Recipe and images Amber Bremner
These adorable little cakes are light, moist, and fragrant with the scent of both strawberries and ground cardamom – a match made in heaven. They are quick to make and while fresh is always best, they’re an excellent way to use up the last few strawberries in the bottom of the punnet that might be a touch past their prime. This recipe uses a ‘flax egg’ to replace regular egg, which is simply freshly ground flax seed and water, which forms a light gel that’s an excellent binder. It’s worth the effort to grind cardamom seeds fresh for this recipe as the smell and flavour will be far superior.
Makes 8 mini loaves (or muffin sized cakes)
Wet ingredients
1 tbsp ground flax seed
3 tbsp water
½ cup plant milk (I used almond milk)
¼ cup neutral flavoured cooking oil (I used grape seed oil)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dry ingredients
¾ cup flour
¾ cup ground almonds
½ cup caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Strawberries
½ cup diced strawberries (about 3–4 strawberries)
2–3 strawberries, thinly sliced lengthways, for topping
Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare mini loaf or muffin tins by lightly oiling, and lining with a strip of baking paper to make cake removal easier later.
Mix ground flax seed and water together in a small dish and set aside for half an hour. I grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder, which makes short work of the job.
Mix flax seed mixture and other wet ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Mix dry ingredients together in a separate mixing bowl, pour in the wet ingredients, ½ cup diced strawberries and stir gently to combine.
Spoon batter evenly into prepared mini loaf or muffin tins, then delicately arrange a thin slice of strawberry on top of each one.
Bake for 30 minutes, until springy and golden. The toothpick test doesn’t work well with these ingredients, so if you’re unsure of doneness err on the side of caution and go an extra five minutes to ensure they are fully cooked in the centre.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Optionally, you can choose to brush the tops with a little maple syrup or melted jam to add some extra sweetness and shine. Carefully remove cakes from the tin and enjoy.
These will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 4–5 days.
