NEAPOLITAN NICE-CREAM CAKE WITH BROWNIES

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Serves 10

For the black bean brownies:

(same as brownie recipe)

For the strawberry nice cream:

80 g (3 oz/½ cup) cashews • 120 ml (4 fl oz) almond milk
2 bananas, peeled and frozen • 150 g (5 oz/1 cup) strawberries, hulled and chopped
juice of ½ lemon • 1 tbsp maple syrup • 125 ml (4 fl oz) coconut oil, melted

For the vanilla nice cream:

80 g (3 oz/½ cup) cashews • 3 bananas, peeled and frozen • 120 ml (4 fl oz) almond milk
60 ml (2 fl oz) coconut oil, melted • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup

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This is a cake you can bring out for any occasion, even when there isn’t an occasion. I love it topped with a tumbling tower of extra brownies and a big gaudy candle or sparkler plonked on for good measure.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Take an 18 cm (7 in) round cake tin and line the base with parchment paper. Make the brownie mixture according to the instructions Chocolate Avocado Nice-Cream Flowerpot Cakes. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing out the surface. Pop into the oven for about 35 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes then place on to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, place back in the tin.

To make the stawberry nice cream, put the cashews in a blender or food processor and pulse to a fine powder, then add the almond milk and blend again. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until thick and creamy. Repeat this same process for the vanilla nice cream. You will have two delightfully creamy nice creams; one pink and the other white.

Scoop the vanilla nice cream over the top of the brownie. Cover with cling film (plastic wrap ) and pop into the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up. Spread the strawberry layer on top, then recover and return to the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving. Once firm, carefully remove the cake from the tin and leave it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. You can always make extra brownies and serve the cake adorned with a pile of extra brownies for an added wow factor.