The best ‘HRT’ menopause cake recipe

Of course, this recipe for the best HRT cake isn’t actually for HRT / hormone replacement therapy ( it’s erm, a recipe for a healthy cake). As far as I can discover, its reputation for helping with hormonal issues at menopause is entirely unproven, but unless natural phytoestrogens are something you need to be careful of (as in the case of some cancers), it might be worth trying, to see if it helps your symptoms. I mean, it’s cake, right? And as it’s meant to help with menopause, it’s practically medicinal, which means you have (a) a great excuse to eat it, and (b) a fabulous argument why nobody else in the house is allowed any. Win, win.

If you’ve seen the picture of the HRT cake I baked, you’ll get that we’re not talking light-as-a-feather Victoria sponge cake here. Think more that old-fashioned favourite, bread pudding. But if you like fruit cake, a little stodge, ginger and spices, you might like this. Traditionally, the idea is to take a little time for yourself every day, enjoying a slice of the cake with a mug of herb tea (I recommend sage tea if you’ve got hot sweats, or Teapigs Happy Tea if you need de-stressing, drunk cold if hot drinks get you overheated).

The original recipe uses soy flour and soya milk, for their phytoestrogens. It’s now thought by some that soy or soya is better for you when eaten in its fermented form, so I use wholegrain spelt flour and almond milk. This recipe makes two loaves, made in 2 x 1 lb loaf tins, and uses American cup measurements (less faff than weighing). After cooling and slicing the loaves, you can freeze them in slices (I fill a freezable tub with sets of 3-4 slices wrapped in parchment paper, so I can grab a set and defrost it, giving me enough for a few days, if stored in the fridge). Bear in mind it contains nuts.

HRT cake recipe

Ingredients (you’ll need two 1lb loaf tins)

• 2 cups dried fruit (I use raisins, but cranberries or chopped soft apricots also work well)

• 1 & 1/2 cups of porridge oats (rolled oats)

• 2 & 1/4 cups of wholewheat spelt flour (I’ve not tried this, but you could probably substitute buckwheat, soya, rice flour

• or oat flour)

• 3/4 cup of ground flaxseeds (linseeds)

• 1/2 cup of chopped or flaked almonds

• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup of sesame seeds

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

• 3 pieces of stem ginger (roughly chopped)

• 1 tablespoon of malt extract (I use Potter’s brand) (you could probably substitute with runny honey, but I like the malty flavour)

• 1000ml or 1 litre of almond milk (you could probably substitute with oat or soya milk if you prefer)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180° (160° if fan-assisted).

2. Grease and line 2 x 1lb loaf tins (I use Lakeland’s mini-rolls of baking parchment, but you can also buy loaf tin liners) - this is probably the trickiest part of the entire recipe.

3. Throw all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix them.

4. Add the chopped stem ginger, the almond milk and the malt extract, and immediately stir well, to mix thoroughly.

5. Leave to soak for 30min. The mixture should be a textured cake batter consistency. If too stiff, add a very little more milk, but don’t make it too runny.

6. Spoon the mixture into the two loaf tins, and gently level off the surface of each cake.

7. Place both loaf tins on a baking tray, and pop into the oven. Bake for 30-40min until golden brown on top, and until a skewer poked in comes out mostly clean. (Our oven is slow, so I bake mine for about 50min.)

8. Carefully remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

9. Slice and enjoy one slice a day. Keeps in the freezer for up to two months, or in the fridge for 4-5 days.

(Adapted from a recipe by naturopath Jenny Blondel)