The Nutcracker Cake

• • 250 g all purpose flour
  • 500 g coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 ground cloves
  • 350 g butternut squash puree
  • 1 seeded vanilla bean
  • 60 ml grapes oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seeds, 3 Tbsp hot water)
  • 1 kg mascarpone
  • 150 ml plant-based milk
  • 200 g walnuts

• • One layer of cake, one layer of filling and then top with walnuts.
  • In order to get a more aesthetic look, use the top of the cake as the base layer, but make sure to place it face down.

• How to prepare the butternut squash:

  • Cut a butternut squash in half, extract the seeds and spray it with olive oil
  • Put it in the oven, face down, for 1 hour at 220 degrees Celsius
  • When it’s done, let it rest and, in the meantime, start preparing the cake

  To prepare the cake:

  • Set the oven at 180 degrees Celsius
  • In a round baking tray (24 cm diameter) place a parchment paper and spray it with oil
  • Into a mixing bowl, add the flour, 300 g coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves
  • Prepare your flax egg by adding 1 Tbsp ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp of hot water, the let it rest for 2-3 minutes until it has an eggy texture
  • Mix the flax egg, the butternut squash puree, oil, vinegar and vanilla seeds (extracted from the bean) with the rest of the ingredients in a mixer, until you get a creamy texture
  • Place the batter in the baking tray and cook it in the oven for 40 minutes. To check if your cake is ready, insert a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean, it means that it’s done
  • Transfer it from the tray and let it rest until it’s cool
  • Now, you need to cut the cake in half. In order to do it perfectly, you can place toothpicks all the way round to mark the center. Use a dental floss (or a normal thread), place it under the toothpick guide and carefully pull towards you. Then, separate the parts.

  To prepare the walnuts:

  • Place a parchment paper on an oven tray and bake the walnuts for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius
  • When they’re done, chop them in large chunks with a knife

  To prepare the filling:

  • In a mixing bowl, add the mascarpone, 200 g coconut sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and as you mix, add gradually the plant-based milk
  • Then, add the roasted walnuts into the filling.