Tuesday, September 11, 2012
strawberry almond cakes recipe {gluten + dairy-free}
So spring has well and truly arrived here in Perth. The weathers been as fickle as ever, 12C degrees one day, 29C the next!
Everyone always seems to wax lyrical about autumn (fall) and I get it I really do... but spring, spring is my most favourite season of all. New life is starting up everywhere you look, the flowers, the trees and the birds. I love that spring is warm, but not crazy hot, although it sure gives us a taste of what's to come once summer hits. And when I say hits, I really mean it. It gets STINKING hot over here, unbearably so. I'll be making the most of this perfect temperature while I can.
Now, coming from New Zealand strawberries mean summer, Christmas in particular. What would a pavlova or trifle be without a few blushing berries on top? One of the first things I noticed when we made the move over the ditch was how early strawberries start showing up around town. If you are desperate, you can even start eating strawberries in the middle of winter! But sadly, like most things grown hydroponically they lack the true flavour of a properly grown berry. Come spring time however, real strawberries are everywhere and really cheap. I won't tell you how little I paid for that huge boxful above, so as not to upset my NZ readers. I already do enough of that when talking about the weather over these ways eh... sorry guys.
All weekend I've been busy finding ways to use up my farmers market score. There's been strawberry sorbet and muffins, bags of them have been frozen to later add to smoothies and these babies below were the berries last stop. Moist little almond cakes that I topped with honey-sweetened strawberry compote. The compote was a complete afterthought, as the piddly little strawberry half on top of each cake just wasn't cutting it. We enjoyed the cakes as is, but if you tolerate I have a sneaky feeling a dollop, or two of softly whipped cream on the side wouldn't go astray also...
strawberry almond cakes {gluten + dairy-free}
I use Billingtons unrefined cane sugar, found in healthfood stores in Australia and Countdown supermarkets in NZ, but any fine-grain sugar will do. And if strawberries aren't in season where you live, top with your favourite in-season fruit, or use frozen strawberries.
Makes 6
1 1/4 cups (135g) almond meal (ground almonds)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup (65g) raw unrefined cane sugar
a good pinch of fine sea salt
zest 1 lemon
3 large free-range eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 strawberries, sliced
icing sugar, to dust, optional
compote
250g strawberries, cut in half
juice 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons honey
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease 6 friand tins or 6 regular 1/2 cup capacity muffin tins.
Combine almond meal, baking soda, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla then stir into the dry ingredients. Mix batter until just smooth, spoon into friand tins, making sure to only fill the tins 3/4-full. Top each cake with 1-2 slices of strawberries.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. To test, insert a skewer into the centre, pull out and if it's clean you're good to go. Remove from the oven, set aside for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool further. Dust with icing sugar and serve with strawberry compote. Store airtight for up to 2 days, although like most baked goods they are best eaten fresh from the oven.
To make the compote place all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 8-10 minutes until tender and liquid reduced.
This is my entry to Sweet New Zealand being hosted this month by Alessandra Zecchini.
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These look divine! Love the pop of strawberry red sunken into their tops. Perfect for the glut of strawberries at the moment. :-) Imagine they would be quite delish with a hazelnut meal too.
ReplyDeleteHazelnut meal would be lovely! Especially topped with a little chopped dark chocolate too :-)
DeleteStrawberry glut already - how wonderful for you :o) Have run out of Almond flour but will restock this afternoon and try these for later in the week.
ReplyDeleteSuch gorgeous cakes, Emma! The sunken strawberry half is genius! ;-)
ReplyDeleteShirley
Oh go on! Tell us how much you paid!
ReplyDeleteThese look gorgeous. We are on the rinse and spin cycle with our weather lately - and we've had hail today too. Strawberries are still a distant promise :-(
$5 for 5kg, but only because you made me! ;-) Your strawberry time will come soon love xx
Delete...sobbing...quietly...
DeleteI was already sold and then you mentioned the whipped cream and I drooled onto my phone. These look amazing!
