Healthy Feijoa Cake with Feijoa Curd

Gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free.

 

 

Feijoas are high in dietary fibre which makes them great for gut health. They’re also a good source of vitamin C, which makes them a powerhouse for the immune system as we head toward winter!

 

 

During autumn, feijoas are in plentiful supply at my home.  Anyone who owns a feijoa tree knows that when it comes to feijoas, ‘when it rains, it pours’ and before you know it, you have an oversupply pretty quickly! Whilst I love to eat feijoas fresh and share them with family and friends, I wanted to create a healthy cake that added a subtle feijoa scent and flavour.

 

 

The result was a very (VERY!) moist and slightly dense, crater-like cake, with a hint of feijoa flavour but it was definitely not overpowering.

 

 

Although you can eat the cake as it is, it’s great topped with feijoa curd as it adds a tart, sweet and more powerful feijoa flavour. An added bonus is that only the feijoa skins were used in the making of the cake topping, so the skins got an extra use before discarding, plus the softened skin would break down a lot quicker in the compost!

 

 

 

The best order to make this is:

 

1. Feijoa Skin ‘Water’
2. Feijoa Cake
3. Feijoa Curd

 

 

 

So, this is the same order I’ve listed the recipes below. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

 

 

Feijoa Skin ‘Water’

(Makes approx 1/4 cup)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Approx 12-15 feijoas (varies depending on size – once prepped is approx 1 – 1 1/2 cups of feijoa skin)

1 cup filtered water

 

 

 

Cut off the dried frilly flower part of each feijoa and discard. Wash the feijoas.

 

 

Cut feijoas in half and scoop out all of the flesh. Reserve flesh for the feijoa cake.

 

 

Cut each half of the hollowed-out feijoa skin in half again, and place in a small saucepan. Add the water to the saucepan.

 

 

Place uncovered saucepan over a low/medium heat. Once starts to simmer, reduce to low heat and keep simmering for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

 

 

 

Once cooled, remove the feijoa skin and discard. You’ll be left with a ‘cloudy/muddy’ and very bitter water mix which will contain small bits of pulp. I use it as is for the feijoa curd, but if you prefer a more smoother looking curd, you can place the feijoa water through a sieve and discard the solids.

 

 

Set the feijoa skin ‘water’ aside to use in the feijoa curd.

 

 

 

 

 

Feijoa Cake

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups almond meal

1/2 cup plain organic yoghurt

1 cup feijoa pulp, mashed

3 eggs

1/4 cup  pure maple syrup

1 tbsp psyllium husk

2 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda)

 

 

 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 160 deg C. Line a round cake tin (24cm / approx 9 1/2 inch), and set aside.

 

 

In a mixing bowl, add the almond meal, psyllium husk, and bi-carb soda and mix to combine, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the remaining ingredients (except mashed feijoa pulp) and mix well until fully combined. Add the mashed feijoa pulp and fold through the cake batter.

 

 

 

Pour cake batter into the prepared baking tin and place in the oven. Bake for approx 40-45 minutes (a little more or less, depending on the oven). Cake is cooked when a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean or a few crumbs appear on the skewer. Allow to cool in tin before turning out upside down onto a serving plate.

 

 

 

 

Feijoa Curd

 

Makes approx 1/2 cup.

(Refined sugar free, adjustments given for dairy free.)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 eggs

2-3 tbsp organic raw honey (depends on how sweet you want the curd)

1/4 cup feijoa skin ‘water’ (see recipe above)

25g unsalted butter (or cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil – solid is fine)

1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

 

 

 

While the feijoa cake is baking, prepare the feijoa curd.

 

 

In a small saucepan, whisk the eggs and raw honey.

 

 

Place saucepan over a low-medium heat (not too high or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!). Continue to whisk until well combined.

 

 

Add butter (or coconut oil) and stir continuously until melted.

 

 

Add feijoa ‘water’ and lime juice (if using) and stir continuously until the mixture slightly thickens (this part usually takes approx 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir for another minute. Allow to cool uncovered. Mixture will thicken further as it cools.

 

 

Once cooled, refrigerate until ready to top the cake.

 

 

 

Putting it all together – final notes:

 

Top the cake with the feijoa curd and smooth out. My cake had a slight crater-like centre, so you may find that you have more curd near the centre. It wasn’t an issue for me, and the curd topping did a great job of hiding the lower centre! Then top the outer cake with fresh whipped cream or whipped coconut cream (whichever you prefer), and serve.