Raw Winter Black Forest Cake Ice Cream

My Mother suggested that I make black forest ice cream once cherries come into season again. I was totally going to do that, except it sounded good to me now and I did not want to wait until next summer!  So I came up with a solution...Winter Black Forest Ice Cream using cranberries instead of the cherries.  After all, cranberries are red, delicious, in season now and they are just as wonderful with chocolate as cherries.  I thought it was a genius idea.  A little non-traditional, but hey, that is how I roll.

Raw Winter Black Forest Cake Ice Cream
Makes about 6 cups

Cake Pieces:
1/2 cup soft medjool dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them for 30 minutes in filtered water and drain well)
1/4 cup sprouted dehydrated buckwheat groats

Ice Cream:
2 cups coconut water
4 cup young coconut meat*
1 cup  ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 cup raw coconut nectar
seeds of one vanilla bean
a pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

Swirl:
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup dried cranberries, soaked in water 30 minutes and drained well
juice of one large orange
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar

For the cake, combine the dates, coconut, buckwheat groats nd flaxseed in the food processor and process until well blended and the consistency of flour.  Add the sea salt, vanilla, beet, and cacao powder and process until smooth and starting to hold together when squeezed (if it doesn't add a little more dates). Turn out onto a foil lined sheet pan, and press into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle (rolling with a rolling pin to smooth). Place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Once firm, cut into 1/2 inch squares.   Reserve a few for topping the ice cream.

To make ice cream base, add coconut water, fresh coconut, bananas, agave nectar, vanilla, sea salt, and cacao powder. With the motor running slowly add the coconut oil (so it does not clump) and process until very smooth, about a minute or two. Pour the plain mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.
To make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth.  Set aside.
When the ice cream is done churning, remove from ice cream maker, stir in cake pieces (but not the reserved ones), then pour 1/3 into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Spread 1/3 of the swirl mixture over that, then top with half the remaining ice cream, then half the remaining swirl, then the remaining ice cream, then the remaining swirl.  Swirl with a knife a little.  Place in the freezer and let sit for at least four hours or overnight to firm up to scoopable consistency.
To serve, scoop some of the ice cream into a bowl, then top with some of the cake chunks.