Upside Down Plum Cake

Plum season and lucky me the recipient of a few buckets of plums. Mostly slow roasted and frozen. The cooked plums are delicious for breakfast, in crumbles and cobbler and make for a delicious upside down cake. The cake is  a variation of my quick mix gluten free dairy free cake. In this version I substituted some brown sugar for caster sugar and ground walnuts for some of the ground almonds. It is great for dessert and keeps well so can be made in advance.

There is plum cake, nice by itself but better with some more plums

And then plum cake with creme anglaise or egg custard sauce. It is equally good with cream or ice cream. Other stone fruits work just as well as do slices of pineapple or poached quince.

Upside Down Plum Cake

Gluten free, dairy free

Ingredients

Cake 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup grapeseed oil or light olive oil 3 eggs 1/2  cup caster sugar 1/2  cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup almond meal 1/2 cup walnut meal 1/4 cup gluten free corn flour or gluten free flour mix

Topping 12 plum halves (may be softened or lightly poached) 2 tablespoons brown sugar

 

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg C.

Grease and line the base of a spring form pan with baking parchment

Sprinkle the two tablespoons of sugar over the base of the lined spring form tin and then arrange plums around the edge and in the middle.

To make cake

Beat eggs and sugar(s) together until thick and foamy, beat in vanilla and the baking powder.

Beat in the ground almonds, walnuts and corn flour/gluten free flour

Pour batter into the prepared tin. Bake until cake is set and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin, approximately 50 minutes.

 

 

Walnut Cookies (gluten free)

These cookies are very much in the shortbread style, soft and buttery. The dough is also very soft so that it can be piped, although, I have included other methods of assembling the cookies so that you can choose whichever is easiest. It is a good idea to refrigerate /freeze the cookies as this helps to stop them spreading.

Version 1

Version 2 unbaked

Version 2 baked

Version 3

Walnut Cookies (Gluten Free)

These biscuits are very easily made in a food processor. Place all ingredients except walnuts and flour and process together, and then add flour and walnut meal and pulse until the dough forms a ball

Ingredients

250 g soft butter 2/3 cup icing sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups gluten free flour 1 cup ground walnuts (approximately 1 ½ cups before grinding) Extra icing sugar for dusting

Method

Grind walnuts, set aside.

Cream the butter and icing sugar together.

Add egg, vanilla, baking powder and mix well

Stir in flour and ground walnuts and mix well until dough forms. It will be very soft.

Follow the instructions below for shaping cookies.

Bake at 160 deg C until just starting to colour, approximately 15 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven, dust with icing sugar and allow cookies to cool on the tray.

When cool transfer to a cooling rack until completely cold. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Version 1

Use a large star nozzle to pipe dough onto trays lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes as this helps prevent cookies from spreading.

Version 2

Drop heaped teaspoons of dough onto tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes as this helps prevent cookies from spreading.

Version 3

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. Scoop out heaped teaspoons of dough and roll into small balls. Place on trays lined with baking paper and then flatten each ball a floured (gluten free) fork. Refrigerate again as this helps prevent cookies from spreading

A snap of me with the cookies at my recent bookmaking workshop,  thanks to Liz for the photo.

Orange & Almond Slice (gluten free)

I really like the orange and almond cake that is made with whole boiled oranges but it is not a cake that can be made quickly especially when you need a gluten free treat for friends with not a lot of notice. This slice is quickly made and is delicious warm or cold. Adapted from my brownie recipe and adding marmalade for the orange, citric acid adds a little more tang and almond meal a substitute for flour.

The slice keeps very well in an airtight container in the pantry.

Chewy Orange & Almond Slice

(gluten free)

Ingredients

125 gms butter

180 - 200 gms white chocolate (family block)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

4 Tablespoons marmalade

2 1/2 cups almond meal

1 teaspoon citric acid (optional)

Icing sugar to dust

Method

Place white chocolate and butter in glass bowl and melt in microwave. Use medium heat. It should take about 3 minutes. Alternative method, use a bowl over hot water. Stir regularly until mixture is smooth.

