I adore the nutty, earthy flavour of buckwheat flour, which pairs beautifully with the caramelised notes of coconut sugar and gooey pears. You will have no idea that this cake is vegan!
Serves 12
x Jordan
For the pears:
2 ripe pears, peeled and cut into 12 segments each
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
For the cake:
260g buckwheat flour
140g ground almonds
140g coconut sugar
2 cups almond, oat or coconut milk
⅔ cup light olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the topping:
1 cup extra thick, plain coconut yogurt
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
For the decorations:
2 tbsp coconut flakes, toasted
Preheat oven to 180°C on fan bake and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper.
First make the pears. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the pear slices, coconut sugar, olive oil and cinnamon. Stir everything together to coat the pear slices, and leave to cook until the pears are caramelized, for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Next, make the cake. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, ground almonds and sugar. Gradually add the coconut milk, oil and vanilla. In a cup, combine the baking soda and vinegar (it will froth up immediately) and add it to the batter. Mix until just incorporated.
Evenly place the cooled pear pieces into the lined tin. Pour over the batter and spread out to the sides.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
In the meantime, combine the coconut yogurt with the vanilla.
Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the coconut yogurt onto it (pear side up). Decorate with a scattering of toasted coconut flakes.
Serve at room temperature.
Refrigerate an airtight container for up to 3 days.