Coconut and Blueberry Gluten Free Cake

I've always been curious about coconut oil, and just how good it is to bake with. Many prefer it to regular fats for its nutritional values but just what difference does it make to the taste? We've all heard by now about melting points and that coconut oil pretty much trumps the rest with one of the highest. But in baking, this means cakes will have a lightness you won't be able to achieve with butter. Just substitute it one on one with your regular quantity of fat and gently melt in a pan or microwave before adding it to your ingredients. Admittedly, the coconut flavour isn't suited to all recipes but you can always use half butter and half coconut oil to limit the fat in any recipe.

And something I've not heard too much about, coconut flour (unless I've been living in a shell). I tend to swap any flour with ground almonds as a gluten free alternative if needed. I love the moistness and flavour it gives, particularly in brownies. But I'm not a fan of regular gluten free alternatives like rice flour. I just can't get the substitute quantities right, and to be frank, the taste is just not right. My research tells me that as coconut flour is so absorbent you need much less flour as it will soak up all your liquid ingredients. You'll also need more eggs to help bind everything together.

Essentially, coconut flour is low in carbohydrates and non-inflammatory unlike other grain free options so is much easier to digest. Although it would seem that substituting quantities is difficult, its definitely worthwhile for the added healthy fats it includes and as its high in fibre.

And so, here it is, a tried and tested recipe that introduced me into the world of coconut flour. This cake is almost virtuous so I'm just going to help myself to another slice...

Holland and Barrett online is my new favourite place for baking supplies! I didn't know how many coconut ingredients existed.

C O C O N U T   A N D   B L U E B E R R Y   G L U T E N   F R E E   C A K E
(Serves 6-8)

4 eggs
125g soft light brown sugar
100g coconut oil, melted
50g coconut flour
1tsp gluten free baking powder
50g desiccated coconut
200g fresh blueberries
220g cream cheese
120g icing sugar
zest of 2 lemons

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line the base and sides of three 6 inch sandwich tins (or one 7 inch deep round tin).
• Whisk together the eggs and sugar on a medium speed until light, fluffy and doubled in size.
• Continue to mix on a low speed and slowly pour in the coconut oil.
• Add in the coconut flour, baking powder and coconut and gently fold together with a spatula.
• Add the blueberries and mix until just combined.
• Pour into the prepared tray, smooth a knife over the top to level and bake for 30 minutes. After this point, turn the heat down to 150 degrees for another 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool fully.
• To make the icing, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and all but a spoon of the zest until smooth and creamy.
• Sandwich the cakes between layers of frosting and sprinkle the remaining lemon zest on top for decoration.

Thanks to the team at Holland and Barrett for sending over some coconut goodies to inspire this post.

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Coconut and Lime Bundt

During my university years, my flat mates and I decided that we'd make our own coconut water. All the trendy drinks in the shops were far too expensive, and being students, we decided to be frugal.

I'd seen someone crack open a coconut before, how hard could it be?

Mini Coconut and Lime Curd Cakes

   What better way to start seven days off than a birthday weekend! Not my birthday, but Mother Loves Food's. On Friday afternoon I pushed my way through the sweaty train crowds with flowers and baking supplies for the weekend.

   First up was a Limoncello cake from Peggy Porschen's Boutique Baking book. I seem to struggle with aesthetics when baking anything from this book. Maybe its the fact that everything in there is just so beautiful, its a little daunting! That and the fact that most recipes in there require three same sized sandwich tins, which I do not own. I never learn that throwing it in one big tin doesn't work quite the same.

   The result, an inch high cake. It did have a good rise for the extremely wide tin I put it in but not the impressive towering oozy boozy lemon cake I'd envisaged. Instead, I carefully filled it with some lemon curd and Limoncello buttercream and drizzled with more Limoncello and a sprinkling of gold stars.

   Next up were these little lime cakes baked for my mum to take into her work tomorrow. Of course I sneaked one to test, especially after overheating in a hot kitchen in this heatwave. I was so excited to try my new baking tray for mini square cakes from Lakeland, the perfect individual size servings and the cakes slipped out with very little encouragement. I always worry when not using cake liners.

   Each little square lime cake is filled with Mackays lime curd and topped with coconut soaked in lime juice. With a little help of some icing sugar, the curd has the perfect sweetness to cut through all the lime. 

Mini coconut and lime curd cakes

(Makes 24)

     250g unsalted butter, softened

     250g caster sugar

     4 large eggs

     2 teaspoons vanilla extract

     zest of 2 limes

     250g self raising flour, sifted

     drop of milk

     half jar Mackays lime curd

     juice and zest of 1 lime

     3 tablespoons desicated coconut

     3 tablespoons icing sugar

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease two mini cake trays.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl beat the eggs. Add a tablespoon at a time to the butter mix, beating well after each addition.
• Add the lime zest and vanilla extract and gently stir to incorporate.
• Fold in the flour with a large metal spoon until the mixture just comes together.
• Fill the baking trays a quarter of the way up, about 1 tablespoon per cake, before adding a teaspoon of lime curd to each and topping with the rest of the cake mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and the cakes start to come away from the sides of the tray.
• Leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing, whisk together the icing sugar, lime juice and coconut and spoon onto each cake once cooled. To finish, top with a sprinkling of lime zest.

Coconut Marshmallows

     For some time now I have toyed with the idea of making my own marshmallows. I'll be honest, recipes like these scare me. Marshmallows, caramel...anything with hot molten sugar. The idea of hovering over a sugar thermometer makes me so anxious.

     But since I'm a little bit in love with Bea's of Bloomsbury and would like to master everything that they serve, I decided to be brave. And, it worked. Although I think it may have been a little more beginners luck than anything else.

     I used a recipe from Annalise's blog, the measurements are in both American cups and grams etc. After spending what felt like forever reading various recipes and watching YouTube videos, I decided that this one seemed to be the most straightforward.

Makes 30-40 marshmallows (depending on the size you cut them).

     1 cup desiccated coconut
     1 cup (8 fluid ounces) cold water
     25g gelatin
     460g granulated sugar
     1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) golden syrup
     1/4 teaspoon salt
     2 large egg whites
     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
     1 teaspoon coconut extract (I couldn't find any so just used more vanilla)

It really is important to have everything measured out before you start as there's some parts of the recipe that are time critical. Also, use a whisk attachment on a stand mixer.

• Grease the sides of a 9x13 inch baking dish and dust with coconut.
• Add half the water and all of the gelatin into the mixer and leave to soften.
• Combine sugar, golden syrup, the remaining water and salt over a low heat.
• When the sugar has fully dissolved increase the heat to medium and bring to boil.
• Continue to cook the sugar mix without stirring until a sugar thermometer reads 240 degrees F (around 115 deegres C).
• Poor the melted sugar mix over the gelatin in the mixer as soon as it reaches this temperature. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
• Beat on a high speed until the mix has turned from a light caramel colour to white and has tripled in volume. Approximately 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they just about hold a stiff peak. Add the eggs and vanilla/coconut extract until well combined.
• Pour the marshmallow into the prepared dish and sprinkle with more coconut. Leave to set for at least 3 hours, I left mine overnight.
• To get the marshmallow out the dish, you may need to do a little poking with a palette knife but it does come out fairly easily.
• Slice into small cubes and toss in more coconut as the sliced edges will be a little sticky.

Will last up to a week in an airtight container.

I'm excited to try some different flavours now!