry to hear that you are allergic to coconut. It’s definitely harder trying to be raw vegan without coconut but not impossible. I have to ask if this includes all raw organic coconuts products? Sometimes your body reacts differently with commercially produced items versus organic whole ingredients.
In some of the recipes you can substitute the coconut with cashews. For instance in this cake recipe you could use cashews instead of the coconut meat and cashew frosting instead of the yogurt frosting. It would have a different consistency and flavor but still be quite delicious. If you need any help with substitutions please email me directly. Have a wonderful day!
wow, i can’t believe you responded! thank you so much!
the crust was so good i never got to the cake part. i added a little more coconut butter and made into cookies. so so good. someday i’ll get to the coconut yogurt. thanks so much!
What a fabulous site! Everything looks so amazing I can’t stand it! I want to try everything not once but at least 10 times! This cake looks too pretty to eat. Being a BIG fan of coconut yogurt I will have to make this. Thanks so much for graciously sharing your recipes. I can’t wait to try everyone of them!
Beautiful. I have to say your recipes and photos are an inspiration. Every time I come to your site I get hungry and want to go all raw again. I hope to begin the new year right with mostly raw foods. I will be checking your site out for some inspiration for sure. Thank you so much for what you put out there. :)
Thank you for the kind words. I agree the New Year is a great time to make improvements and going mostly raw is a great step. I hope you enjoy the recipes. Have a great day!
Beautiful. I made the crust and filling but not the frosting. It was delicious and creamy and not overly sweet which I like. The crust is amazing I’ve used it since for cookies. I bake them for about 15 minutes. Thanks for this recipe.