A classic coffee cake but by combining good fats, fruit instead of sugars and high protein with nuts and beans they make a healthy alternative. They are light and quite quick to make either as cupcakes or as a single cake. I’ve included a recipe for vegan cashew cream which I’ve put on top of the cupcakes but this could easily be between the cake.
Testers and Tasters Feedback
"Vegan son said wow!"
"Light and not too sweet cake, the nut cream makes these cakes."
"Made 40 for a party I was attending, they all disappeared very quickly."
Photo
Debbie Martin, Tester and Taster
Makes: 10-12 Cakes
Plants: 7
Preparation: 15-20 minutes Cooking: 15-20 minutes
GF V NF Option DF
Swaps
NF: instead of ground almonds use wholemeal flour. Instead of hazelnuts add 150g sunflower seeds.
GF
Freezing
This will freeze well.
Ingredients
200g ground almonds or wholemeal flour for nut free option
150g hazelnuts or sunflower seeds.
100g chopped dates, or similar dark brown muscovado sugar if you are not concerned about sugar consumption. You could also use 2 small or 1 large ripe banana but this would slightly change the taste and texture.
100g ripe avocado or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or Cold Pressed Sunflower Oil
120g cooked butter beans or half a tin drained
3 tbsp if ground coffee plus 75 ml water or 2tbsp instant or stronger to taste
1 tbsp coconut flour – this helps to soak up the extra liquid and ensure the cakes are not too wet
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
Cashew or Macedamia Cream in Sauces section. 50ml coffee made with 2tbls of ground coffee or 1 instant or stronger to taste, or vanilla essence to the mixture. For a thick cream add 1-2 tsp of coconut flour.
Method
Heat the oven to 180c and prepare 12 muffin cases
First make your coffee for the cake and cashew cream and leave it to cool. I used Illy decaffeinated which has a strong coffee taste but use any coffee of your choice.
Put your hazelnuts if using into a bag and break into smaller but not crushed pieces, I use the end of a rolling pin. You want nice chunks but most of the nuts to be broken. Gently toast the nuts in a frying pan on a medium heat stirring regularly so as not to burn them. Toast until they start to go brown. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
In a food mixer put the cooked butter beans, avocado or EVOO and blend with the dates until you have a smooth mixture.
Add 50ml of the cold coffee to your mixture and blend.
Add the almonds, or flour, coconut flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and blend until a smooth mixture
Stir in the toasted hazelnuts until they are evenly spread through the mixture.
The mixture should be fairly stiff add a little more water if too firm, or a tsp more coconut flour if too runny.
Spoon into muffin cases and bake for 18-25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the muffins.
If making a cake spoon into a prepared cake tin lined with parchment or greaseproof paper and bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven.
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