Ever since I moved to the UK I have been trying to find a way to "deal" with the rainy and windy days when I cannot go outside. In the first months I would still go out because I wanted to explore the new city I was living in. I've tried everything from pretending to ignore the rain and wind and pretending not to care about what it makes me look like to dressing thick, expecting that if I am warm I'll be fine. It inevitably turns into "I should've stayed home. Why am I here? Shoes are muddy. What am I doing with my life?" kind of thing. Now I prefer to make the wise choice and stay indoors if the sky looks suspicious. And on days like these I like to read a lot, drink a gallon of tea and maaaaybe have a small treat with it.
If I make it myself and I know it's healthy I won't feel guilty and will actually enjoy it.
From since I was a teen every year when I "smell" that the summer is gone I bake a cake. I call it The Autumn Cake. Creative, I know. I put in it the tasty fruits I associate with autumn as well as walnuts which I associate with the autumns of my childhood when my cousins, sister and I would be in our grandma's house chilling in the garden eating them. It's kind of like "Summer is over, let's have a treat." You can have it with tea, coffee, juice or just by itself.
This year I decided to make the cake gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. Let's see!
Makes 8 servings Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 45 minutes
Ingredients
200g plain soy yogurt (I like to use Alpro for the good protein content)
1 tbsp soda bicarbonate
40g coconut oil
3 medium eggs
50g honey (I prefer Acacia honey but any other honey would do) 250g gluten free white flour
40g walnuts
2 handfuls of white grapes
1 medium apple
1 heaped tbsp dark cocoa powder
Method
1. Mix the soda bicarbonate with the soy yogurt and let it raise
2. Add the eggs, honey, walnuts and melted coconut oil (leave a little to put on the baking tray)
3. Turn on the oven at 180 C (356 F)
4. Cut the apple in small cubes (about 1 cm)
5. Add the apple and grapes to the mixture and mix well
6. Add the flour and leave a little to put an the baking tray
7. Cover the bottom of the baking tray with coconut oil and then sprinkle the rest of the flour to prevent the cake from sticking.
8. Pour 3/4 of the mixture into the tray and add the cocoa powder to the rest. Add the cocoa part to the rest by pouring it in the center of the tray. Bake for 45 minutes.
Check with tooth pick whether it's ready and let it cool.
I like to squeeze a little honey on top just to finish it.
Grab a piece, a hot drink and a book and forget about the rain outside. :)