{"id":7506,"date":"2016-12-16T10:41:18","date_gmt":"2016-12-15T21:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascensionkitchen.com\/?p=7506"},"modified":"2020-03-14T17:23:30","modified_gmt":"2020-03-14T04:23:30","slug":"healthy-vegan-ginger-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ascensionkitchen.com\/healthy-vegan-ginger-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Vegan Ginger Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"

This healthy Vegan Ginger Cake is gluten free and filled with aromatic spices. Soft and moist, with a cashew lemon icing. Mineral-rich blackstrap molasses, whole dates and a little organic rice malt syrup make up the natural sweeteners. I served this with fresh blackberries, pomegranate and mint leaves – the perfect complement to ginger (and a few bright sweet-pea petals from the garden!).<\/em><\/p>\n

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The sweet luxury of having time for kitchen meditation – lost in the alchemy of bringing flavours togethers, filling the house with rich and warming scents, fluttering through the garden searching for fuchsia coloured treasures to decorate with… this is the bliss I’ve been wrapped in post graduation.<\/p>\n

Today’s recipe is an adaptation of my popular Chocolate Cake with Ganache<\/a>, so shares all the same virtues: made with whole food ingredients, entirely plant-based, gluten free, refined sugar free, free from traditional vegan baking ingredients such as egg replacers and highly processed vegetable ‘butters’, simple, perfect, soft and delicious.<\/p>\n

Devoured by the family before I could only really have a small slither myself, I had to make it again – which actually wasn’t such a bad thing.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=\"Healthy Vegan Ginger Cake with aromatic spices + lemon icing {GF}. Find it here!\"]<\/p>\n

The addition of sticky blackstrap molasses made for a slightly moister cake than the chocolate original, and the raw cashew icing tastes just like a traditional cream cheese icing – without the dairy or icing sugar.<\/p>\n

The only thing to note about the icing however, is that it is best spread over the cake right before serving as it can tend to discolour slightly.<\/p>\n

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Nutritional Highlights<\/h2>\n

Buckwheat flour<\/a> <\/strong>is used in place of wheat flour, and is naturally gluten free. As a functional food, it has attracted attention for its healing effect on some chronic diseases.<\/p>\n

It contains two special flavonoids called rutin <\/strong>and quercetin,<\/strong> which have been shown in studies to be anti-inflammatory and supportive of cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n

Buckwheat is a relatively high-protein<\/a> ‘flour’, it contains all essential amino acids and is also a good source of magnesium <\/a>– a mineral often depleted during stress.<\/p>\n

I’ve written in detail on the nutrition and health benefits of buckwheat here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Almond meal <\/strong>is used to complement buckwheat, it is also high in protein<\/a>, heart healthy monounsaturated fats, and the amino acid arginine. It helps keep the cake soft and fluffy.<\/p>\n

Organic, unsulphured blackstrap molasses <\/strong>is a natural sweetener which in my opinion is a health tonic in it’s own right. Yes – it is a form of sugar – but it is actually a potent source of minerals.<\/p>\n

A 15ml serving (one tablespoon) contains 3mg of iron<\/a> (the RDI for adult women is 8mg\/day), 115mg of calcium<\/a> (the RDI for adult women is 1000mg\/day), and 32mg of magnesium<\/a> (the RDI for adult women is 320mg\/day) [1].<\/p>\n

Whole Medjool dates <\/strong>lend a caramel taste, bringing fibre and minerals along with their natural sugars. Rice malt syrup <\/strong>further adds a mild sweetness, without any fructose (a simple sugar not well metabolised by the liver).<\/p>\n

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Ginger powder, <\/strong>best fresh (stale powder loses its gorgeous smell) is a known carminative – helping settle upset stomachs. It also promotes circulation and is warming to cooler constitutions.<\/p>\n

Cinnamon, <\/strong>another carminative due to the essential oil content, has been shown in studies to reduce blood glucose levels.<\/p>\n

Psyllium husks, <\/strong>pure dietary fibre from the plantago ovata plant, swell to form a gel when combined with liquid, making a vegan-friendly natural egg replacer.<\/p>\n

Coconut oil <\/strong>lends antiviral and antibacterial actions via its lauric acid content, and lastly, the organic soy lecithin<\/strong> used in the icing is necessary to help emulsify, thicken and set the mixture – though is also a great source of choline – a B-group vitamin required for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.<\/p>\n

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I know you will adore this cake – it’s absolutely heavenly – and festive of course.<\/p>\n

Decorate with any fruits and flowers you like, though the following have flavour affinities with ginger:<\/p>\n