So the question I asked myself was: can you actually bake with Turmeric? Oh yes, you can. And by adding some papaya to the flavor mix this cake gets that extra exotic edge. But the real adventure was experimenting with Aquafaba – this magic ingredient that you have probably heard of – that turns useless chickpea water into fluffy meringue. My meringue turned out really nice but I think adding that bit of cream of tartar (as suggested by many other bloggers) would have made it a lot more stiff. That’s why I have added it into the ingredients list below.
Papaya Turmeric Cake
- 250g papaya
- 10 soft dates
- 1 really ripe small banana
- 1 cup maple syrup (or any sugar of your choice)
- 2 tblsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup orange juice
- 150g buckwheat flour
- 1 cup water mixed with 2 tblsp of chia seeds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 70g desiccated coconut
Puree the papaya in your blender until smooth. Add the soft dates, banana, vanilla essence, maple syrup, orange juice and chias and mix well. In a dry bowl mix flour, baking powder, turmeric and the desiccated coconut. Add the wet content of your blender to your dry ingredients in the bowl and mix until a cake-batter-like consistency is reached. Pour the dough into your 20cm round greased cake tin and bake at 180 degrees for an hour. Let the cake cool thoroughly so the meringue doesn’t melt from the cake.
Vegan Pomegranate Meringue (with Aquafaba)
- water from 1 can of chickpeas
- 1/2 cup finely ground sugar, 1/3 cup agave OR 1/2 cup xylitol
- 1 tblsp vanilla essence
- pinch cream of tartar (for stabilisation)
Add all ingredients into your mixing bowl and mix on high speed for 10-15 minutes. It really takes a bit for the meringue to form, so be patient. Cut your cake into 2 pieces so you have 2 levels. Use a long knife to get even layers. Cut some papaya or even banana slices and arrange them on the bottom layer. Then spread your meringue on the bottom layer on top of the fruit, throw the other cake layer on top and use the remaining meringue to spread on top of the cake. Decorate your Papaya Turmeric Cake with pomegranate seeds and Sirup – I used the raspberry agava syrup for an extra boost of flavor.