Gluten Free Chocolate, Orange and Almond Cake

You might think such a sexy sounding cake would be a bit of a botheration to create, but I promise you it is so so so so so soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo easy. After some light mixing, a touch of zesting and of course, a spell in the oven you'll have beautifully luxurious cake, with a deep flavour and a soft, melt in the mouth texture. And the icing? Oh oh oh the icing! It's pretty much like a slab of chocolate truffle resting atop!

Prep time: 15 Mins
Baking time: 60 Mins
210g Golden Caster Sugar
200g Ground Almonds
2tbsp Cocoa Powder
1tsp Baking Powder
5 Large Eggs
The zest of 2 Oranges
The juice of 1 Orange
1tsp Almond Extract

For the icing
150g Dark Chocolate
75g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
A splurge (1-2tbsp) of Golden Syrup (Depending how sweet you want it)
1tbsp of Amaretto, Grand Marnier or Cognac

Let us begin. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, then grease and line a 20cm deep, loose bottomed baking tin. If you can use a purpose made cake tin liner for this it will make your life much easier! Add the sugar, almonds, cocoa powder and baking powder to a large bowl, then mix to combine. Make a well in the middle and crack in the eggs. Mix together, then add the juice, zest and almond extract and keep mixing vigorously until combined. Make sure you get right to the bottom of the bowl when doing this.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and tap on a hard surface a few times to settle any bubbles. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 60 minutes, until risen and a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.

Once cool remove from the tin, but refrain from peeling off the baking paper just yet. Melt together the dark chocolate and butter, either over a bain-marie or in the microwave (if you are confident in your timings). When they are starting to melt together add the syrup and booze, then stir through until smooth and glossy. Pour over the top of the cake and leave to set.

When you're ready to serve peel back the paper and slice yourself a massive chunk. Devour.

Coconut Cream Squares with Passion Fruit Jam and Pineapple

These little squares are fun and frivolous, but no less delicious because of it. The sponge is light and fluffy and works beautifully with the slightly sharp pineapple and sweet passion fruit jam. Speaking of jam, as exotic as it sounds you can find passion fruit jam very easily now online. Failing that, you can always use a more traditional flavour. I should also mention the coconut cream before we begin. What I mean by this is the cream you find in a tin of coconut milk if you don't shake it prior to opening the tin!

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 45-50 Mins
175g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
250g Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
275g Self Raising Flour
75g Coconut Cream
275 Ripe Pineapple (Chopped)
Half a jar of Passion Fruit Jam
25g Desiccated Coconut

You will need your small rectangular baking tin for this (Around 22x27cm). Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and double line the tin with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract. Sift in the self raising flour, then add the coconut cream and mix to a smooth, consistent batter.

Lay the pineapple over the base of the lined tin and spoon the sponge mixture evenly over the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 45-50 minutes, until risen and a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the sponge. When you are happy the sponge is baked remove from the oven, leave in the tin for 30 minutes, then carefully turn out upside down onto a wire rack (peeling off the paper). Leave until cool.

When the sponge is cool, slice into squares with a sharp knife. The bottom of the sponge has now become the top (with the pineapple peeking out) so spread a little jam over the top of each square. Sprinkle with a touch of desiccated coconut and you are ready to serve. Well done you!

More Gluten Free Hazelnut and Peanut Butter Brownies

Brownies brownies brownies. I could make them every day and I don't think people would ever tire of them. This is no bad thing, as it means there's always an excuse to try out a new recipe or tinker with an old one, just as I'm doing here. You can pick up ground hazelnuts from some supermarkets relatively easily now or failing that, there's always online. I let the brownies mixture bake slightly longer than usual, as being gluten free they can take it. But even still they are sooooooo fudgy, nutty and of course, delicious!

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 40 Mins
250g Dark Chocolate
250g Unsalted Butter
100g Ground Hazelnuts
75g Cocoa Powder
265g Golden Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs (Beaten)
1/2 Jar of Peanut Butter

We start of by melting together the chocolate and butter. I do this over a bain marie, but you can use the microwave if you are confident in your timings. Once melted together, smooth and velvety set to one side to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and double line a small-ish sized rectangular baking tin with baking paper. The one I use is around 27x22cm. Add the hazelnuts, cocoa powder and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together. Add the melted chocolate and butter, mix through, then add the vanilla extract along with the beaten eggs. Beat the mixture together vigorously until evenly combined then pour into your prepared tin.

Blob little spoonfuls of the peanut butter all over the brownie mixture and press down gently into it with the back of a teaspoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 40 minutes, until a metal skewer comes out sticky with crumbs. When you are happy the brownie mixture is baked remove from the oven, leave to cool completely in the tin, then set in the fridge for an hour (this will help with slicing).

Once chilled remove from tin, peeling off the paper. Slice into squares and you are ready to serve, or chomp down yourself of course!

April's Almond and Cherry Slice

Frequent flyers will know by now that I LOVE almonds, so there's a fair old chance that a similar recipe to this has already appeared on the blog at some point in the past. I make no apologies for posting this months attempt though, as the few minor tweaks I have made have quite the impact. I've used cocoa butter and marcona almonds which are both available easily online these days, but if you struggle to source either then normal unsalted butter then untoasted flaked almonds will do just fine instead.

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 40 Mins
175g Cocoa Butter
50g Unsalted Butter
3 Large Eggs
225g Golden Caster Sugar
200g Ground Almonds
2tbsp Plain Flour
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1tsp Almond Extract
200g Glace Cherries
A small handful of Marcona Almonds

We begin by melting together the cocoa butter and unsalted butter. You can do this over a bain-marie, or in the microwave (if you are confident in your timings). Once melted together set to one side for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a small-ish sized rectangular baking tin with baking paper. The one I use is around 27x22cm. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar for around 30 seconds. Add the almonds, along with the melted butters and whisk again. Finally fold through the flour and the extracts until evenly combined.

Spoon your mixture into your prepared tin and smooth to the edges. Press your cherries into the surface of the mixture along with an almond here and there. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 40 minutes, until risen and a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. When you are happy the mixture has baked remove and leave to cool in the tin.

When cool turn out onto a board, peeling off the paper. Slice and serve. Boom!