Pecan Marsala Cake Recipe (GF) (LF)

Pecan Marsala Cake is a decadent 'grown-up' cake that I made for a dinner with a couple of friends; one of which is gluten intolerant, the other lactose intolerant - both seemed to enjoy this for dessert. Probably because this soft and moist cake comes with the comforting aromatics of Marsala. It is right at home as part of  afternoon tea or as treat with a cup of good coffee.

Pecan Marsala Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For Cake:
4 eggs, separated
1 egg white
140g caster sugar
200g pecans, chopped
4 heaped tbsp (GF) breadcrumbs
1/2 heaped tsp cream of tartar

For Icing:
225g margarine
255g icing sugar
10mL Marsala

Pecan halves and cocoa powder to decorate.

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add nuts and breadcrumbs then mix briefly.
In another bowl, beat the 5 egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.
Fold 2 tablespoons of egg whites into pecan mixture then gently fold in the rest.
Spoon into a 20cm, greased and lined, springform tin.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Leave to cool in tin for 20 miuntes, then turn out and remove lining.
Allow to cool on a cake rack
Beat margarine and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Add Marsala, a little at a time.
Slice cake horizontally and when cold, sandwich together with about a third of the icing.
Cover top and sides of cake with icing.
Decorate cake with pecan halves and a dusting of cocoa powder

Hints:
- Do not add too much or over beat when adding Marsala or the icing may separate.
- Can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until required. 
- Can add up to 75mL of Marsala to the icing if you want a more 'adult' cake.


Enjoy!

Just desserts here

Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe (GF) (LF)

Chocolate Mousse Cake is yummy but a bit different. Similar in texture to cheesecake, you'll love this one if you're lactose-intolerant. Again, amazingly it's also gluten-free and vegan - no animal products here. I used 4 mini-springform pans here but a single 20-24cm springform pan can be used. 

Chocolate Mousse Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For Base:
2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup ground toasted pecans
1/2 cup almond meal
4 tbsp melted margarine
1/2 tsp baking soda

For Filling:
1 pkt (~320g) silken tofu
2 cups (~340g) vegan chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla essence

For Garnish:
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries etc

METHOD:

For Base:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Lightly oil 4 mini-springform pans [or a single 20-24cm springform pan]
Combine almond and pecan ingredients into a bowl.
Mix in baking soda.
Stir in melted margarine.
Press into springform pan(s) using the back of a spoon.

Pressing in the base...

Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and leave to cool.

For Filling:
Place tofu and vanilla essence into a blender (or food processor with an 's' blade).
Over a double boiler, melt chocolate.
Add melted chocolate to blender and quickly start whizzing the mixture until smooth.
Spoon into cooled bases in the springform pans and level off with a spatula.

Adding the Filling

Place into fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.

All filled, levelled off and now in the fridge to set

To remove, gently warm the outside of the tin before removing outer ring of the pan.
Serve with a mixture of berries.

Quick Tips:
- I don't have a double boiler so to melt the chocolate I use a glass or metal bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water - just need to be careful of the steam, I often wear an oven glove on the hand holding the bowl.
 - You can also use a microwave to melt the chocolate by microwaving in stints of no more than 20 seconds at a time (often much less once heated through), stirring in between each stint.
 - Make sure you start whizzing the filling mixture as soon as the melted chocolate has been added because the chocolate will start cooling and solidifying as soon as you add it.
- If you don't have berries, fresh oranges can be used; this is more than just garnish, it helps to cut through the richness of the chocolate filling by giving a refreshing fruity burst.

Enjoy!