Morning Matcha Blossom Cake
Dairy-free, gluten-free
Why do I call this a morning cake? Well, because it is a cake I do not feel the least bit guilty about eating in the morning. I will always crave something sweet in the morning, but I do not want something too sweet. That is why I made this cake. It is the perfect mix of sweet, floral, and earthy. T9he flavor is balanced, not too sweet, a delicate crumb that is moist. You also get a nice crust, which to me, is the best part of anything, cake or bread or bar.
I call it a morning cake because some of the ingredients feel like elements of breakfast or brunch: wholegrain gluten-free flours, oodles of tahini and rich olive oil, and earthy matcha powder.
That being said, do you have to eat it in the morning? Absolutely not. There is no wrong time to eat cake. Let’s get into it.
Tahini
While I use a lot of tahini in cookies and bars, I have not used it nearly as much in cake. Why do I use it in this cake? Two reasons. One, the flavor. Tahini, sesame seed paste (or butter), has a subtle savory flavor with a robust nutty (yes a seed that tastes nutty), earthy overtone. By using tahini, you get that little bit of flavor that balances out some of the other ingredients.
Second, tahini is a great source of fat and protein. Why does protein matter? Well, it is good for you first. But in gluten-free baking, adding protein can be very important. Gluten is a protein that occurs naturally in wheat flours. By taking gluten away, you are losing protein. By adding protein along with gluten-free flours, it seems to almost mimic wheat flour.
I say this a lot, but I will say it again: Not all tahinis are the same. Some can be very bitter and assertive. Get yourself a good, high-quality tahini. I like to use Soom Foods or Seed + Mill tahini. Both are available online and are woman-owned.
Orange Blossom Water
One of my favorite things to do is walk the aisles of the supermarket. I always find something new and usually go home with a few new things each time. One time I went home with orange blossom water and have loved it since.
As the name might suggest, it has a distinct floral flavor. It is a bit like when you smell a flower while eating an orange. Your senses get a little bit of both at the same time. Orange blossom water is very popular in middle eastern cuisine. It is distillation of the essential oils of orange blossoms, which means that the flavor is potent. A little goes a long way.
You can buy it online or, if you would rather not buy some, use a mixture of 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice. The flavor will be less intense as the orange blossom water, but still delicious.
Flour Mix
I have a lot of flours in my pantry. Over 15 types. Millet is one that I love for cakes. Millet flour has a pale yellow hue to it and a very distinct flavor. I don’t know if I could describe it, but it is slightly nutty. You do not want to use a lot of it because it can make a very crumbly, dry cake. No one wants that.
While you do not want to use a lot of millet flour, used in conjunction with other flours you get the pale yellow color, a hint of the flavor and the slight crumbliness to the end result.
Sweet rice flour, which is made from glutenous rice (but there is not actual gluten in it, I promise), is not actually sweet, but you do get the binding quality of the that is inherent in the type of rice. It binds together all the flours in this cake, while also giving you a delicate crumb that is similar to cake flour. Sweet rice flour really gives you the perfect texture for cake.
It is also called Mochi flour (yes, it is what is used to make Mochi), but not all sweet rice flours are gluten-free. Make sure that you get one that is certified gluten-fee. This is my favorite brand that is certified gluten-free.
Do you have to use the mix of flours that I have used? No. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix (1 and 1/2 cups total). If you are not gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour, but I have not tested it that way.
RECIPE
120g (2/3 cup) tahini
85g (2/3 cup) olive oil
70g (1/4 cup/2.5oz) agave nectar
113g (1/2 cup) cane sugar (91g coconut sugar)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp orange blossom water (or vanilla extract or bourbon or whiskey)
Splash of Cointreau or bourbon if the mood feels right.
85g (1/2 cup) gluten-free brown rice flour
90g (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour
42g (1/4 cup) millet flour
38g (1/4 cup) tapioca flour
1/2 tsp ginger
2 and 1/4 tsps culinary grade matcha powder
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
105g (1/2 cup) oat or coconut milk
For icing:
128g (1 cup) confectioner’s sugar (add more if you want a thicker icing)
29g (2 tbsp) oat or coconut milk (you can also use orange or lemon juice if you want more citrus oomph)
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325F and liberally grease a loaf pan (or 8in round cake pan) with coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, sweet rice, millet and tapioca flours, baking powder, baking soda, matcha and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the tahini, olive oil, agave nectar and cane sugar. Once the mixture is combined, add the room temperature eggs. Whisk vigorously (It’s a nice little arm exercise) for 3 minutes. Add the oat milk and orange blossom water and whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture, whisk to combine. Whisk it good to get out any lumps. (NOTE: If you are using all-purpose flour, do not whisk it good. Use a spatula to fold the flour in gently.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Give the pan a few thwaps on the counter to get out any big air bubbles.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. If it is still not done after 60 minutes, turn the oven off and let the cake keep baking in the residual heat of the oven for about 10-15 minutes. When you stick a toothpick into the center, the toothpick does not need to come out clean, but you want a sticky crumb. You want to avoid over baking the edges and drying them out.
Let it cool completely before tipping out of the pan. I like this cake just as it is, but it is delicious when topped with an icing. When the cake is cooled completely, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and non-dairy milk. When smooth, pour over the cake, easing it evening across the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Slice, eat, enjoy. This cake will keep wrapped at room temperature, but I like to keep it in the fridge.
