A bit of history..
This cake was born around the 1970s.
At the time, it was made in the United States with a vanilla-based cake mix and jelly filling.
A quick and easy cake to prepare; exclusively a homemade preparation and not scenographic like the most recent versions.
Why this particular name?!
Its name derives from the verb "to poke" which literally means to stick.
What is stuck is the handle of the ladle which is used to create the holes in the cake that will then be stuffed once cold.
Classic recipe VS variants
Like all successful desserts, even the poke cake has undergone numerous reinterpretations over time.
Starting from the base no longer cooked only in vanilla flavor but also made with coconut, lemon, chocolate, with fruit and yogurt, arriving at the holes that are filled in many ways: chocolate, cream, jams, etc. etc.
The classic recipe also provides that the surface is completely covered with a very tasty and sugary but extremely caloric butter cream.
A healthy version to make everyone happy
The version of the Poke cake that I thought of offering you is definitely less caloric than the original.
I decided to eliminate the covering of the surface leaving the cake simple because the dough is already very good without exceeding.
I removed the butter and sugar and used spelled flour and almonds to have a delicious but at the same time soft dessert.
The use of some ingredients seems, in some recipes, an "obligation" to the point that they would not be very good even if made in a different way.
What would a Tiramisu be without mascarpone or shortcrust pastry without a lot of soft butter? Yet these preparations can also be made with ingredients that make them healthy, giving them a perfect finish..
Greek yogurt in sweets
Have you ever tried to use this food to replace butter, cream or mascarpone in your recipes?
Its a perfect ingredient not only for breakfast and snacks, accompanied with cereals or seasonal fruit but also as a basic ingredient of many sweet and savory recipes.
Its properties?
Healthy food that stands out from classic yogurt not only for its taste but also and above all for the consistency and nutritional properties it obtains thanks to the processing method.
If, in fact, up to the first two filtering stages, Greek yogurt is identical to the classic one; it is only in the third stage of filtering that it is deprived of a further part of liquid and made creamy and rich in proteins.
Therefore, behind the different consistency and also the taste, there are differences in composition that lead to a considerable reduction in sodium and lactose (milk sugar) and to maintain proteins and fats in the creamy part (which are completely absent in the product. starting from skimmed milk; i.e. 0% milk).
Double the protein compared to a classic one with a high satiating power
Both the classic one and the Greek one are rich in probiotics, calcium and vitamins but the Greek yogurt, filtered to remove most of the whey, manages to bring with it double the protein content, also giving a notable feeling of satiety (this is why it is one of the foods recommended during a diet).
Furthermore, the probiotics it contains can improve both intestinal health and reduce anxiety and stress situations.
High calcium content essential for the well-being of bones and muscles.
With a 125g portion of yogurt it is possible to satisfy about 20% of the daily requirement of this mineral.
Furthermore, Greek yogurt also contains B vitamins, in particular, riboflavin, a micronutrient that intervenes in the production of energy and in defense of our body.
Try the Greek yogurt in this Poke cake; healthy, soft and delicious..
The strength of this healthy version lies in its simplicity: a versatile dough that can also be used as a base to prepare other cakes or can be enriched with the cream you like best.
A dessert that is just waiting to indulge your imagination and your tastes..
I chose to fill the holes with the organic hazelnut and cocoa cream but you can also try other creams with no added sugar: almonds, cashews, etc.
For your children you can also try the Cocoa and milk spreadable cream
Waking up to go to school will no longer be a problem; word of mom!!!
INGREDIENTS:
70g of spelled flour
40g of almond flour
6g of baking powder
4 medium eggs
30g of coconut oil
80g of Greek Yogurt 0%
6 teaspoons of organic hazelnut and cocoa spread
METHOD:
Turn on the oven at 180° (static)
In a container, we work with the electric whips positioned at maximum speed, for 2-3 minutes, the eggs, the coconut oil and the yogurt.
So let's add the flours sifted with the yeast.
Having obtained a creamy and lump-free dough, we pour it into a square mold in which we have passed some coconut oil buffered with kitchen paper.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Let the base cool completely inside the mold.
Once cold, remove the cake from the mold and, with the handle of a ladle, make the holes by spacing them.
Make the holes with the hazelnut cream by dropping it from the spoon.
Cut into squares and enjoy immediately.
Tips
You can coat the surface of your dessert with Greek yogurt to stay visually closer to the original. Choice of the number of holes to be made and the addition of other ingredients such as fresh fruit (blueberries for example)
