From Maria-Carin Gala’s Organic Kitchen: “When strawberries and rhubarb are in season what heavenly combination these flavours create. Juicy, soft, sweet, interesting, and not to forget, healthy.”
Strawberry Rhubarb and Coconut Cream Cake
When strawberries and rhubarb are in season what heavenly combination these flavours create. Juicy, soft, sweet, interesting, and not to forget, healthy. I was mighty delighted when I came up with this recipe. I hope you will be, too.
I love how it requires no additional oil, just the coconut cream is enough and gives it plenty of flavour. I used to bake this weekly for the farmers’ markets in Sydney where I ran a stall with a dear healthy foodie friend Ron. We called ourselves ‘Wholefoods Warriors’, making deliciously healthy meals out of gluten-free sprouted ancient grains and so much more, but that’s another story…
Do serve this cake with Vanilla Cashew Cream (see below).
Makes 26 cm spring form
Dry ingredients
1 & 1/2 cups almond meal
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup maize flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour, or corn starch
3/4-1 cup rapadura sugar, or coconut sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tbsp ground ginger
Wet ingredients
400ml really thick coconut cream
1 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon rind
More ingredients
150g fresh strawberries, chopped into smallish pieces
150g or 3 stalks raw rhubarb, chopped into 1cm pieces
Action
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Line a medium size cake tin with baking paper.
Chop the fruit.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the wet ones, followed by the fruit, and pour into cake tin.
Bake 45-50 minutes. The top should be slightly brown. When a knife is inserted in the middle and comes out somewhat clean, it is ready.
Cool on a wire rack.
This cake firms up when stored in the fridge over night. Be sure to warm it up before serving.
Best enjoyed freshly baked on the day.
Beautiful, enjoy with animal friendly vegan cream.
Tips
If you are not making the Vanilla Cashew Cream and are planning to serving it without a topping, then add a few chopped strawberry and rhubarb pieces on top of the cake just before putting it into the oven. That will give it a nice look.
I know some of you will experiment with exchanging ingredients. If you don’t have everything at hand, my experience showed that substituting maize flour for corn starch makes the cake gluggy, use buckwheat for rice flour instead.
Instead of the coconut sugar you can use 1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup.
You can make this recipe into muffins, or a slice too. Just lessen the baking time for muffins or slice, as they obviously bake quicker.
Vanilla Cashew Cream
When I first discovered this white vegan cream my life changed. To prove its lasting nature, even after years, I still make it with the same passion and eat it with just as much glee, knowing it’s so darn good for me too.
This is a great classic vegan version of a thick, white glaze, or a creamy icing.
You can adjust the consistency easily by adding more, or less rice milk. Also, when left in the fridge over night it will thicken exponentially. The cream lasts for up to 4-5 days in the fridge and defrosts well when frozen, just be sure to re-blend the cream to recreate that smoothness.
Cashew cream is definitely best eaten brand-spanking-fresh.
Ingredients
1 cup organic raw cashews, soaked overnight
1-1/2 cup rice milk, depending on desired consistency
2 tbsp maple syrup, or medjool dates
Tiny pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon juice for optional extra zing
Real vanilla seeds out of a fresh juicy pod, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Action
Strain the cashews and discard water.
Place all ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and whiz until creamy.
Enjoy with a gazillion things. For example: all by itself topped with ripe fruit, or cover a cake and garnish with a sprig of mint, or a sprinkle of chopped nuts. Oolala!
Tips
If you are using the cream as an icing add an extra tablespoon of melted coconut oil, that will thicken it some more when left to cool in the fridge.
You can use a few soft dates instead of maple syrup.
Try macadamias instead of cashews.
You could add 2 tsp raw cacao for a chocolate version.
1 tsp carob for a child-friendly kinda-like-chocolate version.
Endless options yet again… let your creativity flow!
Recipe by Maria Carin Gala – galasorganickitchen.com – feedback on your cooking and baking experiences are welcome at: galasorganickitchen@gmail.com – more recipes by Carin on Osho News
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Through twists and turns to find my real passion – Maria-Carin’s life story
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