I love baking. And cakes. I often go through cookbooks looking for inspiration and for recipes that I can adapt, and make a little bit healthier by removing refined sugars and flour and adding ingredients that have a little more nutritional value. That way I can eat more cake.

I adapted this torte from a Margaret Fulton recipe. I’ve used a mix of quinoa and oat flour here and I think they add flavour while keeping the texture light but you could use whatever flour you prefer.The ingredients for the caramel syrup makes far more than you need, but it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to be used in future baking… or on pancakes! The coconut sugar acts quite differently from white caster sugar, it needs to be stirred and only cooked until completely melted. The molasses like taste of the coconut sugar makes this the perfect cake to have with coffee or tea. Which is what I’m doing while I write this.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

1/4 cup caramel syrup (see below)

1/3 cup quinoa flour (process quinoa flakes until they resemble flour)

1/3 cup oat flour (as above)

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Topping

1/4cup chopped toasted almonds

1-2 Tbs caramel syrup

Caramel Syrup

1 cup coconut sugar

1 cup boiling water

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease a 23cm springform cake tin

To make caramel syrup: Gently melt 1 cup coconut sugar in a heavy based saucepan until liquid – it will start to resemble honeycomb. Remove from the heat and very slowly pour in boiling water and mix until coconut sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool. It will be thinner than you expect!

Beat the egg yolks until thick, pale and creamy, then beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the caramel syrup and beat until well blended.

Pour well combined flours, baking powder and salt over the mixture and gently fold in.

In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue whisking until they hold their shape. Gradually whisk in coconut sugar until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Fold into the yolk mixture along with the chopped nuts. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 20 mintues , add topping (instructions below) continue cooking for a further 5 minutes, or until golden brown and just beginning to shrink away from the sides.

While cake is cooking prepare the topping. Coat the nuts in the caramel and spread over the top of the cake 5 minutes before removing from the oven.

Once removed from the oven, remove the sides of the pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve with natural yoghurt beaten with vanilla paste.

HH. x