GLUTEN-FREE SIENA CAKE
As a very young woman I went to Europe with two girlfriends for a year. We had a great time (who wouldn’t?) and, like most people, fell in love with Italy. And its food (yes, and the art, architecture and the odd young man or two!) We were introduced to al dente pasta, steamed artichokes, potato-topped pizza, spinning peaches in sparkling wine, pistachio gelato … oh, how I could go on.
In Siena, to see where the famous Palio horse race spectacular is run, I had a piece of its equally famous Siena Cake. And another love affair was started.
We hope you like this gluten-free version of Italy’s fruit, nut and chocolate sensation.
Caren
GLUTEN-FREE SIENA CAKE
Makes 28 thin wedges
125 gm blanched almonds, roasted
125 gm skinned hazelnuts, roasted
80 gm glacé apricots
40 gm glacé pineapple, or add 40gm more apricots
25 gm glacé ginger
60 gm mixed peel
100 gm Revenge Gluten-free Plain Flour
18 gm Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
60 gm dark couverture chocolate (55%), chopped
80 gm sugar
150 gm mild honey
28 whole blanched almonds for decoration, optional
Icing sugar for dusting, optional
Preheat oven to 165°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
Roughly chop the nuts and place in a large bowl. Finely chop the apricots, pineapple and ginger and add to the nuts with the peel.
Sift the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and ginger then add to the mixture. Mix well.
Combine the sugar and honey in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Brush down the inner sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar crystals that have formed.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes or until the syrup forms a soft ball when a few drops are added to a glass of water.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water and no steam comes in contact with the chocolate.
Immediately add the syrup and chocolate to the fruit and nut mixture. Work quickly to combine the ingredients then spread the mixture into the prepared tin. Press down with the back of a spoon to evenly compact the mixture. Space the blanched almonds around the perimeter of the cake if using.
Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tin to a rack to cool completely. Turn out the cake and remove the paper.
Wrap in fresh baking paper and then aluminium foil. Place in an airtight bag and leave for a day or to before cutting into thin wedges. Dust with icing sugar if using.