The colder seasons always inspire self-reflection. I feel more aligned with my body when I alter my wellness approach to accommodate winter. The power to listen to my body comes from the colder seasons’ ability to inspire stillness. I find that I am able to look beyond my usual desire to explore the outside world, i.e. hike or meet friends for a picnic, and rather, to make this a time to look within. A grounding practice for my self-reflection is to enter into a ritual of journaling where I let the words spill out of me honestly and non-judgmentally. I often ask myself what is the current narrative of how I am feeling, and am I spending my days honoring my body? This winter I chose to skip setting resolutions, and instead to offer myself intentions for the season. I landed on the intention that I would aim to make decisions that would allow for my mind, body and spirit to be most aligned.
When journaling, I often reflect on how I nourish my body, knowing that the choices I make around food will foster more love and respect for my body and will undoubtedly impact how I feel. I look to eating seasonally to fully nourish my body, in the winter months this means enjoying foods such as sweet potatoes, cauliflower, citrus fruits and pears. Sweet potatoes are among my favorite seasonal vegetables as they are nutrient-dense and can be used more readily in my weekly cooking rotation. I often bake or steam them, enjoying their creamy texture and sweet, nutty taste. Although I find them so satisfying in savory form, they also make for a great addition to a healthy, sweet tasting treat.
This sweet potato cake is delicious enough to enjoy as a dessert or for breakfast, perfectly paired with a hot cup of tea. The cake is both plant-based and gluten-free and infused with medicinal mushrooms to provide immune support and promote over well-being. Reishi mushrooms especially are known to be immune boosting, helping to fight infections, which can be a necessary adaptogen for extra support in the winter months. Chaga mushrooms are said to be loaded with antioxidants and B vitamins, and I love that Sun Potion’s are wildcrafted. Made with sweet potatoes, maple syrup, vanilla and warming spices, this recipe is sure to make the house smell of welcoming winter. Serve it with some coconut whipped cream to make it feel like an extra special treat.
Sweet Potato Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream
Ingredients¾ cup coconut sugar ¼ cup maple syrup ½ cup softened coconut oil 1 cup coconut milk 1 ½ tsp. vanilla 1 ½ cups steamed and mashed sweet potato 2 ½ cups gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1) 2 ½ tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 ½ tsp. ginger ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. Organic Sun Potion Reishi Mushroom Powder 1 tsp. Wildcrafted Sun Potion Chaga Mushroom Powder Coconut Whipped Cream Recipe1 can coconut milk, chilled overnight 1 tsp. Sun Potion Bio-Active Honey |
MethodPreheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your bundt pan with coconut oil and set aside. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into 1 - 2” discs, adding them to a steamer basket. Steam sweet potatoes until they are soft and can be easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the steamer and let cool slightly, then mash into a uniform consistency. In a standing mixer, cream together the coconut sugar, maple syrup, softened coconut oil, coconut milk, and vanilla. Add in the mashed sweet potato. In a separate bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking soda, spices and salt, stirring together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, slowly mixing until fully combined. Next mix in the Sun Potion Reishi and Chaga powders, carefully incorporating. Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake is done (passes a toothpick test). While the cake is cooling, make the coconut whipped cream. Carefully open the coconut milk can and scoop off the cream that has separated and risen to the top, reserving the lighted coconut milk for other uses such as smoothie making. Beat the cream on high for about 2-3 minutes. Drizzle honey and continue to beat until peaks form. Once the cake has cooled, invert onto a serving dish and top with coconut whipped cream. Slice, service and enjoy! |
