CAKE!!! Free-From & good for you!!!

    CAKE!!! Free-From & good for you!!!

    Hello everyone! 🙂 I hope this week has gone smoothly so far if you’ve had children go back to school, start school, start college or get ready for university? Also to all the teachers out there who have new classes (& new schools!) – I hope it’s going great and you’re all enjoying it so far! 🙂

    This week we’ve been munching on the cucumbers from the garden which sprung up whilst we were away, as well as the delicious cherry tomatoes that are bursting with sweet juice and so much taste. If you’ve never tasted home-grown raspberries and have space to grow something, I would highly recommend them. EVERY morning the canes are laden with maroon coloured berries which just melt in your mouth with a pop of flavour. Wow! they’re organic of course and just taste divine.

    Homegrown cherry tomatoes
    Long cucumbers growing
    Bursting fresh organic raspberris
    Freshly harvested short cucumbers

    So this week, as it’s still warm in the UK (read that as very close & muggy), there’s not been too much cooking – but cake healthy cake can be eaten for breakfast instead of toast; for lunch because it’s easily portable; for dinner as you’ve had a busy day and it’s there! 😛 and as a snack because it’s nutritious and a great way to fill a gap! So… cake it is! 😀

    Okay, so this is not a dairy laden – butter padded cake with loads of refined sugar and processed flour – it is of course a dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free cake which is full of goodness! 🙂 🙂 🙂 This is not a light fluffy cake and this time I haven’t included baking powder (you can try adding one teaspoon if you like), this is a more dense flavourful cake. The great thing about this cake though is it’s adaptability! You can eat it as a bread – maybe slice and spread with almond butter or chocolate spread? Make a delicious frosting and serve to guests (although my friend & I sat and munched then plain with our coffee & tea)! Mix it up and add some different ingredients – try adding a spoon of cacao and some chopped hazelnuts or how about adding diced apple, raisins and cinnamon…your choice once you have the base.  cake-from-birds-eye-wm

    Cake (vegan & Free-From)

    • Servings: 8-10 mini cakes
    • Difficulty: medium
    • Print

    Gather

    • 100ml milk (I used unsweetened almond)
    • 2 medium bananas (200g)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
    • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
    • 2 tablespoons soft (not melted) coconut oil
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup (approx. 40ml)
    • 150 oat flour (GF if required)
    • ————————————
    • icing ingredients
    • 50g soaked sunflower seeds
    • 50g solid coconut cream + 2-3 teaspoons of the liquid
    • 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
    • sieved powder to stiffen the icing if not using cacao. I used baobab. Try lucuma, maca or powdered sugar.
    • *optional colours: cacao powder/pureed blackberries/pureed raspberries

    Prepare

    1. Place everything (in the first list) in a blender in the order listed. Blend until just smooth.
    2. Spoon into tins or silicon cases (I used mini bundt cases)
    3. Bake at Gas Mark 4 (350f / 180c) for 15-20 minutes (depending on size of cases). The cakes should be light brown and coming away from the sides. If you follow my recipe as there’s no baking powder in the cakes you can open the oven to check if they’re cooked without worrying of spoiling the raise. 🙂
    4. Allow to cool slightly.
    5. To make the icing, blend the sunflower seeds with the coconut cream adding liquid as necessary. Add the maple syrup and blend again until creamy. Colour the icing as required then to make the icing stiffer add the powder half a teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe onto the cakes.
    6. Enjoy!

    Serve & Store

    • Eat hot out of the oven with a lovely cup of tea!
    • Cut and spread with jam or nut butter or chocolate spread.
    • Serve hot with custard or ice cream.
    • Make your own favourite icing.
    • Add some fresh fruit – try strawberries, mango or apple compote.
    • Mix up the recipe and add in nuts, fresh fruit chunks, dried fruit, chocolate chips etc.

    I’m, taking these to Deborah’s Plant Based Potluck Party this week – where my chickpea wraps were chosen are one of this weeks features! 🙂 Thank you! 🙂

    Trio of cakes
    Rose petals… ?
    Mini bundt anyone?
    Cake, icing, fresh fruit, yum
    Blackberry and cacao icing
    Share This Post
    Up Next
    Back to Basics: Rainbows & Green Smoothies
    Previously
    Ten minute chickpea wraps & a UK road trip!

    4 Comments

    • Deborah Smikle-Davis (@debsmikdav1) 15th September 2016 at 04:00

      What a pretty and delectable vegan dessert. I am so glad you shared your healthy and delicious Cake (vegan & Free-From) with us at the Plant-Based Potluck Party. I’m pinning and sharing.

      Reply
      • Life Diet Health 15th September 2016 at 08:23

        🙂 Thanks Deborah. Hope you find time to make them! x

        Reply
    • Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures 15th September 2016 at 12:31

      ‘Hopping over from your feature at Plant Based Potluck… This cake sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing the recipe! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

      Reply
      • Life Diet Health 15th September 2016 at 14:14

        Hello Marci 🙂 Thank you 🙂 Lovely to see you over here! I’ll come over and check out the rules for your ‘Tuesdays with a Twist’ soon… some interesting posts on there! 🙂

        Reply

    We love to hear your views and ideas! We reply to all comments personally! :)

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Verified by MonsterInsights