Coconut flour layer cake with raspberries and dark chocolate ganache

This is a very rich cake!
gluten, grain, nut free ( coconut is a fruit)
dairy free (if using coconut oil not butter)
Ensure your chocolate is dairy free

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

4 large eggs, separated- room temperature
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil or butter- don't use melted of either
¼ cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt


Ganache filling

1x 270ml can ayam coconut cream
150g dairy free choc- melt with coconut cream- use a glass bowl in a pot of simmering water, don't let the bowl touch the water. Whisk to get out any lumps
250g approx raspberries (or any berry)-you can use frozen

Method

Preheat oven to 180°c Line the bottom of a 20cm round cake pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl place the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form.
In a bowl, cream together honey and coconut oil/butter Mix in the egg yolks. Add to the mixture, coconut flour, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mix, and fold in, then add the other half of the eggwhites. Combine until the batter is completely mixed.
Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Leave 5 minutes and then take out of the tin and leave to cool.
Wait until the cake is completely cool then cut in half so you have 2 circles. On the bottom half spread out  half of your chocolate ganache and half the raspberries  Then place the other half of the cake on top and spread the rest of your ganache and raspberries .
how to cut a cake for layer cake using string

Coconut flour vanilla layer cake

The cake itself can be dairy free if you use coconut oil not butter- for a dairy free filling you can use whipped coconut cream until light and fluffy or a ganache using an equal quantity of dairy free choc and coconut cream melted together, then cooled so you can spread it

Serves 8

Ingredients

6 large eggs, separated- room temperature
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil or butter
¼ cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

In the filling and topping I have used 500ml cream-whipped, this is a lot of cream! 300ml cream would have been enough. ¼ cup approx. of raspberry jam or jam of your choice and 250g strawberries or fruit of your choice.

Method

Preheat oven to 180°c Line the bottom of a 20cm round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. In a large bowl place the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form.

In a bowl, cream together honey and coconut oil/butter Mix in the egg yolks. Add to the mixture, coconut flour, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mix, and fold in, then add the other half of the egg whites. Combine until the batter is completely mixed.

Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Leave 5 minutes and then take out of the tin, put on a cake rack and leave to cool.

How to cut your cake in half - a short video

Wait until the cake is completely cool then cut in half so you have 2 circles. On the bottom half spread out your jam and half the cream, spread out until nearly to the edges. Then place the other half of the cake on top and spread the rest of your cream and then your fruit. Optional drizzle of honey/maple/coconut nectar.

Veg and mince bake with creamy quark topping

Serves 4

You can make this vegetarian omit the mince and replace with other veg and/or legumes.

Ingredients

1 bunch silverbeet or kale, washed and chopped

2 -3 zucchinis

1 brown onion

5 cloves garlic, peeled

300g mince, you could use any mince

½ tsp ground nutmeg

450g quark or ricotta cheese

2 tbsp parmesan cheese (opt)

4 eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 180c

In a food processor blitz onion, garlic and zucchini until mostly fine with a few chunks. You can just chop up, I do this so my kids eat it. Cook zucchini mix with the silverbeet and mince with a good whack of butter, season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes until liquid had evaporated. Put into to an oven proof dish. For your topping simply whisk your quark and eggs (parmesan if using) and season well with salt and pepper. Pour over your mince mix and spread evenly. Sprinkle over smoked paprika if you like.

 Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and top has set. Watch the top doesn’t get burnt. Serve up with extra veg or salad.

Xmas junket

Makes 500ml. You could use cacao powder and make a chocolate one.

Ingredients

500ml full cream milk, you could use some cream in the mix if you want it creamier

1-3 tbsp coconut nectar, honey, maple or rice malt syrup, start with 1 tbsp and taste

½ 1 tsp ground cinnamon- start with ½ tsp and taste

¼ tsp ground clove

¼ tsp ground  nutmeg

1 junket tablet, you find these at the supermarket near the long life custards and jellies

Method

Get a 500ml serving bowl or 4x 125ml smaller ones for individual serves.

Whisk the milk with the spices and sweetener. The spices will tend to float on top when you pour it in your dish. Dissolves your junket tablet in 1 tbsp cold water. Make sure its fully dissolved.

In a medium pot warm the milk to blood temp, or 37 degrees.  I stir the milk with my finger. This is the temperature you would use for a baby bottle or baby bath. If it is too hot it won’t work very well.

Take off and whisk in your junket/water. Pour into your serving dishes and let them sit undisturbed for 15 minutes. Do not move it in this 15 minutes or it will disturb the curds!

Then carefully put in the fridge to set for an hour or so. Serve up with cream and/or fruit. 

Cheesy vege bake

Serves 4
If you want to make vegetarian replace the mince for extra veg, good recipe for hiding some veg, my kids didn’t even know their most unfavorite veg was in there!
If you want dairy free use 6-8 beaten eggs and maybe some coconut milk and no butter, cheese or sour cream. This would be like a frittata

Ingredients
300g mince
1 small brown onion
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 zucchinis
3 large flat mushrooms
1 small bunch kale, washed and chopped
200g sour cream
200g grated tasty cheese
2 eggs
2 tsp smoked paprika

Method
Preheat oven to 180C
In a food processor blitz mushroom, zucchini, onion and garlic until mostly fine. In a large pan put a couple of tbsp. of butter/coconut oil and cook with the kale for 5 minutes, the liquid that comes out should be evaporated. Put in a baking dish, spread out evenly and press down. For the topping mix your eggs, sour cream and paprika, whisk and then stir in your cheese. Pour over your meat/veg mix and bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown on top. You can serve with extra veg /salad if you like.

Instant mango ice cream/custard

You guys who make their own ice cream will know how hard they  set in the freezer, so what I like to do is keep chunks of fruit in the freezer and make instant ice cream.

This doubles as a custard, so if you have non frozen fruit you can do the same thing and keep it in the fridge!

You can use strawberry, kiwi, blueberry, banana or other berries

Make 4 small portions

Ingredients

The flesh of 1 large mango (diced frozen)

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 heaped tbsp. double cream or thick coconut cream-you an add more or less

Opt 1 tsp honey, maple or rice malt syrup

Method

Blitz everything but the cream in a food processor. When smooth and creamy add your cream and pulse once or twice until combined. If it is a little runny just pop back in the freezer. I make this before dinner and its ready to have 30 mins later. You can either freeze the leftovers or keep in the fridge as a mango custard

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Home made tomato sauce

Ingredients

140g tomato paste, this is the very thick one

3-4 tsp white wine vinegar

½ tsp allspice
1/2 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder approx

Water approx. 2-3 tbsp depending on how thick you like your sauce

Opt ½-1 tsp molasses- or to taste

Method

Mix paste and allspice together. Mix in 2tsp vinegar, taste and add more if you like more tang.

Then add your water till you get the thickness you like

Add your molasses if you want to add it. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary