White Wine Citrus Syrup Cake (GF & DF)

My sister and I are very close and have always got on well. Sure, we had our fair amount of arguments and times of jealously, but we were never the kind of sisters who slammed doors in each others faces or screamed we hated each other. Many of my fondest childhood memories involve my sister (and brother too). Things have been a little hectic and crazy for both of us recently and speaking on the phone one evening we realized we hadn’t seen each other, just us two, for several months. This would not do, so diaries were checked and we arranged to meet at her flat for a good ol natter over lunch.

Due to our combined dietary restrictions – vegetarian, coeliac and diary free – we decided to stay in and cook lunch ourselves. We tossed meals ideas back and forth and created our menu. For mains we made a scrummy wild mushrooms & roasted butternut squash risotto and dessert was an unusual citrus drizzle cake made using white wine!

I’d found the recipe for the white wine cake online and it looked so good that I knew we had to try it. It comprised of a lemon and orange scented almond cake, made with oil and white wine, lightly flavoured with cardamom and doused in a white wine and orange syrup. I’ve never seen wine used as a cake ingredient before and as we planned on using a little white wine in our risotto, it seemed the ideal time to give it a go.

So, how was it? Out of this world good! It’s deliciously citrusy, yet not overpoweringly so, surprising considering the amount of citrus that went into it. It’s got a sweet sticky top surface that yields to a moist and tender crumb. It has that wonderfully damp dense almond texture, while still being unbelievably light. We served in with some fresh strawberries but both agreed they weren’t needed. The cake was incredible!

Even though we were both full from lunch neither of us could resist having another slice. It may have been gluten and dairy free but there were certainly nothing lacking in the flavour department with this cake.

The amount of syrup for the cake looks a lot, but the cake just lapped it up and turned it deliciously moist, but not soggy. You don’t want soggy cake people! If you need to feed someone with food allergies – this recipe is sure to be a winner. Even if you don’t have any allergies but have some white wine open – try this – heck open the wine especially to make this cake – it really is that good!

White Wine Citrus Syrup Cake (GF & DF)
(Recipe adapted from Our Kitchen blog)

White Wine Citrus Cake
4 eggs
220g light brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 2 oranges
½ tsp (6) freshly ground cardamom seeds
100ml vegetable oil
110ml white wine (one with a fruity note is good)
90g Doves gluten free flour
1½ tsp gluten free baking powder
180g ground almonds

Method
Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a 9inch/23cm round springform tin.
In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar together until they become slightly lighter in colour, about 2 minutes.
Crush and grind the cardamom using a pestle and mortar and it to the eggs along with the lemon and orange zest.
Gradually drizzle in the oil and wine, whisking all the time.
Scatter over the flour, baking powder and ground almonds and fold in using a spoon or spatula.
Pour the mix into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes. It will be a light golden colour, springy to the touch and have a shiny top surface when cooked.
Meanwhile, make the syrup (below) to drizzle over the cake once cooked.
When cooked, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before removing to a serving plate.
Prick the top of the cake with a skewer or fork before pouring over the cooled prepared citrus syrup. You mat need to do this in 2 or 3 intervals, to allow the cake to absorb the syrup. Leave for at least 30minutes before cutting.
Keeps well for 3-4 days. The cake gets even moister and sticker the longer it sits.

Orange Syrup

110ml white wine
Juice of 2 oranges (use the zested ones left from making the cake)
75g caster sugar
6 cardamom pods

Method
Crush the cardamom pods and place the little black seeds into a saucepan. Add the wine, sugar and orange juice. Heat gently until the mixture comes to the boil; then reduce to a simmer and allow to bubble for 10 minutes. Then remove from the heat and sieve the syrup into a jug to remove the seeds and set aside to cool.

Daring Bakers January 2011 Challenge: Joconde Imprime. Chocolate and Hazelnut Gateaux with Raspberry Cream & Dark Chocolate Ganache (GF)

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

I was so excited by this challenge. I have often seen beautifully designed, striped or swirled, sponge desserts in bakery windows and dreamed of creating similar things myself, but I never knew how they were made. Well, now and I know and…I’ll let you in on a secret… it’s not difficult either!

Your simply pipe your design of choice onto a baking tray, place it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up (so that the rest of the sponge mixture doesn’t ruin the design), cover with a joconde sponge, bake, turn it out and ta-da! Beautifully decorated sponge, ready for adding that wow factor to the outside of desserts, gateau’s and mousses etc. Magic!