Add marmalade, citric acid if using and sugar to mixture and stir well and allow the chocolate mixture to cool.

Add eggs and flour. Mix well

Place/spread mixture into a greased and lined slice tin.

Bake at 160⁰ until firm on the edges and slightly soft in the middle. It will take about 45 minutes. Reduce temperature if getting too brown.

Allow slice to cool in tin and then lift out and place on cooling rack. When the slice is cold cut into squares or fingers

Dust pieces with a little icing sugar just before serving.

Broad Bean Patties

This year we did not grow broad beans, a very sad state of affairs indeed. Some of my green fingered friends have taken pity on me and given me a couple of bags, fresh picked and ready for me to make my all time favourite dip. The dip requires double podding which is ok when you have heaps but less so when your supply is limited. I am very grateful to them for their contributions and have really been enjoying both the dip and these patties.

These patties are made with single podded broadbeans which is much less work and less wasteful as the outer skin is used. Our worm farm and compost bins get the benefit of the outside pods. 

These are a very good alternative to meat pattie which makes them suitable for vegans and vegetarians and are also gluten free. 

My favourite way to eat these is to make them into a burger, they can also be made into smaller balls as finger food or as as an alternative to falafels. In a bun with salad they are still vegan friendly, egg and cheese may still be acceptable to vegetarians, and some cooked bacon makes them more like the traditional burger but no longer vegetarian or vegan. Takes care with the bun as this will be a problem for those on gluten free diets, I mostly use a commercial gluten free bread, wrap or bun when serving them to people with gluten intolerance.

Broad Bean Patties

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free

500g podded broad beans* ½ brown onion 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 tablespoons chia seeds 4 tablespoons cornflour salt and pepper to taste *at least 1 kg unpodded

To cook Extra cornflour Grapeseed oil / olive oil for frying

Place podded broadbeans, onion, thyme and garlic in a food processer and blitz until finely chopped or crumb consistency. 

Add cornflour and chia seeds. Mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.

Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour to allow the mixture to firm.

Divide mixture into five or six balls*, roll in a little cornflour and flatten into burger patties.

Heat a small amount of oil in a frypan and shallow fry on both sides until golden brown and heated through.

Uneaten patties can be refrigerated for two days and reheated in the microwave or oven. Alternatively freeze, defrost and reheat.

*Make the mixture into smaller balls and use as finger foods or an alternative to falafels in a wrap

Coconut Cake (Gluten Free)

Perfect for the coconut lover. Moist with an intense coconut flavour and gluten free , it is a very 'moreish' and hard to stop at just one small piece. Sometimes I add ground cardamom for an easy sweet treat for Indian themed dinners and lemon myrtle gives a nice fresh flavour. 

Coconut Cake

Gluten Free

Ingredients for full quantity 250 gms butter 400 gms white chocolate 4 eggs 1 cup caster sugar 1 1/2 cups coconut flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup desiccated coconut Optional 1 - 2 teaspoons ground cardamom Or 1 - 2 teaspoons ground lemon myrtle

Icing 2 cups icing sugar 1/2 cup dessicated coconut 1 tablespoon coconut milk (approx)

Method

Place chocolate and butter in glass bowl and melt in microwave. Use the melt function or medium heat. It should take about 3 minutes. Alternative method, use a bowl over hot water. Stir regularly until mixture is smooth.

Add sugar to mixture and stir well, then add eggs, coconut flour, baking powder, coconut milk, desiccated coconut and spice if using. Mix well.

Place mixture into a greased and lined tin*.

Bake at 160⁰ until firm on the edges and slightly soft in the middle. It will take about 50-60 minutes depending on the depth of the tin. See below. It is better to undercook than overcook.

