SPICED WALNUT CAKE (KARIDOPITA) WITH RAW DATE SYRUP

June 19, 2017 by Renee Tavoularis

Ingredients

For the CAKE:

1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
1/2 cup coconut sugar
zest of 1 organic lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole grain spelt flour
1 cup finely ground walnuts
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the SYRUP:

8 medjool dates, pitted
1 cup filtered water, plus extra for soaking the dates
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For SERVING:

1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for 24 hours
pinch fine sea salt
chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with olive oil.
• Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, applesauce, olive oil, coconut sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla.
• Add in the flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until just combined.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit in the pan on a cooling rack.

While the cake cools, make the syrup:

• Add the dates to a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit for 20 minutes to soften. Once the dates have soaked, drain the water.
• Add the dates, filtered water, and lemon juice to the container of a high speed blender. Blend for 60 seconds, or until very smooth. Set aside.

Make the coconut whipped cream:

• Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the top layer of solid coconut cream into the bowl of a stand mixer. (Discard the coconut liquid or save it for a smoothie.) Mix the coconut cream and salt on low speed until combined, then beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Gently remove the cake from the pan and place it on a serving dish. Pour the date syrup over the cake (use as much or as little as you like), then top the cake with coconut cream, chopped walnuts, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Notes:

Make sure you use a full-fat, canned coconut milk. Be sure to stay away from coconut milks with stabilizers and gums because the cream won't separate from the liquid even when refrigerated. The Aroy-D brand tends to produce reliably good results.

If you would prefer not to soak the cake in date syrup, you can instead drizzle syrup on top of the cake just before serving. Any leftover date syrup will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge. It makes an excellent sweetener in coffee, smoothies, oatmeal or as a pancake or waffle syrup.

Founder’s family recipes adapted for WELL WITHIN by Amanda Maguire. Photo by Aaron Scott.
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