Harvest Cake with Vanilla Cream
If there is a befitting time for a cake it would be today. Not only are we gathering the last of the summer harvest anticipating the turning of seasons but we find ourselves in a fit of celebration. Eighteen months of praying, wondering, researching and being challenged to our core all lead up to this day. This morning my husband took one less pill than he did yesterday. Next week he will take another less and so on until by the end of this month my husband will be medicine free for the first time in ten years. I tear up at the thought.
For those of you who are new to our story you should read this post, which in the the shell of a nut, explains how we have gotten up to this point. And for those of you who have so faithfully followed along I thank you for helping us arrive to this day, one I thought we would never see.
During this season of transition we desperately implore you to join us in prayer for Jordan's body, that it will respond with ease and we will both be protected against anxiety or worry. Join us as we trust the Lord for complete remission and restoration. Please pray that we will continue to be disciplined with the diet and continue to find joy in caring for our bodies and giving it the fuel it needs.
Admittedly, I am scared. My carnal self indulges in all of the "what if's" imaginable. So I ask all of you, an accountability of sorts, to help me toil through my fears and emerge hopeful and expectant that good things are to come. "Behold the old is gone, the new has come"-2 Cor 5:17
Today is as good as any day to lay our fears down and trust.
Every celebration should have a proper cake. So in SCD fashion I have brought together flavors of this harvest season, all grain, gluten, diary and processed sugar free. If you prefer a smaller morsel this recipe would make a fine batch of muffins. Enjoy!
Harvest Cake (Makes 1-9inch cake, to make a layered cake like pictured above double the recipe)
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup ghee (or oil of your choice) if you use ghee make sure it is melted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped apple
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9inch cake pan (you can use a regular cake pan if you prefer, not the fluted one pictured above). In a bowl combine dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl combine wet ingredients. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to incorporate. Pour into prepared cake pan and cook in oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Vanilla Cream (makes almost 2 cups)
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for three hours, water discarded
- 1/2 cup fresh apple juice
- 2 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 TBS honey
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod discarded
In a high speed blender combine ingredients until very smooth. Spread on cake or muffins.
Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or in the fridge for 1 week.
Gluten/Grain/Dairy Free
Reader Comments (89)
I too had health issues of my own in the past and since there are no holistic nutritionists in my country I had to read all about it online, order book from the US and self educate. After seeing how the diet improved my health I was so hooked that I decided to go all the way and educate myself more properly on the subject. By the end of the year I must be a certified holistic nutritionist and I hope I will be able to help more people heal naturally. I believe you already know more about Crohn's disease than I do, but you ever need some help or advice about your diet, please don't hesitate to write and ask :)
P.S. The cake looks spectacular! :)
So excited for Jordan and you.
Many blessings and much love x
Now, to figure out how to get it into a ballerina shape ...
I really love your atmospheric pictures.
Cheers,
Rosa
Hugs! Valeria
Happy days to you. xo
Seize the day, and wipe away fears and doubts; People around the globe wish you the best (for both of you).
all the best!!
(and sorry for my poor feeble English)
YES! I will join in praying..."Please pray that we will continue to be disciplined with the diet and continue to find joy in caring for our bodies and giving it the fuel it needs."...a beautiful prayer for all of us trying to take care of these tents we've been given :)
x E.
Which, on its own, is another story. As soon as I saw this title in my feed, it was already one minute more than I wanted to wait to read it. You are an SCD baking mastermind!
I wish you the greatest success when that medicine-free day does come; I wish you all the happiness this season; and I thank you for sharing your journey with us! We all have so much to learn from each other.
I LOVE the beautiful display of figs and sprinkling of pistachios on top of the cake! So gorgeous! Can't wait to try this treat, looks so wholesome. Thank you, Coco!
I came across your blog the other day while blog hopping. I'm a sucker for great photography, good recipes, and the well spoken word. Yours has all three. But, what I most identify with is you and your husbands journey toward healing. My husband has Ulcerative Colitis, whish is in the same "family" as Crohns and has similar sypmtoms. Cleaning up our diet has been a long hard journey. We're still not perfect, but my husband is working himself off his meds. His doctor has been continually amazed at the effect a clean diet can play in the healing of a disease. There is hope. Our prayers for our husbands are much the same. And, knowing how hard the journey is, we will gladly pray for you both as well.
Natalie
I love how beautifully you write and take pictures, but even more so how encouraging your posts are - praying for you and your hubby as you continue to trust the Lord and walk the path He has set out for you!
p.s. this cake looks amazing - can't wait to try my hand at it :)
We've been traveling for a while, and although it was an amazing summer, I am quite happy to be home to my wi-fi! Cake looks amazing and from what I've read, you and Jordan have made a lot of changes to get to this point, and I'm sure it hasn't always been easy. Just know I'll be thinking about you both over these next couple of months. Thanks for sharing your story as I know it will help others...and I'd really REALLY like to help myself to a piece of that cake right about now.
I'm thrilled your husband will be off medication! God is good and He has both of you in His hands as you take this huge step! My husband is feeling discouraged about his own progress with Lyme disease this week, so I'm going to make this cake as a reminder to us both that God is in control and He heals. I'll pray for you and Jordan while I make it. I can't wait to taste it!
Joanna
The cake looks delicious. I'm totally into carrot and zucchini cakes right now. Most of all I'm amazed by the vanilla cream. How on earth does it get that colour without dairy products or sugar? You are a true talent, Coco.
I am a big fan of your blog and just made this last night. Without the frosting, it served as the perfect "breakfast cake" for my office this morning. Thank you so much for sharing!