Irresistible Buckwheat Cake
Every once in a while, you come across a cake that checks all the boxes–made with whole grains, free of ingredients you don’t want, and utterly delicious. This is one of those cakes.
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Photo ℅ William and Susan Brinson
This recipe is from What to Eat for How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen, by Divya Alter (Rizzoli, 2017).
This is an adapted version of a recipe that my friend Dita Simo gave me years ago. When I first tasted this cake, I could not believe that it was gluten-free, dairy-free and without a drop of cocoa, as it looks like chocolate cake! I like the crunchy contrast of the slivered almonds topping this spongy cake. I love Irresistible Buckwheat cake because it is perhaps one of the most balancing cakes for when you’re feeling earthy. Nevertheless, please exercise self-control and do not indulge in more than one piece at a time.
Prep 10 minutes | Bake 20 minutes
Makes 6 to 8 pieces | Gluten free, Dairy free
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour
½ cup Sucanat
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup finely chopped dates
⅓ cup raw applesauce (see note)
½ cup almond milk (page 216 in Divya’s cookbook)
¼ cup slivered almonds, for decoration
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round or square cake pan with coconut oil.
In a large bowl, mix together the buck-wheat flour, sucanat, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a food processor, combine the coconut oil, dates, and applesauce and process to a puree, then add the almond milk and pulse to mix.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir to create a moist, smooth batter. spread the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle the slivered almonds on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool down in the pan, then cut into six or eight pieces. store covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
FOR AIRY AND FIERY DIGESTION: enjoy as-is occasionally.
NOTE: To make raw applesauce, peel and slice an apple and puree it in a small food processor or blender until smooth.
