Pure Pumpkin Seed Cake
Pumpkin seeds are gluten-free and vegan. They pack a lot of nutrition, are easy to find at most stores, and are fairly inexpensive. You can also use them when you roast your own pumpkin or squash at home. According to the USDA, pumpkin seeds — also known as pepitas — deliver considerable amounts of copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin A, E, and K. Pumpkin seeds are also packed with a meaningful amount of healthy fats. I have used ground raw pumpkin seeds in some of my keto bread recipes here (see playlist). During my past experiments, I found that ground raw pumpkin seeds were unable to absorb moisture as much as other low carb flours hence, I had to combine it with other flour to make keto bread. This finding helped me to get the right ratio of moisture when I decided to try it for keto cake. And it turned out so well even without combining it with other low carb flours. Of course, with lower amount of moisture, it means that the amount of ground raw pumpkin seeds have to be increased to get a standard loaf. Thankfully, raw pumpkin seeds are inexpensive. Home grinding is unable to produce a fine texture as the fats of the seeds are still intact. It's fine if there are still some chunks as they add a nice crunch to the cake. The best part is that pumpkin seeds have a neutral flavor so it makes a suitable low carb flour. I am introducing this basic cake using ground pumpkin seeds and will experiment with more flavors eventually.
1. For best results, weigh the ingredients with a digital scale
2. Preheat the oven at 340F or 170C.
3. Place the raw pumpkin seeds into a multi grinder and pulse a few times for few seconds each. You can also use a coffee / spice grinder or a powerful food processor. Home grinding will not produce a fine texture as the fat content of the seeds are still intact hence, if you over-grind it, they will become a paste or butter. In commercial grinding, the fat or oil are squeezed out from the seeds and sold as oil then the leftover "cake" is ground into powder and sold separately as flour. It's fine if there are still some chunks after grinding as they add some crunch. You can also grind in bulk and store them in the fridge or freezer for convenience.
4. In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until well combined.
5. Add all the wet ingredients and whisk until well combined. The batter is quite runny as ground pumpkin seeds cannot absorb moisture as much as other low carb flours. That is why you will notice that the amount of moisture i.e. the eggs, oil and milk are much lower compared to the moisture of other low carb flours.
6. Transfer the batter into an 8x4 inch (20x10 cm) loaf pan lined with parchment paper. You can also use any other suitable pan.
7. Top with some pumpkin seeds (optional).
8. Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
9. The cake can be kept at room temperature for a few days provided you have a cool and dry climate. Otherwise, it is best to refrigerate earlier for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
[Total Servings = 16]
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING
Total Carb = 2.4 g
Dietary Fiber = 1.4 g
Net Carb = 1.0 g
Calories = 199
Total Fat = 18.1 g
Protein = 7.8 g
This nutrition information is just a guide. Feel free to use your own macro calculation app for accuracy.
Recipe by lowcarbrecipeideas
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