WALNUT, PRUNE AND COGNAC CAKE

Wanting to create a cake with a bit of French flair for a Bastille Day dinner last month, I adapted this lovely recipe from Helen Goh and made it gluten-free, of course.

The prunes and walnut pieces provide interesting texture and the combined flavours, with the Cognac, make for a rich dessert cake. Serve it with lots of cream, or ice cream, and a petite glass of the Cognac. You might find yourself singing La Marseillaise.

Caren

 

WALNUT, PRUNE AND COGNAC CAKE

Serves 10-12

Start this recipe the day before to macerate the prunes.

Prunes

250      gm pitted prunes, halved
100      ml Cognac, brandy or Armagnac
1          orange, zest only

Combine the prunes, Cognac and zest in a non-reactive bowl and macerate overnight.

Filling

60       gm brown sugar
50       gm shelled walnut pieces, roughly chopped
2         teaspoons ground cinnamon

Combine all the filling ingredients and set aside.

Cake

WALNUT, PRUNE AND COGNAC CAKE SLICE PIC.jpg

300     gm Revenge Almond Gluten-free Plain Flour (see below)
50       gm ground walnuts
1         teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1         teaspoon bi-carb soda
½        teaspoon salt
200     gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
200     gm caster sugar
1         teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2         large eggs
250     gm crème fraiche
           Icing sugar, optional
          Whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat oven 175°C. Line the base of 23cm spring-form tin, grease the sides and dust with 2 teaspoons of gluten-free flour.

Thoroughly combine the flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, bi-carb and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and mix until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

At low speed, add half the flour/nut mix, then the crème fraiche and then the last of the flour/nut mix.

Fold in the prune mix, ensuring it is evenly distributed.

Spoon half the cake mix into the prepared tin and then sprinkle over the filling mix. Top with the remaining cake mix.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a cake rack.

Dust with icing sugar if using and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

 

REVENGE GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND PLAIN FLOUR MIX

280     gm almond meal
210     gm besan flour
280     gm fine white rice flour
175     gm corn flour

Mix up a batch and store in the fridge

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