Allow the cake to stand for at least ten minutes and then lift out and place on cooling rack.

Mix ingredients for icing, it should be a thick paste like icing. Spread over the cold cake, I usually ice the bottom of the cake.

 

Cut cake into rectangles, squares or fingers.

*Use a large slice tin or large square tin. I use a rectangular slice tin that is approximately 21 cm wide, 29 cm long and 3 cm deep.

Tangelo Loaf Cake - Quick Mix / Gluten Free

This is a simple cake to make and the recipe easily adapted for most citrus fruits which is good for those of us with trees and a bumper crop. I used Meyer lemons which are sweeter lemon as  these are what needed to be used first. It can be made with butter or a combination of butter and oil and probably all oil although I have tried this. The recipe work well with gluten free flour which has a slightly different texture to one that is made with regular flour. My gluten free testers thought it was delicious. I have also included the non gluten free version made with lemons. The recipes are identical with the exception of the flour, gluten free flour absorbs more liquid so does not use quite as much as if using regular flour. This recipe was adapted from a recipe given to me by my neighbour Mandy.

Tangelo Loaf Cake

Quick mix, gluten free

Ingredients

1 Tangelo*(large, approximately 300g)

185 g soft butter or 1/3 cup canola oil and 80 g butter

3 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 cups Gluten free plain flour

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg C, grease and line base /sides of a loaf pa

Remove the ends from the tangelo, cut into quarters and then remove skin. If there is a lot of white pith on the skin you may like to remove it.

Place the tangelo flesh, peel and sugar in a food processor or use a stick blender and process until pulpy and the skin is broken up into fine flecks.

Add the butter and process again

Add the eggs and give a quick quiz, then add the baking powder and gluten free flour. Pulse to mix.

Pour batter into the prepared tin. Bake until cake is set and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin, approximately 45 minutes.

Ice with lemon or orange icing or a drizzle with a watered down icing or glaze

*Use lemons, mandarins or oranges, keeping the prepared weight about the same.

the non gluten free version

Lemon Loaf Cake

Quick mix

Ingredients

2-3 Lemons *( approximately 300g)

185 g soft butter or 1/3 cup canola oil and 80 g butter

3 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups plain flour

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg C, grease and line base /sides of a loaf pa

Remove the ends from the tangelo, cut into quarters and then remove skin. If there is a lot of white pith on the skin you may like to remove it.

Place the tangelo flesh, peel and sugar in a food processor or use a stick blender and process until pulpy and the skin is broken up into fine flecks.

Add the butter and process again

Add the eggs and give a quick quiz, then add the baking powder and gluten free flour. Pulse to mix.

Pour batter into the prepared tin. Bake until cake is set and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin, approximately 45 minutes.

Ice with lemon or orange icing or a drizzle with a watered down icing or glaze

*Use lemons, mandarins or oranges, keeping the prepared weight about the same

Lemon Bounty Layer Cake (Gluten Free)

Playing around with layer cakes at the moment and I thought why should all my gluten free buddies miss out. This is a combination of a few other recipes that are on my blog, lemonies , lemon spread , Bounty Slice and White Chocolate and Sour Cream Frosting  This is not a difficult cake to make, although, it is quite time consuming as there are several components to be made. Definitely a special occasion type of cake and really needs to be cut into thin slices or small portions. I like to have a dollop of cream.

Lemon Bounty Layer Cake

Cake 250 gms butter 200 gms white chocolate / 2 large blocks 4 eggs 3/4 cup castor sugar 2 cups almond meal Coconut Filling 200 g white chocolate 1 sachet Coconut milk powder 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut

Lemon Spread 125 g butter ½ cup caster sugar 125 ml lemon /limejuice Fine zest of the lemons/limes 2 tablespoons cornflour 2 large eggs White Chocolate Frosting 100ml sour cream, 200g chocolate

Cake

3 x 7” sponge tins, greased and lined on the bottom.

