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Lentil purée boosts this moist, flavourful cake with iron, protein and fibre, plus it lowers the fat content.
1/2 cup dried green or brown lentils
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup rolled oats, ground coarsely with a food processor
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup icing sugar
grated orange zest, from 1 orange
2 tbsp orange juice
In a small pot, combine lentils and water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently, covered, for 30 minutes or until lentils are mushy. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and set lentils aside to cool. Then purée with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender or food processor and purée, adding 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) of cooking liquid if necessary. (This can be done a day or two ahead. You can freeze leftover purée in an ice cube tray, then plop a few cubes into soups or sauces you'd like to thicken and add fibre to.)
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large bowl, whisk together oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In the bowl of an electric blender or a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add oil and brown sugar, and beat until smooth. Add the buttermilk and 1 cup (250 mL) of the lentil purée, and beat until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients in thirds until blended. Pour into a lightly oiled Bundt or tube pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until cake looks firm on top, it starts to come away from the edges of the pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.
To make glaze, whisk together icing sugar, zest and juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake and serve.
In 1 slice: 209 calories, 5.5 g protein, 5.0 g fat, 35.8 g carbohydrates, 2.8 g dietary fibre, 65 mg calcium
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