4- Gluten-free carrot cake with toasted marshmallow icing
Turn your carrot cake up a notch with our impressive recipe. Carrots, pistachios and almonds give this gluten-free cake a rich, moist crumb, and the marshmallow icing is a lighter topping than traditional buttercream.
Ingredients
3 large eggs
200g golden caster sugar
150ml sunflower oil or light rapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp orange blossom water
150g ground almonds
75g gluten-free wholemeal flour
1 tsp
gluten-free baking powder
75g desiccated coconut
½ tsp each mixed spice and ground cinnamon
2 large carrots, peeled and grated to make 180-200g
2 oranges, zested, and 1, juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
100g pistachios, finely chopped
TOASTED MARSHMALLOW ICING
3 large egg whites
150g caster sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp vanilla extract
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3, and line the base and sides of a 22cm round springform cake tin with baking paper.
STEP 2
Using electric beaters, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and orange blossom water in a large bowl, then stir in the almonds, flour, baking powder, coconut and spices to a smooth batter. Finally, stir in the grated carrots, orange and lime zests and chopped pistachios. Transfer the batter to the tin and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a skewer, drizzle over 2 tbsp of the orange juice plus all the lime juice and leave to cool.
STEP 3
To make the icing, put the egg whites, sugar and tartar in a clean heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Use electric beaters to whisk the mixture for 3 minutes on the heat or until the whites are warmed and sugar mostly dissolved. Lift the bowl off the heat and use an electric whisk to keep beating the mixture for 5 minutes or until stiff shiny peaks form. Whisk in the vanilla to finish.
STEP 4
Transfer the mix to a piping bag fitted with a large, round nozzle. Pipe large dollops all over the top of the cake, then use a blowtorch (or put under a low grill, watching very carefully) to toast the icing to a light golden brown, if you like.
6- Gluten-free chocolate truffle cake
This flourless chocolate cake is extremely smooth and similar to the consistency of a chocolate torte. The amaretto lifts the deep richness of the chocolate.
Ingredients
250g 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
150g butter, cubed
150g golden caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
30g ground almonds
1 tbsp amaretto or bourbon
for dusting cocoa powder
AMARETTO CREAM
142ml pot double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp amaretto or bourbon
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 23cm round springform cake tin.
STEP 2
Melt the chocolate and butter together either in short blasts in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool a little, then add 50g sugar and 1 egg yolk. Gradually add remaining egg yolks as you mix. Stir in the almonds and amaretto.
STEP 3
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, 2 tbsp at a time until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Loosen the chocolate mixture with a spoonful of egg white then fold the rest of the meringue in with a spatula or large metal spoon, trying to retain as much of the volume as possible. Pour into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes.
STEP 4
Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, it will sink but don’t worry – this is meant to happen. Remove the springform sides of the tin and leave to cool completely.
STEP 5
To make the amaretto cream, whip the cream, sugar and amaretto together until it just holds its shape. Eat the cake when cool or wrap up and chill overnight – the texture of the cake will become even more velvety. Dust with cocoa and serve with the amaretto cream.
