Buckwheat Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream

Who says cake isn't for breakfast?

In the world of Savouring Stella, cake is a perfectly acceptable breakfast. Especially when it has densely nutritious buckwheat flour, carrot, and a lightly sweetened cashew cream frosting. Umm HELLO!

This beautiful cake is dense, moist, and just the right amount of sweet. It's spiced with cinnamon, and topped with cashew cream frosting- which when done right, is about the best thing in the world. How could cashew cream be done wrong you ask? I didn't think it was possible either until I had a cake with a cashew frosting and it was far too bitter and nutty. Not enough vanilla and agave in that recipe obviously. Fortunately for you, I've perfected cashew cream after years of practice. However, it's one of those things that's subjective to the individual, so when in doubt, keep adding agave, and lemon zest until it's to your liking.

Brunch spread; fruit salad, buckwheat carrot cake, yoghurt, granola, quinoa and greens, avocado. Photo credit: Brandi Daniels at Eat.Drink.Yoga

Buckwheat Carrot Cake makes one 9-inch round cake

cashew cream, cinnamon, lemon zest

Carrot Cake

• 1.75 cups buckwheat flour
• 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill; alternately, you can use all buckwheat)  
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 cup almond or rice milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrot + extra optional for garnish
• 1/2 cup raisins + extra optional for garnish
• zest and juice of half a lemon

Cashew Cream 

• 1.5 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight, drained
• 3 Tbsp agave nectar (maple syrup would also be tasty)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9-inch round baking pan.

Make cashew cream by combining cashews, agave, lemon juice and zest in a food processor or high speed blender. Let this baby BLEND until it's silky in texture. Add additional sweetener and lemon zest to your taste. Cover the frosting and place in the fridge so the flavors can meld.

 For the cake, combine flours, spices, baking powder and soda, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in apple sauce, milk, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Add wet mixture to dry. Fold in carrots and raisins.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 min, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Careful not to over-bake, once you hit the 30 minute mark, check on the cake and continue checking. 

Once it's done, remove the cake and let it cool. I let mine sit covered on the counter all day, or for at least a few hours. Run some errands, grab coffee with a friend, then come back to it.

When you're ready to frost, how easy is this, place the cake on your serving plate, dollop the frosting on top of the cake. For this version, I kept the frosting on top, you could also work it onto the sides. Use a spatula to smooth the frosting while twisting the plate in a circular motion. 

Optional garnish; I tossed the extra carrot in cinnamon and a touch of agave, and sprinkled it along the edges, then followed with raisins.

Yoga & Pilates Retreat Recipes

I just got back from my most recent stint of work with Azul Yoga & Pilates at their southern California location. I'm so inspired by the healing power of real food, and by it's ability to fuel our most exciting adventures.

In between sunset deck yoga sessions and pool lounging, I'll often be found in the kitchen, preparing daily brunch and dinners for retreat guests. With as many people who walk through the doors of any Azul retreat, all have particular eating habits, allergies and preferences. In their week with us, they are invited to eat a whole-foods, plant-based vegetarian diet; a mixture of recipes from resident chef, Jo Dombernowski, in Fuerteventura, and myself.

Top deck view at sunset from Vista Villa Azul, November 2014

Every so often, a week in the kitchen will be challenged by further dietary needs and allergies; this past week, that meant eliminating gluten and dairy, in addition to being a vegetarian plant-based retreat. Everything is made from scratch, with care, and with a focus on sustainable organic sourcing.

I know heaps of vegetarians that rely on dairy to get protein, myself included. I love a great cheese, and regularly eat whole milk yogurt. I love creaminess in recipes, yet try not to consume too much dairy, as it is an inflammatory for our bodies. This week, I turned to alternate sources for flavor and texture. A cashew cream frosting for carrot cake, a toasted nut base for pesto. After eating like this for a week, I felt on top of the world. That's the healing power of whole foods. The sand and surf didn't hurt either.

I want to share this delectable world of whole foods with you, so in the next couple of weeks, I'll be posting what I call a Retreat Recipes Special Collection. These are recipes of my own creation or adaptation. If you're interested in more recipes like this, you can check out Jo's cookbook, straight from the kitchen of Azul in Fuerteventura.

