back to baking

After a good while with no posts here and a whole month holiday in Brasil (my dear dear home) I come back with some really good gluten free cake recipes. 

After a whole week suffering from a terrible jet lag, at this time of year there is a 4 hours difference between here and Brasil, I have finally had a good night sleep and woke up in the mood for some baking and although what's in the oven at the moment are the chocolate chips cupcakes (that I've posted here before, only this time they have white chocolate chips and I'll be eating them as muffins, so no icing) today's post if of an amazing butternut squash chocolate cake with icing an all that I first made in June this year and had to repeat the recipe every single  weekend until we went on holiday in the beginning of July...yap...it is that good!!!

I would recommend to replace aaaaaaaany chocolate cake you are addicted to AND have doubled the recipe for a very very large birthday cake on for mum’s surprise party!!!

Light Chocolate Cake 

(from Harry Eastwood’s Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache)

You will need

3 medium free-range eggs

160g caster sugar

200g peeled and grated butternut squash

120g white rice flour

3 tbsp good-quality cocoa powder

80g ground almonds

1tsp baking powder

1tsb bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

125ml buttermilk

for icing

50g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar, sieved

50g mascarpone

4tsp cocoa powder

small pinch of salt

preheat the oven to 180 Celsius, line two 18cm diameter x 5cm-deep loose bottomed tins (I only used round tins on the first time, after that I used a regular rectangular one and cut the cake in half to make a square one, I liked better that way) with parchment and brush a little vegetable oil over the base and sides.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl for a full 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the grated butternut squash, followed by the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt. Add the buttermilk before beating again one last time to make sure all the ingredients are well introduced to one another!!!

Pour the mixture evenly into the tins (if using 2 tins) and bake it for 30min.

Once cooked remove the cake from the oven, unmould and peel of the parchment, leave it to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the icing, using the back of a wooden spoon beat the butter with 100g of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. It will look wrong at the beginning but trust us, it does work!! Once your mix becomes a paste beat vigorously for 10 seconds to loosen the butter even further. Add the mascarpone, cocoa powder, salt and remaining sugar, beat again to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before using for better texture, then spread in the middle and top of the cake. Do not use the icing while the cake still warm or it will run.

Well…that is it!!! Amazing cake and super healthy! To make it 100% gluten free just change your baking powder for a no gluten one!!!

After baking 12 muffins and 1 large carrot cake in less than an hour I have to say, I missed my kitchen!!

The cutest cupcakes I have ever baked!!!

A couple of months ago my other half's family was getting together and after tempting people for so long with cupcakes pics on Facebook I decided to bring some nice cakes to live up the day. I saw this recipe Harry Eastwood's book and wanted to try for a while and with the summer on its best I decided that a strawberry recipe was on demand!!! I know I know..its not summer anymore but if you cant get nice strawberry you can change the flavour by changing the jam and the fruit on the top!!! very versatile recipe...and most important, yummy too!!!

2 medium free-range eggs
160g caster sugar
200g courgette, peeled and finally grated
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g white rice flour
100g ground almonds
2tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Some good quality strawberries jam
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar
50g mascarpone
12 strawberries for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180C and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Whisk up the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until they are pale and fluffy (about 4 minutes).

Whisk the grated courgette and the vanilla extract into the egg mixture and mix to incorporate(remember to only grate the courgete just before adding to the recipe its important that they are as fresh as possible so they will give to your cake all their moist). Whisk in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt until everything is completely combined.

Using a large spoon, ladle a couple of generous spoonfuls of the mixture in the the bottom of each paper case. Add a teaspoon of jam then cover with a small spoonful of after mixture, in order to seal in the jam. The ration should be roughly 2/3 of batter at the bottom the jam, then 1/3 of batter on the top or you’ll end up with jam splitting out the top of the cake or sinking into the bottom.

Bake them for 20 minutes until risen and blonde on the top. Cool the cakes in the tin for 10 minutes and after that leave them to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes before icing.

For the icing; beat the butter with 50g of icing sugar by hand, in a large bowl(the tip here is to use the back of a wooden spoon and some elbow grease). Mix it until you have a paste. Using the same technique, mix in another 50g of sugar and the mascarpone until you have a paste again. Finally add the last 50g of icing sugar which should combine easily this time. Refrigerate until the cake have cooled completely (this icing is a bit smooth so cooling is paramount.)

Ice each cold cake with the help of a butter knife (if you don’t have a straight spatula), using a small tablespoon of the icing at each time. Top it with a strawberry and return it to the fridge to allow the icing to set. The cupcakes can stay in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS!!!

Don’t be tempted to use a electric blender for the icing that will liquefy the mixture. Also be sure to follow the step one by one as that will allow the ingredients to combine slowly giving the icing the right texture and you will end up with a very moist and fluffy cake toping.

i HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS ONE CAME OUT WRONG, HIHIHHIHI...THE JAM SANK STILL IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! THE ONES i TOOK TO THE FAMILY DAY HOWEVER WERE PROPER!!!

ps: to make it 100% gluten free make sure to use gluten free baking powder!!!