While they’re probably the least sexy food or ingredient, legumes have to be one of the most versatile. Whether in salads, casseroles, soups or stir-frys they always add so much… ahhh yes and sometimes they can keep on giving long after your meal too!
However they have to be one of my favourite carbs, I love adding them to as many meals as I can, unless the Happy Runner is carb loading… high fibre meals and endurance running don’t really mix if you know what I mean.
Anyway here’s a recipe that I love because it’s a dessert, the key ingredient is chickpeas and my mum gave it to me.

Ingredients:
- 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Grated rind and juice from 1 orange (approx 50-100ml of juice)
- Cinnamon sugar (2 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon mixed) for sprinkling


Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
- Grease or line a 450g loaf baking tin
- Drain and rinse chickpeas throughly, then rub them between the palms of your hands to loosen and remove the skins
- Put the de-skinned chickpeas in a food processor and blend until smooth
- Combine pureed chickpeas, eggs, caster sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, orange juice and rind in a mixing bowl (this is a moist cake so the mixture will be quiet runny)
- Pour the cake mixture into the loaf tin
- Bake for 1 – 1 1/4 hours, or until skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean
- Remove from oven and let stand in tin for 10 minutes, then remove from tin
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve with yoghurt and fresh fruit

This recipe makes around 11 serves or slices and it’s also gluten free. Here’s the nutrition data if you’re interested.
Nutrition Information (per slice):
- Energy – 640kJ
- Protein – 4.8g
- Total Fat – 2.3g
- Sat Fat – 0.6g
- Carbs – 26.6g
- Sugar – 20.0g
- Fibre – 2.4g
- Sodium – 273mg


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Thanks for the recipe! What is caster sugar? In the USA, what would it be called? Thank you!
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Hi Jodi, Caster Sugar is finely granulated white sugar. In the States I think you might be able to buy ‘super-fine’ sugar. If not just use usual table sugar. Cheers
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In the US it is called Berry Sugar
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Oh I didn’t know that, thanks Sandee. B
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Hey I think your calorie/energy measure is incorrect…640jK = 152,963.671 calories which would most definitely not be good.
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Just kidding….its 152 calories.
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To make caster sugar is easy, just wiz granulated sugar in the food processor to make it finer grains.
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Nice tip Jane… thanks. B
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Can you substitute chickpea flour instead of chickpeas? If so, how much flour would I use?
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That’s a good question Catherine. I would try the chickpea flour, you might just have to go by trial and error on this one. But remember it’s a very wet/moist mixture go with less rather than more flour i think. let me know how you go. B
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How is this flavor wise? Huge fan of chickpeas but is this savory?
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It not super sweet, the orange makes it a little sweeter. It’s more sweet than savoury.
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Hello, I’m interested in trying out this recipe. Should the 400g of chickpeas be cooked or soaked at all? Thank you!
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Yes they need to soaked and cooked. Canned chickpeas are perfect and so much easier!
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