To kick off this foodie fest, I have a spectacular veggie pizza for you. This is veg from top to bottom. A crust of roasted butternut squash and almond meal, topped with a vegan pesto, red onion, zucchini, kalamata olives, and arugula. This is seriously the bomb. It was raved about over the table last week and was dubbed 'the best pizza I've ever had in my life' by one of our guests!

 Incredible Vegetable Pizza serves 4-6 Adapted from Wholehearted Eats

 pesto, kalamata, zucchini, arugula

Crust

• 1 butternut squash (2-3 cups squash puree)
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Pesto

• 1 large bunch basil (1 cup loosely packed)
• 1 cup spinach, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt to taste

Toppings

• 1 zucchini
• 1 small red onion
• 3/4 cup kalamata olives
• 2 handfuls arugula

method

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve butternut squash and place cut side down in a baking dish filled halfway with water. Bake for 35-40 min until skin can be easily pierced by a fork. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, make pesto by combining all pesto ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, add sea salt to taste. Set aside.

Once squash has cooled, scoop out flesh into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining crust ingredients. and mix until smooth. Depending how much squash you ended up with, you may need to add more flour to create a thicker dough. You want it to be soft, but able to form a loose ball.

Use your hands to press the dough into lined baking tray, creating a little lip at the edges. What's great about this dough is that you can pick it up and eat it like any other pizza. None of that crumbly cauliflower crap here!

Bake the crust for 30-35 min until it's golden brown. Remove from over, let cool slightly. Spread on pesto, and all of your toppings. note: I like to toss my zucchini and onion in a little olive oil so that they crisp up nicely in the oven. Keep arugula on the side for now. Bake pizza for another 15-20 min until vegetables begin to caramelize. Remove from oven, let cool for 5-7 minutes, then top with arugula.

  
enjoy!

Top Recipes of 2014

Here are the top recipes from the past year! I love reflecting on some of the best meals of the year-- I hope you enjoy them as well!

10. Dark Chocolate Courgette Muffins

One of the great recipes from my time working in the kitchens of Azul Fit Yoga & Pilates retreat. Double chocolate and packed with veg?! That's my kinda muffin!

9. Chili Negro

Coined as the 'best chili of your life', no exaggeration here. It's made entirely from scratch, with dried chili pods. Make a double batch so you can freeze plenty and bust it out whenever the mood strikes.

8. Raspberry Goat Whey Protein Shake

This year, I tried goat whey protein for the first time, and man, is it great. Tera's Whey brand makes an exceptional powder, easy for blending into smoothies, solid taste profile even for those who aren't goat-milk savvy.

7. Peachy Mint Smoothie

A classic. Icey, creamy, green and slightly sweet. The perfect combination for this refreshing smoothie.

6. Paleo Apple Crumble

Made with tart green apples, almond meal, ghee, and coconut sugar, this crumble remains rich and satisfying without the sugar hangover or heaviness. We loved it with some Coconut Bliss ice cream.

5. Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich

One of the first recipes in our arsenal since moving up to Bellingham. This twist on classic chicken salad was warmly welcomed. Using tarragon and fennel to give a sweetness to the this savory sammy.

4. French Lentil Soup

I made this soup after an annual fruit feast for 40 Days to Personal Revolution, a Baptiste Program. Though lentils are tough for some to digest, soaking them prior to cooking makes all the difference for our bodies. If you're looking to stabilize your body after the holiday sugar rush, give this soup a try.

3. Green Split Peas & Cilantro Pesto with Greens

Last January, I talked about my 80/20 rule for eating, read more here and get more information on what a whole foods diet really means. PS, this cilantro pesto is the truth and you can put it on anything.

2. NICE Bars

No surprise here, these are such a hit! After getting my hands on some brown rice syrup, I was inspired to save my wallet by making my own version of a KIND bar. These are 100% adaptable to your own tastes, just match the proportions.

1. Goat Milk Kefir Overnight Oats

Once of my all-time favorite breakfasts, overnight oats. I much prefer them with kefir, as it's thicker than milk, and has more protein for sticking power. This recipe is a classic and had, by far, the most page views in the last year!


Thank you so much for an amazing year; for reading along through the recipes and inspired living. It is a privilege to share, and I'm overjoyed to see it making a difference in people's lives. Cheers to another big year!