Preheat oven 160 deg C

Place chocolate and butter in glass bowl and melt in microwave. Use medium heat or melt option. Alternatively, use a bowl over hot water. Stir regularly until mixture is smooth. Allow to cool

Beat eggs and sugar until thick, light and foamy, fold the egg mixture into the melted chocolate mixture then gently stir through the almond meal.

Taste mixture, if you want a stronger, more lemony or sour flavour dissolve a further ½ teaspoon of citric acid in a teaspoon of water and mix in.

Divide mixture evenly between three 7 inch sponge/sandwich tins.

Bake at 160⁰ until firm on the edges and slightly soft in the middle.

Allow cakes to cool in tin for at least ten minutes and then carefully lift out and place on cooling rack. Freeze cakes if possible as this will make them easier to handle

Lemon Spread

Melt butter

Whisk lemon juice, rind, sugar and cornflour together, add eggs and whisk again.

Combine lemon mixture with melted butter, mix well.

Microwave on high for one minute, whisk and then for thirty seconds at a time, whisking each time. The total cooking time is about 2 -3 minutes. ( 1minute plus  2-4 x 30 seconds).

The finished spread will be thick.

Coconut / Bounty Filling

Dissolve coconut milk powder in the water.

Melt white chocolate and coconut milk together (use microwave on medium setting 1 minute intervals)

Add dessicated coconut and vanilla. Mix well

Spread over prepared base using a wet knife/spatula .

White Chocolate Frosting

Melt chocolate on medium heat in microwave or on low heat in small saucepan.

Add sour cream and whisk

Return the chocolate mixture to the refrigerator and allow to cool. The mixture will become thicker.

Beat with electric beaters until thick and glossy

Spread or pipe onto cakes

To Assemble Cake

Place 1 cake on a serving plate. Using a wet spoon or spatula spread with a thin layer of the white chocolate frosting, then a layer of the coconut/Bounty filling and then a layer of lemon filling.

Top this with a second cake layer and repeat with the white chocolate frosting, coconut/Bounty and lemon.

Add final layer of cake and spread remaining white chocolate frosting over the top.

Leave plain or decorate with toasted, chopped almonds.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow filling to firm. Remove from fridge thirty minutes before serving. Cut small portions, wiping knife on clean cloth paper towel between cuts. 

International Women's Day

Only for International Women's Day would I decorate a cake in these colours. For much of my professional life I was involved in organising events to celebrate International Women's Day, mostly morning teas, ribbons and fundraising activities to support local women's groups. Purple, green and white are the colours that I have always associated with the day and would always explain to students the  historical significance of these colours.

 A quick mix cake was a perfect for last minute morning tea treat for a gluten intolerant friend. The leftovers will be perfect to add to the supper treats for the 'sisters' at knitting group.  Unfortunately, very limited decorating/icing supplies so the sprinkles dictated both the style and type of icing. Fortunately, there was blue and pink colouring so I could make mauve icing and decorate with the green and white sprinkles. I have been playing around with gluten free recipes and am very happy with both this recipe and this one they are both very moist and flavoursome and so easily prepared.

Quick Mix

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Cake

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

3 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1/4 cup gluten free corn flour

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg C, grease and line base of a springform pan.

Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and foamy, beat in vanilla and the baking powder.

Beat in the ground almonds and corn flour.

Pour batter into the prepared tin. Bake until cake is set and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin, approximately 45 minutes.

Chocolate Cake and An Open Garden at Arundel

Some time ago I committed to helping my friend Helena with her open garden - yes, I would bake for the coffee and cakes stall, yes, I would be able to work on the weekend and yes I could make gluten free chocolate cake.



Gluten free, dairy free chocolate cake, just one of the many treats enjoyed by the visitors to Arundel.

