Chocolatey Sweet Potato & Macadamia Cream Cake | Recipe

These are more like lovely little almond cakes than donuts, but they work really well in the ring shape. If rosewater is not your thing, leave it out and add a little more vanilla extract. Rosewater can vary in strength, so add it to taste, with some caution.

Ingredients

• 1 large orange sweet potato (about 420g), peeled and chopped
• 75g gluten-free flour blend
• 50g (½ cup) cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 115g (1/3 cup) rice malt syrup
• 100g butter, melted
• 150g (½ cup) apple purée
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Dutch-processed cocoa powder,
• for dusting

Macadamia vanilla cream

• 150g (1 cup) macadamias
• about 80ml (1/3 cup) coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
• 1 tablespoon melted virgin
• coconut oil
• 3 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

Serves: 10-12

This cake will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Method

To make the macadamia vanilla cream, soak the macadamias in cold water for about 2 hours, to soften slightly. Drain and rinse well. Place 60ml (¼ cup) of the coconut milk, the rice malt syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and finally the macadamias in a blender and blend until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender, if required. Add a little more coconut milk if needed to keep the mixture moving – but not too much as the mixture should be quite thick and creamy.

Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until required.

Steam or microwave the sweet potato until tender. Drain, mash and set aside to cool. You will need 260g (1 cup) of sweet potato for this cake.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan-forced). Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the rice malt syrup and butter until combined, then whisk in the sweet potato, apple purée and vanilla extract. Whisk the flour mixture into the sweet potato mixture alternately with the eggs until combined.

Working quickly, stir the vinegar into the mixture and immediately spoon it into the prepared tin. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until just firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Slice the cooled cake in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate or cake stand and spread with the macadamia vanilla cream. Top with the remaining cake half, dust with cocoa powder and serve.