Recipe of the Week: Prairie Spice Cake

Ingredients

Spice Cake

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or multigrain flour

• 1/4 cup barley flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 cup flax

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 cup ground flax

• 1/2 cup canola oil

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2/3 cup honey

• 1 1/2 cups lentil purée

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup chopped dates

Icing

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated canola margarine

• 2 tbsp cream or milk

• 1/4 cup walnuts or pecan

Preparation

In bowl, combine rolled oats, whole wheat flour, barley flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, flax, baking powder and ground flax. In another bowl, mix together canola oil, eggs, vanilla extract, honey and one cup lentil purée. Mix and add remaining 1/2 cup of lentil purée. Combine flour mixture, raisins and dates with lentil purée. Spread mixture into a 9 x 13-inch cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in oven at 350 F.

To make icing, combine ingredients together in small saucepan. Heat and stir until hot and sugar is dissolved. Spread over cake. Return to oven until it bubbles well, about three to five minutes.

To make lentil purée, wash 1 1/2 cups lentils. In a sauce pan, cover lentils with 3 3/4 cups of water. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Drain, reserving stock. Blend lentils, adding enough stock to make purée the consistency of canned pumpkin. As purée forms, stop and mix often until purée is smooth.

Preparation time: 15 minutes; total time: 50 minutes.

Makes 16 servings, 386 calories each.

- Canadian Food Focus