And what a glorious weekend it was, the gardens at Arundel were picture perfect and the weather sunny

One of my favourite sections of the garden, the very unusual red ox tongue lily, heliotrope and the silvery grey green foliage of the lamb's ears, artemesia and succulents

There were lots of place to sit and admire the garden

This magnificent pumpkin caught my eye, not only an excellent example of Autumn harvest but doing duty to prevent anyone accidently walking off the edge of the deck.

A huge crowd (1400+), slightly bigger than last year enjoyed the beautiful grounds and gardens,

 partook of the coffee and delicious home made cakes and scones that were made and supplied by the Geelong Friends of the Botanic Gardens.

There were so many delicious cakes and scones to choose from and quite a few repeat customers!

The Friends Plant Stall did a brisk trade with those in the know arriving early to get a bargain. 

For those who got the timing right there were talks and selected guided tours from Helena, sometimes Bella joined in the fun

and opera on lawn from William

For a small donation to support Headspace you could model a fabulous headpiece from The Flower Dispensary 

Helena showing us how to wear the Autumn crown. 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free 

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

3 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1/4 cup gluten free flour (can be omitted, add another ½ cup almond meal)

Method

Preheat oven to 160 deg C, grease and line base of a springform pan.

Combine cocoa and boiling water in a jug or bowl and mix until smooth, add vanilla and oil and stir together.

Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and foamy, beat in the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Beat in chocolate mixture and then the ground almonds and gluten free flour.

Pour batter into the prepared tin. Bake until cake is set and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin, approximately 45 minutes.

Rose and Vanilla Coconut Macaroons

A batch of these is a great way to use up egg whites. Plain macaroons can be made by omitting the rosewater. They make a good sweat treat to serve with coffee, particularly at the end of a Middle Eastern styled meal. Sometimes I make half plain and then add the rosewater and pink colouring to the remaining mixture.

Rose and Vanilla Coconut Macaroons

Gluten free

2 egg whites 1 cup pure icing sugar 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons rosewater*

Optional Glace cherry halves / blanched or raw almonds Pink food colouring *The intensity of rosewater can vary, start with a teaspoon and then add more as required.

Method

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Add about ¼ of the sugar and beat, gradually add remaining sugar and continue to beat until the mixture stiff.

Mix in coconut, vanilla and rosewater.

Tint the mixture with pink food colouring if desired, one drop of food colour at a time until desired colour is achieved.

Place heaped spoonfuls of the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper.

Optional - Place a cherry half or almond in the middle of each macaroon.

Bake the macaroons in 150/160 deg C oven until cooked and starting to turn a light golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Try not to allow the mixture to colour too much, if getting too brown turn oven down and open oven door for a few minutes to allow some of the heat to escape.

Cool on tray for a few minutes and then on a cooling rack.

Lemonies.

'Oh Wow' said my friend, 'these are delicious Kez, hope they're going on the blog. So here it is, afterall, who am I to stand in the way of such a reasonable suggestion? This is a version of a Blondie, which is really a Brownie made with white chocolate. Soft and sort of gooey/creamy with  a lemon tang and very , very 'moreish'.

I find that the zest and juice alone are not lemony enough and use some citric acid to give it a little extra zing. It also is good as a dessert, serve warm or reheat in the microwave and add a scoop of vanilla icecream. Use gluten free flour for a treat for the gluten intolerant.

Lemonies
can also be gluten free

250 gms butter 400 gms white chocolate / 2 large blocks 4 eggs 2 cups castor sugar

1 teaspoon citric acid or a little more 1 1/2 cups plain flour or 1 1/4 cups gluten free flour 1 cup almond meal Juice and zest of 2 lemons

Method

Place chocolate and butter in glass bowl and melt in microwave. Use medium heat. It should take about 3 minutes. Alternatively, use a bowl over hot water. Stir regularly until mixture is smooth.

Add citric acid and sugar to the mixture and stir well, then add flour, almond meal, lemon juice and zest. Mix well.

