Cardamom blow – cake recipe

This original recipe was devised for people with (pre-)diabetes and those who are following a low-carbohydrate diet. It draws inspiration from Persian masghati and phirni, but all high-carbohydrate and high-glycæmic-load ingredients have been substituted with low-carbohydrate or low-glycæmic-load alternatives.

Nutritional values per 100 g:

Ingredients for 1 pie (717 g before baking, 1185 kcal, 4 portions, 296 kcal per portion):

• Coconut flour – 75 g (you may substitute part of it with almond or soy flour if desired; in that case, use slightly less milk)
• Sugar alcohol – 75 g (I recommend steviol with erythritol designed for 1:2 substitution)
• Psyllium – 40 g (flakes or fine powder)
• Inulin – 60 g (e.g. chicory-based or any other variety)
• Cardamom – 20 g
• Safflower – 7 g (alternatively, use edible flower petals or saffron)
• Milk – 400 ml (use plant-based alternatives for a vegan-friendly version)
• Butter – 50 g (or olive oil for a vegan-friendly version)

An egg may be added into the dough, but the egg-free version is just as good.

1. Grind the cardamom pods with husks into a fine, sand-like powder (about 30 seconds).
2. Combine all the dry ingredients: coconut flour, sweetener, psyllium, inulin, ground cardamom, and flower petals.
3. Add the melted butter to the warm (40–50 °C) milk, pour the liquid into the dry mix, and stir thoroughly until the mixture is homogeneous.
4. Shape the mixture into cupcake-sized mounds for a moist, voluminous, fluffy texture, or spread it into a relatively thin (1–2 cm) layer in a greased baking mould or iron pan for a pie-like result.
5. Either bake in the oven at 160 °C with a fan for at least 30 minutes (extend by an additional 20 minutes if you have opted for thick bun-like shapes) or steam in the microwave at 150–250 W for 10–13 minutes (alternatively, heat at full power initially, then reduce to 90–150 W for 10 minutes).

Now you have a fragrant dessert, unlike any cake or pudding you have tried before. Be sure to warn your guests that they are about to experience a full cardamom blow to the nose.

Your first attempt does not need to be perfect. Do not worry if some ingredients are missing – substitute them with anything from your pantry that you deem appropriate. The reason why the ‘Coconut cakeman’ was created is precisely because yours truly ran out of cardamom.

Variations

1. Experiment with the ingredients: add starch, grind the psyllium etc.

2. The raw mixture before the thermal treatment is safe to eat, and is quite enjoyable, although it might be slightly bitter. Cooling it down like a phirni is not ideal due to the slight bitterness of the cardamom husk. However, during baking, the bitterness fades away, and the fragrance remains intact. Fear not, the spicy aroma will not disappear: the dry cardamom accounts for 3% of the mixture by mass, therefore, it is there to stay!