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Vanilla Cake with White Chocolate and Raspberries (gluten-free; nut-free; vegan) is the recipe for today!
This cake is flavourful and fluffy with an amazing crumbly structure - no one will ever guess that it is gluten-free. ;)
And something, not that commonly used in the creams as a base, as this cake is nut-free, I'm using an amazing seed!
Grab the recipe with some facts about sunflower seeds ;)
Sunflower seeds may help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar as they contain vitamin E, magnesium, protein, linoleic fatty acids and several plant compounds.
Furthermore, studies link sunflower seeds to multiple other health benefits.
Inflammation
While short-term inflammation is a natural immune response, chronic inflammation is a risk factor for many chronic diseases.
For example, increased blood levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In a study in more than 6,000 adults, those who reported eating sunflower seeds and other seeds at least five times a week had 32% lower levels of C-reactive protein compared to people who ate no seeds.
Though this type of study cannot prove cause and effect, it is known that vitamin E — which is abundant in sunflower seeds — helps lower C-reactive protein levels.
Flavonoids and other plant compounds in sunflower seeds also help reduce inflammation.
Heart Disease
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
A compound in sunflower seeds blocks an enzyme that causes blood vessels to constrict. As a result, it may help your blood vessels relax, lowering your blood pressure. The magnesium in sunflower seeds helps reduce blood pressure levels as well.
Additionally, sunflower seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. Your body uses linoleic acid to make a hormone-like compound that relaxes blood vessels, promoting lower blood pressure. This fatty acid also helps lower cholesterol.
In a 3-week study, women with type 2 diabetes who ate 1 ounce (30 grams) of sunflower seeds daily as part of a balanced diet experienced a 5% drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number of a reading).
Participants also noted a 9% and 12% decrease in “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively.
Furthermore, in a review of 13 studies, people with the highest linoleic acid intake had a 15% lower risk of heart disease events, such as heart attack, and a 21% lower risk of dying of heart disease, compared to those with the lowest intake.
Diabetes
The effects of sunflower seeds on blood sugar and type 2 diabetes have been tested in a few studies and seem promising, but more research is needed.
Studies suggest that people who eat 1 ounce (30 grams) of sunflower seeds daily as part of a healthy diet may reduce fasting blood sugar by about 10% within six months, compared to a healthy diet alone.
The blood-sugar-lowering effect of sunflower seeds may partially be due to the plant compound chlorogenic acid.
Studies also suggest that adding sunflower seeds to foods like bread may help decrease carbs’ effect on your blood sugar. The seeds’ protein and fat slow the rate at which your stomach empties, allowing a more gradual release of sugar from carbs.
Potential Downsides
While sunflower seeds are healthy, they have several potential downsides.
Calories and Sodium
Though rich in nutrients, sunflower seeds are relatively high in calories.
Eating the seeds in the shell is a simple way to slow your eating pace and calorie intake while snacking, as it takes time to crack open and spit out each shell.
However, if you’re watching your salt intake, keep in mind that the shells — which people commonly suck on before cracking them open — are often coated with more than 2,500 mg of sodium — 108% of the RDI — per 1/4 cup (30 grams).
Sodium content may not be apparent if the label only provides nutrition information for the edible portion — the kernels inside the shells. Some brands sell reduced-sodium versions.
Cadmium
Another reason to eat sunflower seeds in moderation is their cadmium content. This heavy metal can harm your kidneys if you’re exposed to high amounts over a long period.
Sunflowers tend to take up cadmium from the soil and deposit it in their seeds, so they contain somewhat higher amounts than most other foods.
The WHO advises a weekly limit of 490 micrograms (mcg) of cadmium for a 154-pound (70-kg) adult.
When people ate 9 ounces (255 grams) of sunflower seeds per week for one year, their average estimated cadmium intake increased from 65 mcg to 175 mcg per week. That said, this amount didn’t raise their blood levels of cadmium or damage their kidneys.
