Moist Orange & Almond Buckwheat Cakes in Light Syrup

I havent had much time in my kitchen lately,  2 weeks ago I had one of my contracted model Gemma Lynx staying at my place for a full week to shoot for her upcoming website and the next after that, Max and I got super sick.  It was such a pleasure to go back to my pots and pans the week end after getting better, smelling all my spices and plan a bunch of tasty goodies for my friends and family.  One of the first thing I wanted to make once I got back was some sweets,  it’s one of the funnest thing to create for me and I wanted to start using this awesome buckwheat flour I had bought at the grocery a few days before.

I LOOOOOOVE buckwheat and I’m happy Max likes it too because it’s extremely healthy.  I invited one of my friend who kept telling me that he hate buckwheat to have him taste my latest creation because I like to challenge people like that.  Now I can officially say that he now changed his mind about this flour right after tasting my moist orange & almond buckwheat cakes.

Like I just said, these cakes are extremely moist and drench in an infused light syrup with cloves, star anise, pepper, coriander seed and cardamon pods…  Give them a try, it’s so worth it.

– INGREDIENTS –

1/2 cup of  orange juice (about 2 navel oranges)

1 tablespoon of  cane sugar

1 tablespoon of margarine

4 tablespoons of almond flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

2 tablespoons of buckwheat flour

For the Light Syrup:

1/4 cup of light syrup (I used this one)

1/2 star anise

1/4 teaspoon of coriander seed, whole

4 black peppercorns

3 green cardamom pods

1 whole clove

1/2 cup of water

1- Pre-heat your oven at 325.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the cakes.  On a baking sheet, lay 4 small silicon molds and pour your batter in each of them.  Bake your cakes for 35 minutes.

2- While the cakes are baking, prepare your syrup.  On the stove top, in a small sauce pan on MEDIUM heat, mix all the ingredients for the syrup and bring it to a light gentle boil.  Once the liquid start making bubbles, give it a 8 to 10 minutes till it has reduce of half.  Remove from heat and let cool down.

 3- When the 35 minutes is done, transfer your mold on a cooling rack and wait for a few minutes so your mini cakes cool down a bit before unmolding them.  You dont have to wait till they are 100% cooled down but it’s always better to wait about 15 to 20 minutes before you touch them.  Once they are unmolded, place your cakes in a oven safe baking pot without a cover and pour the syrup at the bottom of it.  With a spoon take a bit of syrup from the bottom and pour it on top of each cakes.

4- Crank your oven temperature to 350 and once it’s ready, put your pot in the oven for an extra baking time of 15 minutes.

Et Voila!