Layer Cakes & Local Wood.
I love coming across locally made items when I’m browsing a big name/well known website; in this instance, it was food52. I was looking for some of those purple, limited edition ball jars and came across a cutting board made in Woodstock Vermont.
After receiving this beautiful board from farmhouse pottery in the mail, I started researching what types of wood are best for cutting boards. It got me thinking, why don’t I do this?! I live in the middle of a freaking maple forest.
We use wood for all our heating and hot water. Mostly maple, oak, birch and ash. Lucky for me maple, birch and ash are all welcomed for making cutting and serving boards. Walnut, cherry, pecan and bamboo were other prized types but none of which grow here.
An easy way to think about it is, if you use the tree for something edible (sap, nuts, fruit, etc) then it is probably food safe.
I have a penchant for collecting locally made things, and when they are as beautifully crafted as this, it’s impossible to pass up.
Notice my fluorescent green table? That’s a clear sign that spring is around the corner. It’s my sprouting table. 🙂
It’s been a while since I used cashews in a raw cake. I’ve been satisfied with using bananas for an ice cream type cake but I was feeling the need for something more decadent.
Raspberry picking last summer at Whetstone Ledges in Marlboro, VT.
I used my favorite sorbet combination for the top layer; raspberries and dates.
Pure and simple cashew cream for the middle layer; soaked cashews blended with lemon juice, coconut oil, water and maple syrup.
For the crust, I tried something different. I blended GF oats, pecans, dates and cinnamon.
I sneaked some raspberries and mini chocolate chips in between the layers too.
I definitely used the BELOW freezing temps to my advantage. Photographing this cake in the summer time would have been a hassle…and the falling snow on the cake adds a nice touch…? No?
It will have to wait a few months before I can get my hands on any wood to work with, seeing as though we are completely buried in snow right now…but I am excited to start a new project and to see where it takes me! I love working with wood; my own sustainable wood makes me love it even more.
Eat More Plants. 
2 Responses to “Layer Cakes & Local Wood.”
I’m in love with the snowy cake photo.
Fresh snow is beautiful, isn’t it?! 🙂