Joconde sponge is a special flexible sponge which allows you to wrap it around cakes and desserts without it cracking or breaking. This is thanks to its use of very little flour and butter, with ground nuts and eggs making up the majority of the ingredients. This also means it’s fantastically easy to convert to being gluten free – hurrah!

I already knew I wanted to use my joconde sponge to create a chocolate and raspberry gateau to act as my sister’s birthday cake. I decided to use hazelnuts in place of the almonds as I think they taste delicious when paired with chocolate and raspberries. With this in mind I dyed some of my batter with cocoa powder and a little with pink food dye to tied in the chocolate and raspberry colours. I had great fun creating little swirly circles and dots with a piping bag and I love how the finished sponge turned out.

After baking I used the joconde to line a large ring mould which I layered with discs of gluten free chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, more cake, raspberry cream, another layer of cake and then a final layer of ganache! How wickedly indulgent! I then dusted it with some edible gold glitter to give it some birthday sparkle.

I didn’t let my sister see the design of the cake until it was time to remove the ring mould. Everyone loved seeing the swirly dotty design of the outer sponge. It really added some wow factor. Cutting into the cake revealed the truly indulgent layers of cake, dark chocolate ganache and raspberry cream. All in all it was a fabulous cake and so delicious that no one would ever know it was gluten free. I’ll definitely be making one again in the future, the decoration possibilities are endless!

Joconde Imprime (GF)

Ingredients
85g ground almonds (I used freshly ground hazelnuts)
75g icing sugar
25g Doves gluten free flour
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
10g caster sugar
30g unsalted butter, melted

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C and line a large 13x18 inch swiss roll tin with silicone paper.
In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
Sift together the ground almonds (hazelnuts), icing sugar and flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light.
Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to nut mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
Fold in melted butter.
Take one or two scoops of batter and place into small bowls. Set the rest of the batter aside to use later. Colour or dye the small amounts of batter using cocoa powder or food dye so that it provides a contrasting colour to the original batter.
Here is where you can be creative. Fill piping bags with the coloured batter and pipe a design onto a baking tray that has been covered in silicone paper. Make lines, swirls, words, anything that takes your fancy.
Place the decorated tray in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
Then, remove the tray from the freezer and quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern.
Bake at 200C until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, around 12 minutes.
Once baked, cover the surface with a sheet of greaseproof and a damp tea towel and leave until cool.
Once cool, turn out onto a flat surface and carefully remove the silicone paper. Your design should now show up against the pale base of the Joconde batter.
Trim the edges off the sponge and then cut into strips and use to line the inside rim of a large or small individual ring moulds, with the design facing outwards. Press the edges together so they will stay together once removed from the moulds. Fill the moulds as you wish and chill for an hour before unmoulding.
I chose to turn my dessert into a chocolate gateau for my sister’s birthday. I layered the inside with discs of chocolate cake layered with dark chocolate ganache and raspberry cream.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Gateaux with Raspberry Cream & Dark Chocolate Ganache (GF)

1 x Hazelnut Joconde (recipe above)
1 x 8inch chocolate cake (see below)
Dark chocolate ganache (see below)
Raspberry cream (see below)


Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

180g Doves white self raising flour
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
180g caster sugar
180g butter
3 eggs
30g cocoa powder
40g sour cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C and line two 8inch round cake tins with greaseproof paper.
Simply place all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until smooth and well combined.
Divide the batter between the two tins, making one tin have slightly more batter in than the other, about 40 to 60% ratio.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire wrack and leaving to cool.

Dark chocolate Ganache

200ml double cream
200g dark chocolate
20g butter

Method
Heat the cream gently in a small saucepan until it just comes to a simmer. Meanwhile, break the chocolate into small pieces and place into a bowl.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for 3 minutes without touching it. Then gently fold/mix the cream into the melting chocolate to create a thick glossy ganache.
Cut the butter into small cubes and stir into the ganache.
Use quickly.

Raspberry Cream

150g raspberries
20g icing sugar
100ml double cream

Method
Crush the raspberries with the sugar until broken down.
Lightly whip the double cream until it is just starting to form soft peaks.
Add the raspberries, juice and all, and stir to combine. Don’t worry f it looks a little soft as it thickens up in the fridge once assembled.
Use fairly quickly.

