crunchy buckwheat caramel roll cake

a mostly vegan, no eggs required, upside-down cake that tastes like a caramel roll

i’ve been loving buckwheat in both groat and flour form lately. i developed these buckwheat brownie cookies earlier this year (using leftover toasted groats as a simple crunchy element to toss into salads, including this one), made pretty good buckwheat galettes at home (served *gasp* sweet, not savory), then had the idea to use buckwheat groats in place of a mix of nuts and seeds in this recipe developed by caroline saunders of pale blue dot and published on andrew janjigian’s newsletter, wordloaf—both of which i highly recommend in case they’ve yet to cross your path.

i adapted some aspects of the cake before my first run through, opting to swap the orange with honey and spice notes, and putting a focus on buckwheat by using it in two forms. i wasn’t sure how the crunchy texture of the groats would hold up when used in this way, but it works nicely (best on day one, not quite as crunchy on day three) and i absolutely love the way the groats look all glossed up on top of the cake.

there was a low level thrum of recognition i had when eating this cake; the flavor and texture seemed really familiar to me. my partner said it kind of gave him biscoff vibes, which isn’t exactly wrong, but in the end we figured out that it’s sort of a cake-ified version of a bakery caramel roll. it’s been years since i’ve eaten a real caramel roll (#shameonme), so it could be my memory playing tricks on me… you’ll have to let me know what you think if you make it.

the caramel top is soft enough to plunge a fork through and doesn’t make the cake too sweet. when paired with the crunchy buckwheat and warm cinnamon spice, it’s one of those snacking cakes that will work in any setting, from breakfast (my fave, best served with a cup of coffee) to mid-day treat to after dinner sweet.

i’m not experiencing the egg price crisis (!), but if you are and still want your cake, this one is a great option because it doesn’t need ‘em. it’s mostly a vegan cake, but i just couldn’t help myself and included honey in the caramel topping. if you want to keep the cake fully vegan, swap the honey for maple syrup.

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this time last year:

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crunchy buckwheat caramel roll cake

makes one 23 cm (9-inch) cake, serves 10 - 12; this recipe is an adaptation of any seeds & nuts upside-down cake from caroline saunders for wordloaf

for the caramel buckwheat topping

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan

1 tablespoon honey (substitute: maple syrup)

50 grams brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

55 grams toasted buckwheat groats (aka kasha)

for the buckwheat cake

100 grams all-purpose flour

80 grams buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

100 grams sugar

80 grams brown sugar

60 grams olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

210 milliliters oat milk (substitute: your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk)

1. preheat oven to 165˚C/325˚F. brush a small amount of olive oil into the cake pan, then line with parchment that’s slightly larger than the diameter of the pan. brush the parchment with a bit more olive oil.

2. add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 50 grams brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a small pan over medium heat. stir until the mixture is smooth and starts to bubble up around the edges, about 1 minute then add in 60 grams toasted buckwheat groats and stir to combine. immediately pour the mixture into your prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer reaching as far to the edges as possible. set aside while you make the cake batter.

3. add 100 grams flour, 80 grams buckwheat flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. in a separate bowl, add 100 grams granulated sugar, 80 grams brown sugar, 60 grams olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and 210 milliliters oat milk and whisk until combined.

4. add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk just until the batter is smooth. pour into the cake pan and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back when lightly poked.

5. once the cake is out of the oven, set a timer for 3 minutes. when the timer goes off, place a large plate over the pan, then carefully invert the cake onto the plate and remove the cake pan, leaving the parchment on top of the cake. set another timer for 3 minutes. when it goes off, use a butter knife or offset spatula to lift the edges of the parchment away from the cake, then begin to slowly peel away the parchment paper, using the knife or spatula to make sure all the buckwheat and caramel stays on top of the cake.

6. let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving; it will be quite moist and sticky, so you may want to wipe the knife between slices if you want them to be picture perfect pieces. the cake will keep, wrapped, for up to 3 days at room temperature.