* Remove the baked cakes from the oven and cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them onto a metal cooling rack. Leave the paper bases on the cakes until completely cooled, as this will stop the sponges from shrinking.
* Once completely cool, place one cake on a cake board or serving plate and spread the jam evenly over the surface, then top with the dairy-free cream filling. Carefully place the other sponge on top and press down lightly to join the two. Dust with caster sugar and you are ready to serve.
tip: If you don’t need such a large cake, halve the ingredients and bake in two 15cm (6 inch) greased and base-lined sandwich tins. The baking time remains the same – 20 minutes.
Banana, pecan & golden syrup loaf
‘Yum,’ my son Charlie said the first time he had a slice of this loaf, and I quite agree. For a very simple recipe, the addition of golden syrup makes this a wonderfully rich and flavoursome loaf with a soft and pillowy texture.
serves: 8 to 10
preparation: 20 minutes
baking: 55 minutes
cooling: 30 minutes
freeze: Yes
100g (3½oz) dairy-free spread
50g (2oz) soft dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
225g (8oz) wheat- and gluten-free self-raising flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
4 ripe bananas, mashed
4 tbsp golden syrup
50g (2oz) pecan nuts, chopped
equipment
900g (2lb) loaf tin
* Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the base and the sides of the loaf tin.
* In a large mixing bowl, use a hand-held electric mixer on a high speed setting to cream the dairy-free spread and sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
* Gradually add the beaten eggs on a medium speed setting. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles slightly; you can turn the mixer setting up to high for a few seconds and the mixture will become smooth again.
* Sift the flour and xanthan gum into the mixture. Slowly fold in using a large metal spoon so you don’t knock the air out. Slowly fold in the banana, golden syrup and the chopped pecan nuts until well combined.
* Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, levelling the surface with the back of a dessert spoon.
* Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, checking the loaf is cooked by inserting a metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is baked. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a metal cooling rack to completely cool.
tip: Don’t be tempted to mix all the ingredients together at once, or the texture of the baked cake will be rubbery and dry.
Chocolate fudge cake
Death by chocolate, what a way to go! No chocolate cake is too rich for me and this one is certainly rich and gooey, just like a brownie, topped with a wonderfully dark and fudgy ganache. Don’t worry if the top cracks and sinks a bit because, as with a good brownie, the top becomes crispy during baking and any defects are covered up with the fudge topping.
serves: 14
preparation: 40 minutes
baking: 1¼ to 1½ hours
cooling: Up to 1 hour
freeze: Yes, without the icing
for the cake mixture
200g (7oz) good-quality (60% cocoa) dark dairy-free chocolate
200g (7oz) dairy-free spread
1 tbsp instant coffee granules mixed with 125ml (5fl oz) cold water
85g (3oz) wheat- and gluten-free plain flour 85g (3 oz) wheat- and gluten-free self-raising flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g (7oz) light muscovado sugar
200g (7oz) golden caster sugar
25g (1oz) cocoa powder
75ml (2½fl oz) soya/rice/almond milk
½ tbsp lemon juice
3 large eggs, beaten
100g (3½oz) bar white dairy-free chocolate, for decoration
for the fudge ganache
225g (8oz) good-quality (60% cocoa) dark dairy-free chocolate
55g (2oz) dark
muscovado sugar
225g (8oz) dairy-free spread
5 tbsp dairy-free Evaporated Milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
equipment
20cm (8 inch) deep cake tin and swivel-bladed vegetable peeler
* Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Grease the tin and line the base with baking parchment.
* Melt the chocolate, dairy-free spread and coffee mixture over a medium heat in a heavy-based saucepan until everything has just melted. Or, if it’s easier, in a suitable bowl in the microwave on high for about 1½ minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir and leave any unmelted bits of chocolate to finish melting.
* Whilst the chocolate is melting, in a big bowl mix the flours, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa powder. Use your fingers to get rid of any lumps caused by the muscovado sugar.
* Heat your milk in the microwave on high for about 20 seconds or heat for a couple of minutes in a small heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Take the milk off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir until the milk begins to thicken and look curdled. Congratulations, you now have dairy-free buttermilk.
* Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add the dairy-free buttermilk.
* Add the melted chocolate mixture and the beaten egg/milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a big metal spoon, stir until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, runny consistency.
* Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 1¼ to 1½ hours.
* Whilst the cake is baking, make the fudge ganache. Put the chocolate, muscovado sugar, dairy-free spread, dairy-free evaporated milk and vanilla extract into a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until everything has melted. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool. Once cool, cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until spreadable.
* Once you think the cake is cooked, pierce the middle with a metal skewer and, if it comes out clean, then it is ready. Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely on a metal cooling rack.
* When the cake has cooled, cut it in half horizontally, not worrying if the top cracks because this will be covered by the ganache. Sandwich the two halves together with a third of the ganache, then spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake, swirling it to give a frosted appearance.
* Holding the swivel-bladed vegetable peeler close to the edge of the bar of white dairy-free chocolate, run it along the top of the bar to shave off the curls. Sprinkle over the cake to decorate.
tip: Dab a small amount of apricot jam or glaze onto your cake board to hold the cake in place. It’s a heavy cake and you don’t want it to slip off.
Apple & blueberry cake