So here’s how it works…the sweetness comes from honey, not refined sugar, so we’re already one step ahead of the game. Honey is still sugar, so it’s not like you want to go eating it all the time, but if you need a little treat, and can find recipes with honey instead of sugar, it’s definitely preferable.
First of all, and important for Paleo eaters, honey metabolizes more slowly than raw sugar. And, there’s evidence that honey is a natural antibiotic and has probiotics and can help with seasonal allergies. All of these things make it a better choice than regular sugar. And by the way, it doesn’t really matter if your honey is raw or pasteurized, so grab the one that’s right for you.
Another thing that makes this cake Paleo-friendly is that regular flour is exchanged for almond and arrowroot flour. I’m assuming everyone knows what almonds are, but some of you may be curious about arrowroot. Arrowroot sort of looks like a white carrot in its whole state. It can be eaten raw and in various stages of cooking: like a French fry or mashed up. In this case, it’s dried and ground into a flour. Arrowroot is grown mostly in the Caribbean area and used to be a major food staple for the indigenous people of the Caribbean area. It’s a starch, but just like honey metabolizes slower than sugar, arrowroot metabolizes more slowly than wheat flour.
Most cakes call for cow’s milk as the wet part of the recipe. As most Paleo eaters know, humans didn’t keep animals like cows in the Paleolithic era so for this recipe we use almond milk and a touch of coconut oil, which also adds to the yummy flavor of this cake.
So, it’s really all about making better choices. We can’t realistically plan to never have anything sweet again or to eschew dessert every day of our lives (that’s cruel and unusual punishment if you ask me!) but if we can make those things a tad bit healthier, that’s a win, in my book.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- ¾ cup honey
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 1/3 cup liquid coconut oil
- ¾ cup almond milk
- seeds from one vanilla pods or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Line the sides and base of an 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper or grease it with coconut oil. In a small bowl mix the almond flour and arrowroot flour. Whip the egg whites and lemon juice to stiff peaks and set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and honey until light. Add in coconut oil and vanilla seeds and mix well. Add the almond flour mixture and mix well to combine. Add the almond milk and mix well. Carefully fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at the time. Repeat until all the egg whites are fold in.
- Pour the batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 45-60 minutes or until cake is barely jiggly in the center. If the top browns too quick before the minimum of 45 minutes, then cover the cake with aluminum foil and bake it, covered, until done.
- Let the cake cool completely to room temperature then refrigerate for minimum one hour before serving.