Did I tell you I’ve been on the Whole30 program for the past three weeks? Well, I cheated twice, so technically I cannot say that I’m doing the Whole30, but apart from those two cheat meals I have been following it strictly and so is my husband. Aside from the struggles of eating out and attending press events, I am not finding the diet too hard to follow. I feel better and lighter already so that’s enough for motivation! My main issues come with baking without grains, dairy and sugar.
After the first week of eating eggs for breakfast every day, I couldn’t take it anymore and I just wanted to eat some cake. Last weekend I made a Date and Almond Bread (adapted from this vegan recipe by Food52) and I knew immediately I had found the perfect Whole30 cake recipe for our breakfasts!
We finished the first loaf in a few days, so on Wednesday I baked another Date and Almond Bread. I corrected the amounts of the ingredients and added a handful of dried fruits to the batter: the result is a softer and moister cake. That might also be because I used the softest and sweetest dates ever from Brixton Market! They were really cheap too! :)
Ingredients
- 200g pitted dates
- 2 1/2 cups ground almonds
- 6 tbsp flax seed
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- handful of dried fruits
Preparation
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Start by making a date paste (ideally the day before): pack your pitted dates in a jar and cover them with water, making sure you fill it right to the top. Cover and let your dates soak overnight or at least 12 hours. Alternatively soak the dates in water and warm them in the microwave.
Transfer the dates and the water to a food processor and blitz them on high speed for a few minutes, until smooth and creamy in consistency.
Mix together the dry ingredients: almond flour, flax seed, tapioca starch, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the vinegar and almond milk vigorously, until it’s frothy. Add the coconut oil. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ones until just mixed.
Fold the dates into the cake mixture, along with the pecans. Add a splash of almond milk if the mixture is too dry or add more almond flour if it’s too wet.
Pour into a lined 2lb bread loaf pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes (check after half an hour to avoid burning the top of the cake), or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes to cool down, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool down completely.
Enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee! It’s also delicious if you spread a layer of cashew butter over it! :P
Love this recipe? Try these Black Bean Brownies, Chestnut Cake and Sweet Potato Brownies.
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[…] 12. Paleo Date and Almond Bread This bread is packed with flavor, protein, fiber, and other healthy nutrients with flaxseed, tapioca starch, almond milk, chopped pecans, coconut oil, ground almonds, dates, and other dried fruits. It’s a sweet bread, so it makes a lovely dessert warm and smeared with butter. […]
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