Berry Birthday Cake (Better than Chocolate Cake)

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I was very delighted with the creation of this cake recipe and happy to share it with you.  I have been making it for over 8 years now for my family and perfecting it each time or adding different things to it for variety.  This cake is a treat and should be consumed sparingly which […]

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 Berry Birthday Cake
Appropriate for the Full GAPS Diet and when all digestive distress has settled
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
Course Baking at home, Deserts
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 40 Minutes
Servings
People
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
Filling
Chocolate Icing
Course Baking at home, Deserts
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet
Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 40 Minutes
Servings
People
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
Filling
Chocolate Icing
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Equipment
  1. 2 x stainless steel round spring-form cake pans
  2. Food processor or thermomix
  3. Saucepan
Cake Mixture Instructions
  1. Place pitted dates in a saucepan on the stove with a tablespoon of ghee and heat on a low temperature until they soften. If you have a thermomix, you can do this for 5-7 minutes
  2. Place softened date mixture in the blender (or thermomix) and blend dates into a paste. Add remaining ingredients and blend at a high speed until the mixture resembles a chocolate cake mixture. The mixture should hold a firm smooth consistency
  3. Baste the spring-form cake pans with ghee or coconut oil and pour the mixture into the pans. Cook for 40 – 50 minutes at 150◦C
  4. Test the cake with a fork before you take it out of the oven and when ready, remove cakes from the oven and take them out of the spring-form pans as soon as you can. Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack
  5. You can place any filling in the middle or on the top of the cake with a little creativity. The berry filling works well as a middle filling for the cakes and the top of the cake works well with sour cream and fresh berries. Alternatively, you can try the cake icing below and use it for the top layer with fresh berries on top as shown in the picture.
Filling Instructions
  1. Combine berries, apples, lemon juice and honey in a saucepan and bring ingredients to boiling point, then turn the temperature down and continue cooking the mixture slowly on a low heat. Stir frequently as it thickens
  2. Place the ingredients in the fridge to set for 4 hours
Chocolate Icing Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. If possible, let them sit in there for a few minutes to soften the dates a little bit.
  2. Blend all ingredients in your high-speed blender. The ingredients can be a little tricky to blend, so start at a slow speed and increase speed slowly
  3. Keep blending for a very long time to get a velvety consistency. This is one of those recipes that really makes use of the power of a high-speed blender. If you feel that the blades are just spinning but aren't actually moving all of the icing around, turn the blender off and make an air pocket down the side of the blender with a spatula to expose the blades. Remove the spatula, replace the lid, and start blending slowly again.
  4. You'll know it's ready if there are no bits of dates and all you can taste is velvety chocolate goodness. This raw chocolate icing is ready to use as soon as you pour it out of the blender
  5. Simply use a spatula to spread the mixture on the sides and top of the cake.
Recipe Notes

Serve with some sour cream, kefir, yoghurt or creme fraiche

Nut Seed Milk

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Preparation in making nut milk is important, especially for people who already have digestive problems and food sensitivities. Almonds (as well as most other nuts) contain toxic substances known as enzyme inhibitors and phytates (phytic acid). These toxins can play havoc in the digestive system, blocking nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, copper iron and especially […]

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 Nut Seed Milk
This recipe is appropriate for the Introduction diet when nuts have been successfully introduced and tolerated from stage 4 onward.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
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Course Beverages, Dairy free recipes, Miscellaneous
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 4 - onward
Prep Time 5 Minutes
Passive Time 14 Hours
Servings
People
Ingredients
Course Beverages, Dairy free recipes, Miscellaneous
Cuisine Full GAPS Diet, GAPS Baby: Introducing Solids, GAPS Introduction Stages, Stage 4 - onward
Prep Time 5 Minutes
Passive Time 14 Hours
Servings
People
Ingredients
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
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Instructions
Part 1 - Soaking
  1. Add 3 cups of filtered water to a jug or bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of salt
  2. Add 1 cup of almonds and cover with a tea towel or cheese cloth
  3. Soak the nuts in the salt water brine for 12 hours
  4. Rinse the nuts under filtered water to remove salt residue and discard the salt water brine
  5. Place the nuts in a clean jug or bowl and add 1 - 2 teaspoons of flaxseeds and 3 – 4 cups of water and place in the fridge for 2 – 3 hours. Adding the flaxseeds will allow the milk to thicken a little more. Exclude this step if you have no concern for thickness
  6. If you wish to add a little sweetener to the milk, this will be the stage that you will need to add the pitted dates to the mixture to soak for a few hours. This is optional
Part 1 - Blending and Straining
  1. Add the soaked nut mixture from the fridge (including the water) to a good strong blender, vitamix or thermo mixer and blend for as long as it takes to break down the size of the nuts into a pulp consistency
  2. Place a nut milk bag or cheesecloth over a bowl and pour the milk mixture through the cheesecloth or nut milk bag like a strainer
  3. When all the pulp and liquid has been strained through the nut milk bag or cheesecloth, squeeze any excess milk from the pulp mixture with your hands, allowing the milk to drain through the cloth. If you find that the milk is too rich, simply add more filtered water
  4. Store in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.
Recipe Notes

Clinical Notes

Why soak nuts and seeds?

  • To neutralize enzyme inhibitors
  • To remove or reduce phytates
  • To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes