When a recipe is simple, easy to digest and genuinely useful around training, it deserves to live beyond Reels and onto the page. That is the case with this energy cake shared by Justine, head chef of the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe team.
The brief is clear: offer a snack that is easy to make, hearty enough to support training, without veering into complicated or ultra-processed foods. This one is very accessible, with ingredients many already have in their cupboards: apple sauce, rolled oats, flour, dried fruit, nuts, honey or maple syrup.
Its nutritional interest lies mainly in the carbohydrate content. You get both simple carbohydrates, useful for rapid energy availability, and more complex carbohydrates, helpful for a longer-lasting supply. That makes it a sensible option before a session, and also afterwards to replenish glycogen stores after a long and/or intense workout.
In practice, you can use this recipe in two simple ways:
Before training:
As a pre-session snack, aim to eat it about one hour before your workout. That brings energy without always reaching for shop-bought products. Its soft texture and the apple sauce make it easy to eat.
After your ride:
For recovery, this cake also has its place, especially if your next proper meal is still a way off. In that case, it is worth pairing it with a protein source to help repair the muscle fibres stressed during the effort.
The energy cake recipe
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 100 g apple sauce
- 100 g honey or maple syrup
- 100 g rolled oats or a mixed-flake blend
- 1 sachet of baking powder
- 150 g flour or gluten-free flour
- 250 ml plant-based milk or lactose-free milk
- 50 g nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews…)
- 100 g chopped dried fruit (dried apricots, raisins, figs, dried mango… here, dried fig paste and raisins)
Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until you have a smooth batter. Then add the nuts and chopped dried fruit, and mix again.
Pour the mixture into a lined tin.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 180°C. To check doneness, a knife inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Leave to cool before turning out.
👌 Chef’s tip:
To stop the dried fruit from sinking to the bottom during baking, lightly dust them with flour before folding them into the mixture.
Storage
The cake will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Why this recipe works for cyclists
What makes this recipe relevant is not just that it tastes good. Above all, it is the balance of simplicity and effectiveness. It is quick to make, easy to carry in slices, and gives you a homemade snack that aligns well with energy needs around training.
It is not a miracle solution or a one-size-fits-all recipe. As always in sports nutrition, everything depends on timing, digestive tolerance and session intensity. But for many cyclists, it is a very solid base to build into a training routine.
