Easter is upon us. For me, it is a reminder that we can all have a fresh start.  After days and days of grey, gloomy wet weather, that stretch into weeks with nary a ray of sunshine, you think you can’t bear to put on your trench coat and rubber boots yet again.  Then, all of a sudden, the days grow longer and the sun pokes its head out more; tulips, daffodils and fragrant hyacinths are in full bloom.  And that is when I feel the stirrings in my heart of new possibilities.

To welcome new beginnings, Kale and I had a creative day painting Easter eggs for the first time in our lives.  She and I are quite different, as was evident when we were painting, she wouldn’t hesitate to just try a fun design or a different medium. She was onto her third egg, and I was still working on my first egg wanting it to be absolutely perfect.  By my third egg, I  took her approach and delved into the process.  I had to remind myself, I am not painting the Mona Lisa!  I hope you can tell how much fun we had by how the eggs turned out.

I was also inspired to bake a lemon cake because if you could eat  sunshine I think it would taste lemony.  This cake is really moist, dense and has a wonderful tart, sweet flavour.

Kale made us a delicious lunch with kale in it, and at one point, the kale was sitting next to the lemon cake, and I said, “Hey, that’s our name right there, Kake 2 Kale!”  Thanks for a great afternoon Kale!!

Superfoods in this cake:
Lemon – Contains vitamin C, folic acid and a range of phytochemicals (under the antioxidant family).   These phytochemicals all support one another in anti-cancer activity, and strengthening cardiovascular health.
Almonds – Packed with nutrients, like B vitamins, minerals and vitamin E (an antioxidant), which helps protect against sun damage.
Eggs – Nature’s near perfect food, contains a wide range of vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, choline, B12) as well as protein, lutein and zea-xanthin. Try to purchase Omega 3 eggs to make it even more of a superfood.
Coconut Palm Sugar – Though not a superfood per se, as it is a sweetener, but compared to other sweeteners (such as white sugar, honey, or agave nectar) coconut palm sugar is the best option.  It is low on the glycemic index (measures how fast a carbohydrate turns into sugar) with a score of 35, giving you slow and steady energy.  Anything under 55 is considered low. In comparison, honey is around 55 and white sugar 68 on the index.  Another bonus is that coconut palm sugar contains minerals.  For me, it has a gentle sweetness. When I want to add a sweetener to my coffee, I have to use twice the amount that I would normally use of regular sugar.

Sunshine Lemon Cake serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons (zest of two and juice of one)
• 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
• ½ cup margarine or butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups almond flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Cream the sugar with margarine using a mixer until fluffy, then add eggs one at a time.
• In a separate bowl mix the almond flour with baking powder, zest, and salt.
• Stir the dry ingredients to the wet ones then add the juice.  Mix well.
• Pour into an 8-inch round cake pan that has been lined with parchment paper and greased.  You can lay a ring of thinly sliced lemons on the bottom of the pan before pouring the batter over top.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
• You may serve it with whipped cream or vanilla Greek yogurt (as I have done) or just on its own is nice too.

Happy Easter to you all!
Eat superfoods, live a super life! {Kake}