Assembling the Gateau

Place your ring mould, lined with the joncode sponge onto a serving plate.
Trim your chocolate sponge layers so that they fit snugly inside the ring mould. (I used the base of a 7inch tin as a guide).
Place the thin cake layer into the mould to form the base of the gateaux. Cut the thicker sponge layer in half, horizontally, to form two thinner layers. Set to one side.
Pour half the chocolate ganache over the base layer sponge and top with one of your cut layers of chocolate cake.
Spread over the raspberry cream and top with the final layer of chocolate cake. It should reach to the top of your ring mould now.
Spread the remaining half of the chocolate ganache over the top, completely covering the cake and top of the joncode sponge.
Decorate as your wish – I dusted the top with edible gold glitter. Refrigerate for an hour before running a hot knife around the top rim of the metal ring mould and removing, leaving the finished gateaux in place.

Chocolate Brownie Tart

Every so often I come across recipes that make me feel ‘I have to bake this now!’ This is instantly what I felt when I saw this Chocolate Brownie Pie on Peabody’s Culinary Concoctions blog.

I was actually in need of a chocolate dessert, as at the time, my brother was still home from Uni for the holidays and wanted a nice dessert. He is quite possibly the biggest chocoholic I know. If it doesn’t involve copious amounts of chocolate he doesn’t consider eating it. I can’t actually think of a non chocolate dessert he will eat! So when I spied this dessert I knew it would be a winner.

I wanted to be able to eat the dessert too but didn’t have the time to make some gluten free pastry. The actual brownie filling contains very little flour, so I simply switched the plain flour for some gluten free flour and then made a slightly smaller standard pastry case than the recipe called for, but the full quantity of chocolate filling. I then poured the extra chocolate filling into ramekins and baked them for less time. The result were little gluten free chewy chocolaty brownie pots – yum!

The brownie part was dense, very fudgy and extremely chocolaty. It had the characteristic wafer thin sugary crust and chewy chocolaty centre. The chocolate chips stayed soft and creamy adding a nice contrast and extra chocolate hit when you bit into one. It’s very rich so small slices are more than enough but it certainly pleased the chocoholic!

Chocolate Brownie Tart
(Recipe adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody blog)

Ingredients
350g sweet shortcrust pastry
1 x 400g tin sweetened condensed milk
60g butter
50g cocoa powder
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp gluten free teff flour (or use plain flour)
75g chocolate chips – any kind

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Roll out the pastry and use it to line an 8-9inch/20-23cm tart tin.
Fill the lined tart with a sheet of greaseproof paper and some baking beans or rice. Blind bake the tart for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.
Then remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and leave to one side. Reduce the oven to 180C.
Pour the condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder into a pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and all the ingredients are combined.
Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
Scatter over the flour and fold in gently. Add the chocolate chips and stir briefly to incorporate. Do not stir too much as they will start to melt if the chocolate mix is still warm.
Pour the chocolate mix into the tart tin and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. The tart will puff up in the oven but will settle down into a flat smooth finish on cooling.
Allow to cool in the tart for at least an hour before releasing from the tin.
Serve warm or at room temperature with cream or ice cream.
Makes one 8-9inch tart

Alternatively, you can pour the mix into 10 ramekins and bake crustless brownie pots. They will only need 18 minutes in the oven at 180C. If you use the gluten free flour in the chocolate mix, the resulting brownie pots will be gluten free!

Made with You in Mind: Cranberry & Apple Pocket Pie (GF)

These cute pocket pies were made with someone very special in mind. Someone who has been/is a great friend and fellow blogger and baking enthusiast. That someone is the lovely Monica from Lick The Bowl Good. Even though we have never met, Monica and I have become friends and she always has a kind word or comment to say. After seeing many delicious desserts and tasty treats on Monica’s blog using flavoured baking chips, I was telling her how annoying I found it that we don’t have access of any flavoured baking chips here in the UK. Monica being the lovely lady she is sent me a Christmas baking parcel full of four different bags to baking chips – toffee, cinnamon, cappuccino and mint. Not only that, she also sent me a box of gluten free flour and an Apple shaped pocket pie mold!!! How thoughtful and generous is that!

I knew instantly that an apple shaped pocket pie was going to be the first thing I made. It’s such a clever design. You stamp out two pastry shapes using one side of the mold, then turn it over and use the other side to fill and crimp them into your own little pie. Unbelievably cute and I adore how it’s apple shaped – just perfect for me.

Due to its apple shape, the first one naturally had to contain apple. I combined this with some fresh cranberries I had leftover from Christmas along with some ginger to give it a little festive spice.

