Strawberry, Orange and Almond Cake Gluten Free

Strawberry, Orange and Almond Cake Gluten Free

The original recipe used coconut and there were coconut threads on top of the icing, but I use ground almonds in the cake and leave out the coconut on top as a personal preference.

Feel free to swap the ground almonds for the same amount of coconut and to sprinkle coconut threads liberally!

150g butter at room temperature,

1c caster sugar,

3 size 7 eggs

1 c plain or gluten free flour,

1 1/2 tsps baking powder,

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 c ground almonds (or coconut),

1/2 c plain yoghurt,

finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp orange juice,

about 12-15 medium sized strawberries, hulled and cut into chunks

Grease a 22 cm loose based cake tin and line the bottom and sides OR put non-stick muffin papers into standard muffin tins for individual cakes. Heat the oven to 150 degrees C

Cream the butter and sugar until pale. Whisk the eggs together and gradually beat in until well combined.

Mix the flour, baking powder, cardamom and almonds/coconut together.

Gently fold into the butter mix with the yoghurt, orange zest and juice.

Lightly mix in the strawberries until they are evenly incorporated.

Pour into the tin or cases and smooth the top/s. Bake for 1 hour until golden or about 12-15 minutes for individual cakelets. Test for done-ness by inserting a skewer into the centre…it should come out clean.

Cool cake/s in the tin completely before moving to a rack.

The cake can be served as is as a dessert, warmed or at room temperature OR it can be iced with a cream cheese and strawberry frosting. Quite delicious!

Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Frosting:

Beat 100g room-temperature cream cheese; add 100g soft butter and beat again.

Beat in 2 c sifted icing sugar. Crush 3-4 strawberries with a fork and beat in enough to

make the frosting pink, yummy and spreadable… but not runny. Spread on the cake/s and decorate with crushed freeze-dried strawberry slices, halved fresh strawberries and/or coconut threads.