Tag Archives: dairy free

Upside-down Mandarin Cake

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This week’s recipe for a gluten-free, dairy-free cake using mandarin oranges which are now in season makes a sumptuous crowd-pleasing dessert.

The upside-down mandarin idea came from a recipe on a website I subscribe to called Delicious. However, the cake mixture in that recipe included flour and I needed to make a gluten-free, dairy-free dessert to take to a dinner party.

So I used a different recipe for an orange cake which uses almond meal instead of flour, used mandarins instead of oranges and combined the two recipes into one. Best served on the day it’s made, this cake is delicious.

Topping:
8 mandarin oranges
2 Tbs runny honey
Cake:
3 mandarin oranges
6 large eggs at room temp
1¼ cups sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
4 cups almond meal (bought or made in a food processor)
To serve:
2 Tbs sugar
250ml mascarpone
½ cup thick cream

Topping: Grease and line a 22cm (9 inch) cake pan with baking paper. Drizzle the honey evenly over the bottom. Finely grate the peel from 4-5 of the mandarin oranges and keep for the cake. Peel the 8 mandarin oranges, discard the peel and arrange the segments in circles in one layer over the base of the cake tin.

Cake: Preheat oven to 160° C. Place the 4 mandarins in a saucepan, cover with water then bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

Make almond meal in a food processor by processing shelled almonds until very fine. They can be blanched almonds or not. Measure 4 cups and keep any excess for another use. Place the cooled mandarins in food processor (no need to wash it after processing the almonds) and process for a minute or two. Add remaining ingredients, including the almond meal and the grated rind you reserved earlier.

Scrape into the cake pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until well-risen, golden brown, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool thoroughly in the tin.

To serve: Carefully tip cake out of pan and remove paper. If liked, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the mandarin segments which are now on the top of the cake and use a blowtorch to brown the top. Not essential but looks nice.

Mix mascarpone with cream and serve with the cake.

Serves 12-16

Gluten Free Dairy Free Fruit and Nut Loaf

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I don’t have a Thermomix, but my friend Rosi has one she she sent me this recipe. I have adapted it by using my Magimix food processor to chop everything very finely for the paste.

This delicious cake is perfect with a cuppa and would make a welcome addition to packed lunches this week. A yummy treat which is gluten free, dairy free, not to mention healthy.

Nut Paste:
200g shelled almonds
50g pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g sesame seeds
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sweetener (sugar, honey or maple syrup)
2 Tbs oil (vegetable, nut oil or olive oil)
Cake mixture:
120g pitted dates
70g dried figs or dried apricots
1 tsp fennel seeds (optiona)
4 eggs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 cup walnuts, macadamias or pecans (optional)
Sliced or slivered almonds to decorate (optional)

Nut Paste: place all ingredients except the oil in food processor and process for 1-2 minutes or until very finely chopped. Add the oil and continue to process until the mixture starts to stick together. Scrape out into a bowl. No need to wash the food processor.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line a loaf pan with baking paper.

Place dates and figs or apricots in food processor with the fennel seeds, if using, and process to chop coarsely. Add eggs, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and mix. Add the nut paste and mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides. If using, add the cup of nuts now, leaving them whole or in large pieces.

Scrape into the loaf pan, smooth the top, then sprinkle with the almonds, if using, and press them lightly into the mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Don’t overcook – mine was ready in 40 mins. Cool, remove from tin and serve in thick slices, plain or buttered.

Makes 1 loaf

Variations: use raisins or sultanas instead of the dates or figs. Use walnuts instead of almonds in the nut paste.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Apple Crumble

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It’s a challenge when my gluten-free, dairy-free friend comes for dinner, but I always manage to rustle up something tasty.

Everyone loves apple crumble, so if you can’t eat gluten or dairy, this one’s for you.

1 kg apples, peeled and sliced (I used cooking apples)
2 Tbs fruity olive oil
2-3 Tbs maple syrup (or honey, or sugar to taste)
Topping:
1 cup almonds, blanched or with skin on, whatever you have
1 cup desiccated coconut
¼ to ½ cup sugar, maple syrup or honey, to taste
1/3 cup fruity olive oil
To serve:
Coconut yoghurt, cream or ice cream

Preheat oven to 180°C. Arrange apple slices in a large shallow baking dish. Mix in the olive oil and maple syrup.

Place topping ingredients in food processor and process until you have coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the apples. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until apples are tender and crumbs are golden.

Serve with coconut yoghurt (photo shows cream which the rest of us had!)

Serves 8