Don't be fooled. Inside this thin coating of sweetness is a fiery core of total insanity.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Gluten-Free Red, White and Blue Cake

As the whole country prepares to celebrate the Fourth of July -- or as Nigel the resident Brit calls it -- Insurrection Day -- I thought I would share a recipe I've made a few times for a moist, delicious gluten-free cake, sweetened only with maple syrup and the natural goodness of fruit.



This cake is made with coconut flour and requires six eggs. And the cake itself is dairy-free, but I serve it with whipped cream, which is not, of course, dairy-free. So if you're on a dairy-free diet, serve it without the whipped cream (of course, then, it won't be red, WHITE and blue). I've read elsewhere on the web that coconut flour needs a lot of moisture, so I guess that's why it uses so many eggs. Although the eggs get fluffy in the mixer, the cake doesn't rise like it would with regular flour, because -- no gluten!

I've been trying to go grain- and sugar-free, and so far I've done a pretty good job, I think. But every once in a while I splurge with this cake. Technically, because it's sweetened with maple syrup (or you can use honey, too), it's not sugar-free. But both honey and maple syrup are fructose-based, like fruit, and have other trace amounts of minerals and vitamins, unlike granulated sugar. So they're marginally better than sugar, but it's a tiny margin.



And I wouldn't recommend eating it after every meal, as a somewhat healthy dessert. Even too much fruit on a healthy diet can be bad for you. And if you're the type who can't resist baked goods at all, and are just going to eat this entire cake in one sitting (don't laugh, that used to be me), well, don't make it.

But if you make it, remember -- there's a lot of power in restraint.



So, here's the recipe.

Cake Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut flour
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup (or honey)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup frozen raspberries (make sure they are unsweetened)

Fresh blueberries and raspberries and whipped cream for topping

Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup of blueberries
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients except frozen raspberries on medium high mixer speed for a couple of minutes. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl, the coconut flour can get caked on the sides. Once the batter is combined, fold in the frozen raspberries (no need to defrost them).

Line the bottom of a nine-inch Spring-form pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice into 8 pieces and serve each piece topped with sauce, berries and whipped cream.



To make the sauce, while the cake is baking, heat blueberries, water and maple syrup in a saucepan till berries boil and burst. Let it boil until it makes a thick sauce. Allow it to cool and drizzle over each piece of cake before serving.


I hope you find it as yummy as I do!