ReplyDeleteLovely post! Sadly, there is a strawberry glut happening across Australia. There is an interesting interview from the ABC here http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/strawberry-glut/4241730
ReplyDeleteWow, that is interesting! I feel stink for the farmers, more places should do pick-your-own. I'd pick them by the trailer load.
DeleteI won't be jealous, hubby works in the strawberry industry so brings them home by the crate. Funny though, I have been using AU strawberries this week to photograph and bake with for the new season. Loves these little cakes.
ReplyDeleteLucky you Alli! Crates of strawberries sound perfect :-)
DeleteOh so yummy indeed! Such riches to buy a whole box at once!
ReplyDeleteEmma, your little almond cakes look awesome! Friands, right? When we were in NZ and Australia I fell in love with them. But here in the US, we can't even get a Friand tin.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you that Spring is the best. All the possibility of newness. And all the tasty STRAWBERRIES.
Gorgeous post Emma as always,
E
Thanks Erin! Yep these are kinda like friands, the recipe is a little different but they turn out similar, a little less buttery but super moist.
Deletexx
These look healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast :-). Really, they look divine and I am pinning them to make soon. Strawberries are in abundance here in San Diego late winter through early fall, although I agree that springtime makes the best ones! I've been getting New Zealand travel update emails from Trip Advisor since our trip in April, and just got one saying that it is snowing in Queenstown. Crazy! Sounds like you are having better weather in Perth-enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYes my Mum said things have turn really cold once again in NZ.
DeleteBeautiful little cakes! I have some hazelnut meal I'd like to use, so I think I'll be baking later today. Our strawberries have faded, but we still have some blackberries, and fresh figs are abundant. Cute shoes, too!
ReplyDeleteFig and hazelnut sounds lovely!
DeleteI will always wish I could get really cheap and really good strawberries :( I live in Southern India and even when it's in season they are never so great.
ReplyDeleteLove the look of these little cakes! they look so fluffy and moist :)
They were really lovely and moist, even the next day :-)
DeleteYUM-O. Love your shoes! Hah!
ReplyDeleteThanks! My Dad makes them :-)
DeleteI live in U-pick strawberry country,not a bad spot at all.Our season is usually for 3-4- weeks in july,this year was even shorter!!The heat wave took care of them.I will definatly remember this for next year,perfect for a picnic.
ReplyDelete$5? Oh wow, that is so sad for us. That would pay for only a little over a chip here at the moment - and, as you say, they taste of nothing. I am using more and more almond meal but it is so expensive. I must find a cheaper bulk source of it, but I am wondering how long it lasts because usually nuts go rancid quite quickly unless frozen.
ReplyDeleteI always keep my almond meal in the fridge and tend to use it up before it has time to go rancid. I grind my own sometimes too from whole almonds. I'm not sure where in NZ you live but I used to get bulk bags of ground almonds from Gilmours (https://www.gilmours.co.nz/home.html)
Deletefor a really good price.
Thanks for that. I live in Auckland so will send my husband to get a bulk bag when we get back from Italy (going in two weeks). I have been using it up quickly too but only because the bags are so small.
DeleteThank you for your yummy entry Emma! Strawberries still look yuk here (imported) and today is sunny but... not really really spring yet, too much rain and cold! We are all waiting for spring!
ReplyDeleteI have made something similar before, but used tinned mandarin segments instead of the berries listed in the recipe, and was pleasantly surprised! Sometimes necessity (ie my frugal-ness for not paying $$$ for out-of-season fruit) is the mother of the best inventions. But i will definitely try these when strawberries are in season.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are really nice and the recipe sounds delicious. Wonder if it's good with raspberries instead of strawberries..
ReplyDeleteRaspberries would be perfect :-)
DeleteAren’t strawberries wonderful in just about anything. I agree - hazelnut meal would be absolutely delightful here also. I am hungry just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteYum! I got given a friand tin recently which I've been dying to use! Also love that this recipe is nice and simple, no tricky GF ingredients! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious, cannot wait for summer here and the berries that come with it
ReplyDelete