The pie mold also allows you to cut out a leaf shape from the top side of the pastry, allowing you a sneak peak at what’s hidden inside your pie.

The resulting pie was delicious. I served it on an apple shaped plate my mum had given me for my birthday a few months back. It was the perfect size, so it was obviously meant to be.

I modified my brown gluten free fibre pastry to use some lighter, whiter flours. It still turned out a little grey in colour when raw, but once baked it was a lovely golden brown and looked and tasted just like regular pastry – hurrah.

Thank you Monica. These were made with you in mind. Your blog, beaming smile and generosity of spirit never fail to brighten my day.

Cranberry & Apple Pocket Pie (GF)

Gluten Free Pastry (enough for 4-5 pies)
60g buckwheat flour
60g brown rice flour
40g tapioca starch
40g gram/chickpea flour
1½ tsp xanthan gum
20g icing sugar
1 egg
80g cold butter
2-3 tbsp cold water

Filling (enough for 2 pies, easily doubled)
1 large cooking apple
2 tbsp fresh cranberries
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp caster sugar for sprinkling

Gluten Free Pastry

Weigh the buckwheat, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, icing sugar and xanthan gum into a bowl. Sift in the gram/chickpea flour as it tends to be a little lumpy. Cut the cold butter into little cubes and rub it through the flour using the tips of your fingers, lifting them above the rim of the bowl and letting the flour fall back into it as you rub. Continue until all the butter has broken down and the mix contains some small clumps.
Lightly beat the egg, add to the flour mix and work in using a round bladed butter knife. Add two tablespoons of cold water and mix gently.
Tip the mix out onto a clean work surface (t may still look too dry at this stage) and switch to your hands and try to bring the mix together into a dough. If it still seems too dry add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you are able to form a dough.
Knead the dough gently until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for 30 – 60 minutes while you make the filling.

Cranberry Apple Filling

Peel, core and dice the apple into 1-2cm pieces. Place into a small saucepan along with enough water to just cover the base of the pan. Heat until the apple begins to release its juices and go slightly soft around the edges.
Add the cranberries, ginger and sugar. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until the apple is soft and tender and the cranberries popped and stained the apple a lovely pink colour. Taste, and add a little more sugar if you find it too tart.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 190C and have a baking tray to hand.
Roll out the pastry in-between two sheets of clingfilm. Use the pocket pie to stamp out a top and bottom pastry pie piece.
Turn the pocket pie maker over and lay the pastry base into the hollow. Fill with the cooled cranberry and apple mixture, but do not overfill.
Brush the edges of the pie with a little water and place the pastry lid on top. Clamp the edges together using the pocket pie mould.
Transfer the pie to a baking tray and scatter over 1 teaspoon of caster sugar. Repeat with the leftover pastry until the filling is used up.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Eat straight away while still hot.
Makes enough filling for two pies, but pastry enough for 4-5 pies. The filling can be easily doubled if you want to make lots of pies (I used the leftover pastry to make some gluten free mince pies)

Roule au Chocolat avec Crème de Cassis (GF)

This divine, light as air chocolate roulade was the alternative choice to Christmas pudding that my family served after Christmas lunch. It’s an almost flourless, fatless chocolate sponge that is so light it’s almost mousse like. To enhance its deep rich chocolate flavour the sponge is drizzled in a fruity blackcurrant liqueur before being filled with lightly whipped cream and rolled into a roulade. Yum!

Have you ever noticed how saying things in French makes them sound so sophisticated and exciting? The above named Roule au Chocolat avec Crème de Cassis literally means Chocolate Roulade with Crème de Cassis (Blackcurrant Liqueur). Saying it in English still makes it sound delicious but it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. As the recipe was taken from The Roux Brothers Patisserie book (the father and uncle of the well known French restaurateur and Master Chef judge Michel Roux) I thought it deserved a French title.

We normally serve the roulade with berries and a fruity coulis but as it was Christmas, after rolling into a log, we used one of the end off cuts on top of the roulade to make it into more of a Yule Log and decorated it with holly and other assorted Christmassy things. This roulade is one of my mums signature desserts and one that my sister declares a ‘must have’ on Christmas day. It’s also completely flourless apart from two tiny teaspoons of cornflour, which is gluten free, meaning I could happily indulge with the rest of the family. If you are having a special occasion and in need of a show stopping dessert then look no further. It’s simple to make, yet people will think you have been slaving in the kitchen for hours!

