SWEET POTATO SPICE CAKE WITH MACA ROOT

As this gorgeous country of ours gracefully enters Autumn, I'm craving more and more hot mugs of cacao, herbal teas, warming spices and grounding food.

This special and unique recipe is full of just those things, from hormone balancing Peruvian Maca Root powder, to a generous helping of medicinal ginger, cloves, cinnamon and other healing spices, to one of New Zealand's most underrated superfoods - the humble, delicious Kumara (sweet potato)!

Delightfully dense, deeply flavoursome and topped with a creamy cashew nut vanilla icing, this cake is so full of goodness it's outrageous! It's gluten, refined sugar free and 100% vegan. The perfect guilt-free afternoon tea cake, it goes beautifully with a chai masala tea or earl grey. Enjoy!

Ahh KUMARA! So perfect for sweet baking as well as savoury dishes! These nuggets of gold are full of vitamin C, E, and an exceptional source of beta carotene. That means Vitamin A (quadruple the daily recommendation!), delivered direct to fortify your skin, hair, eyes and immune system! Bursting with antioxidants,  anti-inflammatory properties and fabulous fibre, this cake won't spike your blood sugar like any old afternoon tea treat. You’ll be fuller, more energised and more satisfied for longer. 

MACA ROOT is also featured in this recipe. Also known as Peruvian Ginseng, Maca is a root veggie that only grows in Peru at super high altitudes. It has been cultivated there for more than 2,000 years and was traditionally revered for its effects on longevity and energy. Maca has a nutty/vanilla like taste which is delicious in creamy smoothies, baking or over cereal.

• Maca is wonderful for hormone imbalances as it improves the function of the endocrine system. 

• The adaptogens found in Maca increase stamina, endurance and overall energy.

• Maca is credited with having the ability to help the body to handle stress.

• Due to its content of vitamin C and zinc, maca is great for immunity.

• Maca contains calcium, phosphorus, fatty acids, vitamin B1 and B12 which nourish and calm our bodies in a way that creates a healthy nervous system.

Psst! Thanks toHealth Post I'm giving away 5 packs of BioBalance Maca Root powder! Head to Facebook to enter the competition!

Sooo many nourishing spices!

Ok I won't tease you any longer! Here's how to make this goodness:

For the cake
5 small orange kumara (sweet potatoes)
1 cup buckwheat flour (this is so easy to make! just blitz buckwheat groats in your high speed blender for a few seconds!)
2 cups ground almonds (you could use nut milk pulp! Just reduce the water and perhaps add a tablespoon of coconut oil)
3/4 cup BioBalance Organic Coconut Sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup BioBalance Organic Maca Powder
2 teaspoons vanilla 
A pinch salt

For your spices
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice 
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Creamy Cashew Icing
1 cup raw cashews, soaked a couple of hours and rinsed
2 Tbsp BioBalance Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
2 Tbsp raw honey (Earthbound Manuka honey is the bees!)
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice, to taste
1/4 tsp sea salt
1-2 tablespoons of water, as needed to blend

Directions

• Peel and chop the kumara and steam for 20 minutes until SUPER soft and tender.
  
• Meanwhile, line two equal size cake tins with baking paper and turn on your oven to 180 degrees C. 
  
• In a big bowl, mix all your dry ingredients except the coconut sugar. That's your buckwheat flour, ground almonds, spice mix, maca root powder and salt. 
  
• When the Kumara are soft and can crumble easily, remove from steamer and place in a bowl. Add coconut sugar, vanilla, honey and water and mash your until all the sugar has melted and you have a smooth, sweet Kumara purée. 
• Fold the wet into the dry and mix thoroughly. The mixture will feel really dense but don't worry! This is normal!
• Pour the cake batter into your two lined cake tins and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until you can put a knife in it and it comes out clean. 
• Once cooked, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool right down.  
• While it cools, prepare the creamy cashew icing. This is such a beautiful icing! Creamy and zingy and honey sweet! Blend all ingredients up until incredibly smooth your high speed blender or food processor. Once your cake is completely cool you can ice it! In the centre and on the top. Garnish with anything you fancy! I'm definitely on a fig buzz so I opted for fresh figs and pistachios :)

Getting all your daily antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in one go? Piece of cake!!!