Gluten free, dairy free

Creating a healthy food culture is all about balance, and allowing a little time for some of the sweeter things in life from time to time plays a big part in this. It’s not often we use sugar these days in the Billabong kitchen, but if we do, we use very minimally refined sweeteners like raw honey or evaporated coconut nectar.

This recipe uses evaporated coconut sugar which is rich in taste and flavour, full of minerals and has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar.

In saying all of that, this cake is full of beautiful flavours and spices and is perfect straight from the oven while it’s warm! Sit down with some friends in front of a fire with a tea and indulge in the warm, sweet, spicy goodness.

There are two parts to this recipe: Roasting the pears, and then making the cake.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

  • A cake mixer with a whisk attachment (or a strong whisking forearm)
  • A baking tray lined with baking paper
  • A small mixing bowl
  • An oven

INGREDIENTS: (Firstly for the roast pears)

  • 1kg x ripe pears (medium firmness is best) core taken out and cut into rough cm sized pieces.
  • 1/4 tsp x cinnamon (ground)
  • A sprinkle x cardamom (ground)
  • 1/4 tsp x vanilla beans
  • 1 tsp x fresh ginger (finely grated)
  • Punch x sea salt
  • 1/4 cup x maple syrup
  • (PREHEATED OVEN TO 180 degrees)

HOW TO MAKE:

  • Mix all of your ingredients well in a bowl.
  • Pour onto baking paper spreading out somewhat evenly and place in the oven.
  • Roast for approximately 25-35 minutes or until golden and soft.

The darker they get, the richer and more caramel like the flavour will be. Unless they go black, then you have gone too far?

  • Remove from tray to cool quicker and only add to cake mix once they are room temperature.

INGREDIENTS: (For the cake)

  • 8 x egg yolks
  • 4 x whole eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups x coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon x vanilla bean
  • 1 x 400ml tin organic coconut cream (I recommend Honest to Goodness brand as it is one of purest and best tasting in the market)
  • 1 tsp x orange zest (no white pith and chopped finely)
  • 1 tsp x fresh rosemary (chopped finely)
  • 1 cup x natural, unbleached almond meal.
  • 1 1/2 cups x organic brown rice flour.
  • A handful x activated almonds (or raw if you don’t have them)
  • 3/4 teaspoon x baking powder
  • Your roast maple pears(any maple syrup left strained and kept aside)

HOW TO MAKE:

  1. Add your eggs & coconut sugar to your mixer’s bowl and mix on high for about 5 minutes or until the mix becomes fluffy and thick.

This is known as the ribbon stage in baking.

  1. Turn your mixer to low and add your spices, rosemary and coconut cream.
  2. Now add almond meal, then brown rice flour, then baking powder and mix on medium speed for another two minutes.
  3. Turn off mixer and fold in most of your pear’s using a spatula or large spoon. Save a few to use for the top of the cake.
  4. Pour mix into tray evenly and spread the rest of your pears, almonds, some chopped rosemary and a little of the leftover maple syrup over the top.
  5. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden, the cake is slightly firm and springy to touch, and a knife or skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

TO SERVE:

  • Serve warm from the oven as is or leave the cool. This last about 4-5 days in the fridge.

Enjoy!

About The Chef:

Simon Favorito: Executive Chef and Head of Wholefood Education

Simon Favorito comes from a lineage of wholefood chefs & has spent over half his life helping people to discover the magic of wholefood medicine through the culinary arts as a chef, a natural health practitioner, coach & teacher.

Simon offers conscious event catering, educational courses and personalized coaching that combine natural health principles, wholistic nutritional, modern psychology, traditional & contemporary food philosophy to help individuals create their own life changing food culture.

You can find Si cooking and teaching at Billabong Retreat every week Wednesday to Friday. For information on Wholefoods medicine, recipes, workshops and courses, be sure to visit Simon’s Facebook page: Your Conscious Kitchen. or his Instagram Page