Roule au Chocolat avec Crème de Cassis (GF)
(Recipe based on The Roux Brothers Patisserie)

Roulade
3 egg yolks
4 egg whites
50g cocoa powder
2 tsp cornflour
80g icing sugar
40g icing sugar (separate)

Cream Filling
30g icing sugar
250ml double cream
2 tbsp Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)

Berries or coulis to serve (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a 10x12 inch/26/30cm tin with greaseproof paper.
Beat together the egg yolks and 80g icing sugar for 3-5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and moussy enough to form ‘ribbons’ when the beaters are lifted out of the mixture.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until beginning to form soft peaks. Add the 40g icing sugar and beat for a further minute until the egg whites become stiff.
Use a large metal spoon to fold one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, folding it in gently while turning the bowl.
Sift over the cocoa powder and cornflour and fold until well incorporated and no streaks remain.
Gently fold in the remaining two-thirds of the egg whites. Do not over mix as you want as much air left trapped inside as possible.
Pour the chocolate mix into the prepared pan and smooth to the edges.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. When done it should feel springy when pressed gently in the centre.
Immediately place a layer of greaseproof paper over the top of the roulade and cover this with a damp – not wet – tea towel and leave to cool. (This keeps the sponge moist)

To Assemble
When the sponge is cool, remove the tea towel and greaseproof. Get a new sheet of greaseproof paper and dust with icing sugar. Invert the roulade out onto the paper and carefully peel off the base greaseproof layer.
Lightly whip the cream with the 30g icing sugar until just stiff enough to form peaks.
Brush the roulade with the Crème de Cassis and spread over the whipped cream, smoothing until nearly to the edges. Leave a small edge to allow for spreading when rolling.
Starting at the narrow edge, roll a 2cm strip into the sponge. Use the greaseproof paper base to help you roll up the remaining sponge into a roll, as tightly as you can. Don’t worry too much about any cracks – these add character.
When completed, use a large fish slice to transfer the roll onto a serving dish. Cut off the two ends, at a diagonal, so you can a clean finish.
If desired, use one of the cut off ends to place on top of the roll to form the knot of the log, if making a Yule Log.
Dust lightly with extra icing sugar and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Serve with berries and a fruit coulis if desired – but it’s so moist it really doesn’t need it!
Can be made 24hours in advance.

My Mums Apple & Almond Sponge Pudding

This is a delicious pudding which is perfect for this time of year. It’s warm, comforting, relatively healthy, a doddle to put together and more importantly delicious!

It’s a simple mixture of lightly cooked apple topped with a quick almond batter that bakes into a delicious sponge-topped apple pudding. The sponge is made using ground almonds, rather than flour meaning it’s also gluten free – I didn’t adapt it to be this way, this is the way my mum has baked this dessert for years. You can’t go wrong with the pairing of apple and almond.

The only change I have made to my mums version is to use light brown sugar in the topping rather than white sugar. This results in a more golden coloured sponge and a subtle caramel overtone, which is delicious with the apple.

I love Bramley apples for their juicy tartness and the way they easily cook down into fluffy mounds of smooth apple puree. I have often enjoyed tucking in to bowlfuls of this on its own, especially for breakfast with yogurt or porridge. However for this pudding you also want some pieces of apple to add texture and bite. A simple way to achieve this is to stir some raw apple slices through the puree just before baking. The apple gets fully cooked in the oven but retains its shape and provides a good contrast to the smooth apple puree.

This pudding is comfort in a bowl, perfect for this time of year. To me it needs no accompaniment, but I wouldn’t say no to serving it with some thick creamy custard either.

Apple & Almond Sponge Pudding

Ingredients
700g Bramley apples
50g caster sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Almond Topping
80g ground almonds
50g light soft brown sugar
60g butter
1 egg
½ tsp almond extract

Method
Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze the juice of half a lemon, lime or orange into it. Peel, core and slice the apples into 1cm thick slices, placing them in the citrus water to prevent them from browning.
Transfer two-thirds of the apple into a large saucepan and add 1 tbsp water. Heat gently until the apples start to break down and soften. Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until the apple has almost completely broken down. Taste the apple and add a little more sugar if it is too tart for you (the sponge topping will add sweetness).
Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the remaining third of raw apple. Transfer the apple mix into a large oblong or square pudding basin, you will want the apple mix to fill it almost to the top.
Preheat the oven to 190C and prepare the spongy topping.
Melt the butter in the microwave or a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and mix well with a spoon or spatula. Lightly whisk the egg and then beat into the butter mixture, followed by the almond extract and ground almonds.
Pour the runny batter evenly over the top of the apple mixture, smoothing it into the corners.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden brown, risen and springy to the touch.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before spooning into serving bowls and enjoying with custard, cream or on its own.
Leftovers taste great cold but can also be reheated by a short burst in the microwave.

