Thursday, July 28, 2011

HEAVENLY NUTS CAKE

This cake is made for Miss Shirley Martires for her birthday. She told me that she wants a cake with nuts that made me decide to make cake with loads of healthy nuts. I used Pistachio, Walnut, Pecan, Pine Nuts, Cashew, Macadamia, Peanuts, Pili Nuts, Hazelnuts and Almonds.


This is a three (3) layered cake using Chocolate Pound Cake as a base filled with chocolate buttercream. Second layer is made of Almond Torte using pure ground almonds. I used Cheesecake for the third layer. The cake is not sweet, that I need to use chocolate buttercream for frosting to balance the taste. Top is decorated with chocolate coated wafer with different kinds of nuts.



NUTS NUTRITION FACTS


ALMOND NUTS are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals and packed with numerous healths promoting phyto-chemicals; This kind of well balanced food offers protection against diseases and cancers.


CASHEW are rich in energy and nutrients. They are rich in “heart friendly” monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic acids that help to lower LDL or bad cholesterol and increase HDL or good cholesterol.  Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet that is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids helps to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.


HAZELNUTS are rich in energy and many health-benefiting nutrients that are essential for optimum health. 100 g nuts provide 628 calories. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic as well as essential fatty acid linoleic acid that help lower LDL or bad cholesterol and increase HDL or good cholesterol. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet that is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids helps to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.


MACADAMIA NUTS  100 g of macadamia provides 8.6 g of dietary fiber and good source of phytosterols and beta-sitosterols but contains no cholesterol. Macadamia are free in gluten and, therefore are a popular ingredient in the preparation of gluten free food formulas.  These formula preparations are in fact healthy alternatives in people with wheat food allergy and celiac disease.


PEANUTS are rich in energy and contain many health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.Research studies show that peanuts contain high concentrations of poly-phenolic anti-oxidants, primarily in p-coumaric acid, which is believed to reduce the risk of stomach cancer by reducing the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.


PECAN NUTS are rich source of many phyto-chemical substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity, including polyphenolic antioxidant ellagic acid, vitamin E, beta-carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin. Research studies have been suggestive of that these compounds help body remove toxic oxygen free radicals and thus, protect body from diseases, cancers as well as infections. They are rich source of many phyto-chemical substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity, including carotenes, vitamin E, and polyphenolic antioxidant compounds. Research studies have been suggestive of that these compounds help body remove toxic oxygen free radicals and thus, protect body from diseases, cancers as well as infections.


PISTACHIO are an excellent source of vitamin-E, especially rich in gamma tocopherol; contain about 23g per100 g. vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, essential for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin; offers protection from harmful oxygen free radicals. These nuts are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates. They also very are rich source of minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron,magnesium, zinc and selenium. Copper is a cofactor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as co-factors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. Selenium is an important micro-nutrient which functions as co-factor for anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases.


PINE NUTS Pine or cedar nuts contain essential fatty acid (ω-6 fat) pinolenic acid. Recent research has shown its potential use in weight loss by curbing the appetite. Pinolenic acid causes the triggering of hunger suppressant enzymes cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the gut. In addition, pinolenic acid may have LDL-lowering properties by enhancing hepatic LDL uptake.


PILI NUTS sustain the daily energy requirement of an individual. It is rich in vegetable fat, protein and contain significant amounts of minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.The pili kernel oil has almost the same fatty acids as that of olive oil, and at the same time, that of cocoa butter. 


WALNUTS They are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (about 72%) like oleic acid and an excellent source of all important omega-3 essential fatty acids like linoleic acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and arachidonic acids. Regular intake of walnuts in the diet help to lower total as well as LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increase HDL or “good cholesterol” levels in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet that is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.

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