This recipe is gluten-free so it can be eaten with impunity, regardless of various intolerances. But it is not a recipe that has been twisted and tortured into the oh-sofashionable gluten-free box; it is simply without flour because it is better without flour. The addition of gluten makes this bake worse. The key is the ground almonds – or ‘almond flour’ as they call it in America. We can use this to make a thick frangipane, which is a basic French tart filling. But bake frangipane by itself and it stands proud to become a soft and crumbly cake that you can just eat and eat and eat until your doctors tells you not too. It’s divine.
30 minutes
1 hour
Medium
4
Step 1
First, preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a 8-inch square (or similar – cake tins will do) with a crumply piece of baking paper. There’s no need to grease anything, but you can if you like.
Step 2
Into a large bowl, weigh your soft butter and caster sugar. If your butter wasn’t soft, give it a quick zap (out of any metal packaging) in the microwave. Beat these together using a wooden spoon or electric mixer for at least 5 minutes, or until almost-white and fluffy.
Step 3
Add your eggs, one at a time. Beat well after adding each egg, so your mixture is totally smooth. If your mix happens to curdle, don’t worry – this is fine.
Step 4
Finally, fold in your ground almonds with a big spoon until completely combined. Scoop this mixture into your prepared tin and smooth out until nearly flat. Scatter over your cherries (the mix will rise up about them).
Step 5
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it’s a golden brown colour and, when lightly pressed, it feels dry and springy to the touch. If you’re unsure, stick it with a sharp knife or skewer; if there’s any mix on it, it’s fine. You can cover up any unsightly holes with a load of icing sugar!
Top Tip
Can’t have gluten OR almonds? You can make this bake with any nut (and indeed, any fruit). Just place your whole nuts in a food processor and blitz until finely ground. Don’t go too far, or you’ll have nut-butter. Avoid peanuts.
Enjoy!
100g Graham’s salted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, at room temperature
150g ground almonds
100g (or more) of French glacé cherries (the dark ones)
Icing sugar, to finish.
This recipe isn’t a compromise; it is something that is better gluten-free than it could ever be with flour. The heavenly, crumbly, rich texture of this zesty cake isn’t held together by the intermolecular shackle that is gluten.
This pudding’s better than any you’ll find in the shops; tinned or otherwise. And you don’t need any special equipment – find any old dishes made of probably – ovenproof material, grease ‘em up and hey: a handy pudding mould.
Remember those days when you had to choose between chocolate or cheesecake? Flora Shedden and quark have just put a stop to them.