The Cake Slice November 2010: Cinnamon Pudding Cake (GF)

I was delighted when this cake won the vote to be Novembers cake. I adore cinnamon in any form and the idea of using it in a hot pudding cake sounded perfect for the cold chilly winter days we have been having. This pudding cake takes the form of a self saucing pudding. It’s a cinnamon spiced cake that has a thin caramel sauce poured all over the top of the batter before being baked in the oven. During the baking process, the sauce seeps down to the base of the pan and thickens up into a thick and gooey caramel with the cinnamon sponge on top – magic!

I was a little dubious that this would work as described as my caramel sauce was very thin and liquidly when I poured it over the cake batter, so much so that it completely drowned the cake mix. However, the cake worked its magic in the oven and the golden cinnamon sponge emerged from beneath and baked into a lovely golden cake, complete with a crisp crackly crust – delicious.

My cake batter took on a slightly golden colour due to the flour I used. I am still experimenting with different gluten free flours and for this cake I used predominantly gram flour (chickpea flour) and just a little maize and tapioca flour. Gram flour is used mostly in Indian cooking, either as a thickener or in the batter used to make onion bhajee’s. It has a soft chalky feel to it, similar to cornflour and quite a savoury taste. I wouldn’t recommend it for normal sweet cake batters, but as this cake was so sweet and had all the gooey caramel sauce I felt it could take it.

The finished cake looked and smelt wonderful but the problems started when it came to turn the cake out. The recipe suggested inverting the cake onto a plate so that the caramel sauce at the base became the top of the cake. When I attempted this my caramel sauce was so thick and gooey that it stuck the cake to the pan, causing it to brake and come away in chunks instead of turning out cleanly. Well, darn.

Personally I think it would have been far better to serve the cake straight from the pan and keep it as a pudding with the sauce underneath, but hay ho, I’ll know to do this next time.

Despite its rather poor appearance it tasted fabulous when still hot out the oven. The cake was soft and moist with the cinnamon flavour coming through nicely. I have said in the past that I am not a fan of caramel, but this caramel was divine! I suspect it was because it was made with brown sugar, rather than burnt white sugar which came it a far nicer subtle caramel overtone. When paired with the hot cinnamon cake it was gorgeous.

With my delicious yet broken cake I decided to do away with attempting to cut a neat and even little square, which was what I had intended to do, and instead dug straight in with my fork. It may not have been pretty but when you have hot spiced cake with gooey caramel sauce who’s going to complain? Even my fork knew what to do – Eat Me!

I found the cake tended to get a little dry when cold, but a short burst in the microwave softened the caramel and had it back to being a soft and moist cake once more. As its called ‘Pudding Cake’ then I feel serving it warm is as it is intended to be. I’d make this cake again, but I think its best eaten the day, if not the minute its baked and next time I’ll serve it straight from the pan rather than trying to turn it out!

Click here to see The Cake Slice blogroll.

Cinnamon Pudding Cake (gluten free)
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
For the Caramel Topping

200g light brown sugar
170ml water
15g unsalted butter
½ tsp salt

For the Cake
240g plain flour (OR, 200g gram/chickpea flour & 50g maize/tapioca flour mix)
2 tsp GF baking powder
2½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
30g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar (I only used 100g)
225ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method – Topping
Heat the oven to 180C. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the brown sugar, water, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, then set aside to cool.

Method – Cake
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Add half of the milk and the vanilla. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full). Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter and serve warm.
Let any leftover cake cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes & Alterations

On recommendations of other bakers I stirred 3tbsp of the syrup through the cake batter before placing it in the tin and I baked the cake in a 9inch pan and reduced the baking time by 10 minutes. This helped keep it moist as some early bakers had commented the cake was dry when baked for the full amount.
I only left my cake in the pan for 5 minutes only before trying to turn it out, but the caramel had already began to set and my cake stuck and broke. I would recommended turning it out of the pan immediately after removing from the oven while the caramel is still hot and runny.