Spiced carrot cake covered with dark chocolate (dairy, gluten, egg free)

300g self-raising gluten free flour

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

100g finely chopped walnuts

180ml oatmilk

125ml olive oil

200ml maple syrup

3 medium carrots grated

350g dark chocolate

150g soft Naturli vegan spread

 

23cm cake tin oiled and lined with baking parchment

oven 200°C/400°F/gas 6

 

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and spices into a bowl. Stir in the walnuts

In another bowl beat together the oatmilk, olive oil and maple syrup. Stir in the grated carrots and then mix with the dry ingredients.

Put the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 mins on or until firm. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out leave to cool completely

Very gently melt the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, stirring until melted. Beat in the soft Naturli. Pour over the cake.

 

Rosehip muffins (dairy, gluten, egg & nut free)

260g self-raising gluten flour

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons rosehip powder

80g rapadura sugar

120 ml olive oil

180 ml oat milk

 

oven 200°C 400°F gas 6

Muffin tin with 8 medium or 6 large muffin cases

 

Sift together the flour & baking powder and add salt, rosehip powder and the sugar. Mix the milk and olive oil together and stir into the dry ingredients but be careful not to over mix - lumpy is ok.

Fill the muffin cases and bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes.

 

Orange, tequila polenta cake (dairy, gluten & nut free)

5 large eggs

300g rapadura sugar

150ml oat milk kefir

grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

100g Naturli vegan spread

300g fine cornmeal

100g gluten free plain flour

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

 

Orange-tequila sauce

75g sugar

75ml water

juice & zest of 1 orange

50 ml tequila

 

23cm cake tin oiled & lined with baking parchment

oven 160°C/325°F/gas 3

 

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until very thick. Gently melt the Naturli keeping as cool as possible, beat in the orange rind & juice and the kefir. Add to the whisked egg mixture with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.

Pour into tin and bake for 40 minutes or until firm. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

Whilst the cake is baking make the sauce - dissolve the sugar in the water and boil until syrupy, add the orange juice and zest and reduce again. Add the tequila.

Pour the sauce over the warm cake.

 

Chocolate cake (dairy, gluten, egg & sugar free)

250g pitted dates

125 ml coffee

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

250ml oat milk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

150g ground almonds

150g chestnut flour

100g raw cacao powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

150g melted coconut oil

200g dark chocolate

 

23cm cake tin oiled & lined with baking parchment

oven 180°C/350°F/gas 4

 

Soak the dates in enough hot water to cover overnight. Next morning puree with the coffee and vanilla essence.

Mix the oat milk and apple cider vinegar together

Place the ground almonds, chestnut flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a bowl, add the milk, dates & coconut oil and blend well together.

Tip mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven until slightly risen and firm - check after 30 mins and lower oven temperature as necessary.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out and covering with melted chocolate.

 

Tuscan Castagnaccio (dairy, gluten & egg free)

250g chestnut flour

350 mls (approx.) filtered water

pinch of salt

extra virgin olive oil

40g sultanas

50 ml sweet white wine or water warmed

30g chopped walnuts

1 dessertspoon very finely chopped rosemary

 

preheat oven 180°C/gas mark 4

shallow baking dish brushed with olive oil

 

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl to get rid of any lumps, then pour in the cold water bit by bit stirring till the mixture resembles a pourable batter. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Set aside for 30 minutes.

Soak the sultanas in warm wine/water for 20 minutes to plump up.

Add half of the chopped nuts, the plumped sultanas to the flour-batter mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle over the remaining nuts and rosemary. Drizzle a further tablespoon of olive oil over the cake.

Bake in the upper part of the oven for 40 minutes. During cooking the top of the cake will crack but this is quite normal. Remove and cool, eat warm.

 

Lemon geranium cake (gluten free)

knob of butter and lemon geranium leaves for lining the tin

350g butter

350g rapadura sugar

7 eggs

350g ground almonds

juice and zest 1 lemon

 

6 medium lemon geranium leaves, stalks removed and finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly butter a 25cm diameter cake tin and line with baking paper, then lightly butter once more and cover the lined and buttered base with geranium leaves.

Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat together until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs alternately with the ground almonds, then stir in the lemon juice and zest and finely chopped lemon geranium leaves (or you could put all the ingredients into a bowl of an electric mixer and beat together until light and fluffy).

Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared tin without disturbing the leaves. Smooth over the top and bake for 35–40 minutes. The cake is done when it is the softer side of firm to a finger touch and slightly shrunk from the edge of the cake tin.

Leave the cake for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Carefully peel away the baking paper and leave to cool before serving.