raspberry almond cake

 I made this cake for myself for my birthday.

It was a lovely cake, but I think it needs to be served with something.

Whipped cream and/ or a chocolate ganache would be my first choice, unfortunately being gluten and dairy free I would have to go to my second choice of a dairy free ice cream either vanilla or chocolate or a raspberry sorbet.

Raspberry and Almond Cake

2 C frozen raspberries, thawed, juice included

6 eggs

1 C sugar

255g almond meal

Preheat oven to 160C

Puree raspberries with their juice.

Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, add puree and almond meal.

Stir well, pour into a greased 22cm cake tin (I used a springform tin, lining bottom and greasing the sides) and bake for 60-70 minutes.

As you can see from the photo I dressed it up by putting flaked almonds on top before baking and dusting with icing sugar once cooled.

The note in the book says you can swap raspberries for apples, bananas, oranges or mandarin. 

Topped with cream cheese and sprinked with poppy seeds, this cake is beautiful.

flourless chocolate cake

This is a delicious moist cake perfect to serve for dessert or that special occasion.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

4 eggs

1C caster sugar

200g butter

250g dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 180C.

Separate eggs, add half the sugar to to egg yolks and beat well with a mixer.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy then add remaining sugar gradually, beating until soft peaks form.

Melt chocolate and butter over hot water stirring regularly.

Pour into egg yolk mixture and fold.

Once combined fold in egg whites.

Line a cake tin with greaseproof paper and pour in mixture (I used a springform pan with paper on the bottom and greased the sides)

Bake for 40 minutes in the lower third of your oven. 

This cake will collapse on cooling because it has no flour

I dusted with cocoa powder and icing sugar, can be served with whipped cream for a special occasion.

spinach and cashew pate

This pate is very similar to the cashew dips that are very popular at the moment.

This version is gluten and dairy free.

Spinach and Cashew Pate

1 C cashew nuts

200g spinach leaves

1/2t nutmeg

Steam spinach just enough until its wilted. 

Blitz the cashews in a blender until finely ground and then add the spinach and nutmeg.

Blitz to combine.

I found this a little bland so we added some salt and pepper, grated Parmesan would also add flavour and make it similar to the commercial dips. 

The second time I made this I didn't have enough spinach so added rocket and coriander which was lovely, another alternative would be some basil.

From: 4 ingredients gluten free cookbook

orange almond cake

This cake is just beautiful.

I have had the recipe longer than I have had children, I can remember serving it to work friends over for afternoon tea.

Now being on a gluten free diet it is my go to special occasions cake.

When I used to make it I just bought ground almonds from the baking section in the supermarket, but now I am using almond meal that is made from almonds with the skin on.

I think the skin makes it a little denser and not as sweet.

Next time I make this I think I will add a little extra sugar to counteract the skins.

Here is the recipe as is.

Serve it with Vienna cream and a chocolate ganache for those extra special occasions.


 Orange Almond Cake

2 large oranges

250g sugar

250g ground almonds

1t baking powder

6 eggs

Boil oranges in water for 1 1/2 hrs. 

Drain off water and blend oranges in the food processor. 

Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with orange pulp. pour into a buttered 23cm springform tin and bake in a pre- heated 200C oven for 1 hour. 

I have taken to covering the top with flaked almonds before baking and dusting with icing sugar when cool.

Chocolate Ganache

200g dark chocolate

200ml cream

2 T Grand Marnier (optional)

over a gentle heat melt the chocolate and cream together. add liqueur, mix and serve warm on the cake.

gluten free dairy free sponge cake

This sponge cake turned out beautifully, I have been making sponges for a while now- well since I got my kitchen aid and except for once when I didn't whip my eggwhite for long enough before adding the sugar they have all worked out really well.

In this recipe I combined the ingredients from the 4 ingredients gluten free cookbook with the method from my tried and true sponge.

Gluten Free Sponge

4 eggs separated at room temperature

3/4 c sugar

1C gluten free self raising flour

dash vanilla essence

Their method:

Preheat oven 200C. 

Beat egg whites until nice and stiff. 

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks, gradually add sugar and vanilla until pale yellow in colour. 

Spoon egg whites into egg yolk and fold together. 

Add flour and fold in with a whisk (helps keep mixture aerated). 

Pour into a lined 22cm tin  and bake for 30 minutes.

My method:

Preheat oven to 200C. 

Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually add sugar beating each time until sugar is dissolved.

Add yolks one at a time and mix well add vanilla.

Slowly add flour, either by hand or on mixer very slow, using whisk attachment.

Pour into lined tin and bake for 30 minutes.

It came out beautifully light and fluffy. I topped it with icing made from berry juice and icing sugar and topped it with some more berries and a sprinkle of icing sugar. 

If you are not dairy free you can top it with jam and whipped cream.

I really like passionfuit icing but didn't have any passionfruit on hand that day so used the berries instead.

gluten free date loaf

This is another recipe from The 4 ingredients Gluten Free Cookbook,

again super easy and super yummy!

I have eaten this for breakfast with some butter spread on it, but it is nice without butter too.

Date Loaf

375g pkt dates

2t instant coffee

1C GF self raising flour

1/4 C flaked almonds

Add coffee to 1 C boiling water and mix.

Pour over dates and soak overnight.

Stir in GF flour.

Pour into a loaf pan lined with baking paper.

Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 45 minutes at 160C

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peanut butter biscuits

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted a recipe, it's not like I haven't any to share and I even told friends I would post an awesome cake recipe and I still haven't done it.

But anyway after borrowing the fabulous 4 ingredients GF recipe book from the library and loving it VCH bought me a copy for my birthday.

So being inspired to cook the other day I tried out a few new recipes, the first I am going to share are these biscuits.

I took these to Bible Study and was immediately asked for the recipe, these are so easy and so moreish and very very yummy.

Peanut Butter Biscuits

1 C crunchy peanut butter

1 C raw sugar

1 egg

1t cinnamon (I had run out so didn't use it)

Mix ingredients in bowl roll into balls, the recipe said tablespoon size but I like teaspoon better- you get more biscuits, I found wet hands the best, flatten with a fork, I used wet fingers and bake 180C for 10 minutes, cool on tray.

Options: to cut some of the sweetness you may like to sprinkle with a little salt before cooking, I used Celtic Sea Salt, or sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I think these would be fabulous dipped in chocolate but I haven't tried it yet.

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