Taste mixture, if you want a stronger, more lemony or sour flavour dissolve a further ½ teaspoon of citric acid in a teaspoon of water and mix in.

Place mixture into a greased and lined tin. I use a rectangular slice tin that is approximately 21 cm wide, 29 cm long and 3 cm deep.

Bake at 160⁰ until firm on the edges and slightly soft in the middle. It will take about 40-60 minutes depending on the depth of the tin. 

Allow lemonies to stand for a few minutes and then carefully lift out and place on cooling rack.

Cut up and place in an airtight container or jar.

Serve with a dust of icing sugar.

Chocolate, Almond & Zucchini Cake

This is a beautiful, moist, rich chocolate cake.  This version of gluten free and zucchini is perfect for the chocolate cake enthusiast and children will never detect the zucchini. Good quality Dutch cocoa is essential for the dark chocolate colour, however, regular cocoa will also work.

When baking for knitting group I use a deep slice tin or brownie tin. It is easier to cut up into smaller pieces and more suitable to pass around. There is always the option of seconds.


The mixture can also be made into cupcakes or baked in muffin tins and used as individual puddings

Gluten Free

Chocolate Almond & Zucchini Cake

2 zucchini or enough to make 2 cups grated  1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup almond meal 1 cup gluten free flour 4 x 50 g eggs or 3 large 1 tablespoon baking powder 3 tablespoons Dutch cocoa 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To Decorate Sifted pure icing sugar Chocolate Frosting 100g butter 200g dark chocolate 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Chocolate Sauce ½ cup cream 200g dark chocolate 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Grate zucchini and squeeze out to remove as much liquid as possible. Measure out 2 cups of zucchini.

Combine oil, eggs and sugar. Beat/whiz to combine.

Add baking powder, cocoa almond meal and gluten free flour Beat/pulse /mix until combined.

Stir in the grated zucchini

Pour the mixture into a greased and lined *20 cm springform cake tin.  Bake 160 deg C until just cooked and a skewer comes out clean, approximately 1 hour.

*Cake tin size will influence the cooking time. I frequently use a slice tin which cooks more quickly (40 mins approx) than a deeper and smaller round tin. Cool in tin for ten minutes and then on a cooling rack.

Decorate cake with chocolate frosting or if using for dessert dust cake with sifted pure icing and serve with warm chocolate sauce, cream/icec ream.

To Make Chocolate Frosting

Melt butter, chocolate and vanilla together on medium heat in microwave or on low heat in small saucepan. Mix well. Allow to cool until thick and spread over cake.

To Make Chocolate Sauce

Melt cream, chocolate and vanilla together on medium heat in microwave or on low heat in small saucepan. Mix well. Serve warm. Refrigerate unused sauce and reheat bin the microwave on medium.

Mocha Creams

Mocha Creams

Gluten Free

It is not necessary but I like to make them the day before they are needed. 

These biscuits keep for days if refrigerated.

Biscuits 1 cup almond meal 2 cups pure icing sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa 4 egg whites

Mocha Filling 200g white chocolate 2 tablespoons cream or 60 g butter 1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Draw circles or hearts onto a 3 sheet s of baking paper allowing space around each shape. Turn the sheets over and place on a baking tray.

Sift almond meal, cocoa and pure icing sugar together.

Beat egg whites until stiff and then mix in almond meal mixture, Mix thoroughly. (I use low speed on a hand mixer)

Pipe or spoon the mixture into the shapes on the baking paper, no thicker than 1 cm thick.  If possible, allow the biscuit mixture to settle/ stand for an hour or so.

Bake at 150 deg C until biscuits are firm to the touch.

Cool on the tray.

Carefully remove the biscuits and sandwich with Mocha filling. Refrigerate. 

To Make Mocha Filling

Melt white chocolate and cream together. Add coffee and vanilla, Stir and mix well. Refrigerate until nearly set.  I like to beat the nearly set mixture with the electric beater, it makes a lighter and more mousse like filling.