Therefore, you shouldn’t worry about eating reasonable amounts of sunflower seeds, such as 1 ounce (30 grams) per day — but you shouldn’t eat a bagful in a day.
Sprouted Seeds
Sprouting is an increasingly popular method of preparing seeds.
Occasionally, seeds are contaminated with harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, which can thrive in the warm, moist conditions of sprouting.
This is of special concern in raw sprouted sunflower seeds, which may not have been heated above 118℉ (48℃).
Drying sunflower seeds at higher temperatures helps destroy harmful bacteria. One study found that drying partially sprouted sunflower seeds at temperatures of 122℉ (50℃) and above significantly reduced Salmonella presence.
If bacterial contamination is discovered in certain products, they may be recalled — as has happened with raw sprouted sunflower seeds. Never eat recalled products.
Stool Blockages
Eating a large number of sunflower seeds at once has occasionally resulted in fecal impaction — or stool blockages — in both children and adults.
Eating sunflower seeds in the shell may increase your odds of fecal impaction, as you may unintentionally eat shell fragments, which your body cannot digest.
An impaction may leave you unable to have a bowel movement. Your doctor may need to remove the blockage while you’re under general anesthesia.
Besides being constipated due to the fecal impaction, you may leak liquid stool around the blockage and have abdominal pain and nausea, among other symptoms.
Allergies
Though allergies to sunflower seeds are relatively uncommon, some cases have been reported. Reactions may include asthma, mouth swelling, itching of the mouth, hay fever, skin rashes, lesions, vomiting and anaphylaxis.
The allergens are various proteins in the seeds. Sunflower seed butter — roasted, ground seeds — can be just as allergenic as whole seeds.
Refined sunflower oil is far less likely to contain enough of the allergenic proteins, but in rare cases, highly sensitive people have had reactions to trace amounts in the oil.
Sunflower seed allergies are more common in people exposed to sunflower plants or seeds as part of their job, such as sunflower farmers and bird breeders.
In your home, feeding pet birds sunflower seeds can release these allergens into the air, which you inhale. Young children may become sensitized to sunflower seeds by exposure to the proteins through damaged skin.
In addition to food allergies, some people have developed allergies to touching sunflower seeds, such as when making yeast bread with sunflower seeds, resulting in reactions such as itchy, inflamed hands.*source
Let's jump straight to the recipe!
Prep: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Level: medium
Servings: 6 portions
Calories per serving: 471 kcal
Find the recipe & nutrition facts below :
Ingredients:
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 3 tbsp warm water
1 cup + 3 tbsp gluten-free oats (150 gr)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp tapioca starch (or any other)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup +1 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp vinegar
For the Cream:
1 cup sunflower seeds (soaked for 1 hour in hot water)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp coconut milk (canned)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp agar agar
1/2 cup white chocolate chip
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
For the Decoration:
frozen or fresh raspberries
Method:
Step 1: Prepare the flax egg by mixing the ground flaxseed with hot water. Set aside for 5 min.
Step 2: In a food processor or high-speed blender blend oats into flour.
Step 3: In a large bowl add the oat flour, baking powder, sugar, starch and vanilla, mix together and then add the soy milk, vinegar, and oil. Mix well together.
(the batter should be liquid).
Step 5: Transfer batter to a 16 cm (heart-shaped pan (or any other pan) (greased if your pan is not a non-stick pan).
Step 6: Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick from the center comes out almost clean.
*If you start to see some brown edges and your cake is still not cooked well inside, cover it with aluminum foil until a toothpick comes out dry.
Step 7: Let the cake cool down and cut it horizontally into 2 layers.
Step 8: Prepare the cream just by blending everything except coconut milk, agar-agar, chocolate, and raspberries. In a small pan mix agar and coconut milk and cook until they boil to activate agar. Transfer to the other ingredients and blend again. Melt the white chocolate and add it to the cream.
Step 9: Add the cream into a piping bag and cover with the cream the first and the second layers of cake. Let it sit in the fridge for 30 mins. to an hour and decorate with fresh or frozen raspberries.
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