Bake

Snow Day Surprise Red Lentil Cake

by:
February  9, 2015
3.3
3 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Makes one 13-by-9-inch pan
Author Notes

This cake isn't too sweet, so you can serve it with whipped cream or coconut cream, sweetened with more maple syrup and cinnamon. —anka

Test Kitchen Notes

This cake is made mostly from red lentils (!), and you wouldn't know it unless you were told. If you are a wheat-free person, this is a surprisingly good—and healthy—cake. No refined sugar, just some maple syrup and the dried fruit to sweeten it. I really liked it as a dessert with the whipped cream, but it was also nice on its own as a breakfast bread. —CK1

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Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups red lentils, soaked overnight
  • 2 cups cashew milk, or any milk
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup brown rice flour plus 1 tablespoon, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped prunes
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped dried figs
  • 1/4 cup chopped dried apricot
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream or coconut cream, cold
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Place all ingredients up to the dried fruit, with the exception of 1 tablespoon brown rice flour, into a high-speed blender. Process until smooth.
  3. Line the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch pan (13 x 9) with parchment paper.
  4. Pour the batter into the pan.
  5. In a small bowl, toss the dried fruit with the remaining 1 tablespoon rice flour. Top the batter with the mix.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into squares.
  8. In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, cinnamon, and maple syrup until softly whipped. Serve alongside the cake.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

7 Reviews

AshleyJ April 9, 2022
Sadly this did not work for us. Made recipe exactly as written, same as for other reviewers the cake was still very wet after double the time recommended and it tasted terrible when ready. Will not make again.
Karen K. October 30, 2016
I'm testing this out and finding that the baking time is not accurate for my oven. It's been about an hour at 350 and still the toothpick is coming out quite wet.
LeBec F. March 14, 2016
i am testing this and I'm so excited about it!
LeBec F. March 1, 2016
I AM SO FASCINATED BY THIS! i HAVE TO MAKE THIS! i'M JUST GOING TO MAKE A HALF RECIPE oop sorry- and sub candied orange peel for the apricots. I am so intrigued! Thank you for posting it again!
anka February 25, 2015
Friend of my is on gluten and dairy free diet, I was experimenting and at the same time making lentil fritters, that is how lentils come in to recipe.
At the time I have only brown rice flour (gluten free ), it gives fudge texture to the cake.
LeBec F. February 25, 2015
anka, this is so intriguing! Tell us where this is coming from? And why brown rice flour instead of wheat flour- it certainly has had an unusual texture- kind of chewy- when i've had it in things at a local Japanese bakery. And what do the pureed lentils bring to the cake? So cool!
anka February 25, 2015
Hope you get massage.