Category: dairy free

Vegan strawberry tart… with a twist

#glutenfree #lactosefree #dairyfree #vegan

My cakes have so far been inspired by the great baking tradition of Ireland and the UK where I lived for 17 years. I still remember arriving in Ireland to start my Erasmus exchange – the first place where myself and my friends had dinner, we had the most divine chocolate cake. So cake and the British Isles for me go hand in hand.

However, since returning to Belgium, I’ve reacquainted myself with the Flemish/Belgian baking tradition and I can see it slowly starting to find its way into my own baking. It’s less easy integrating vegetables into tarts and pies rather than cake, but I’m up for a challenge (especially in these challenging times, baking is my haven). So here is a recipe I’ve been working on for a week now. It’s a bit more work than a regular cake which takes like an hour start to finish, but it’s worth it seeing the face on my kid’s face when he goes ‘moooore’!

Ingredients

For the cake:

110g boiled and mashed cauliflower (add a splash of water if it won’t mix well)

120g rice or buckwheat flour

25g cornstarch

20g tapioca starch

20g coconut milk powder (you can use regular milk powder here too)

1,5 tsp psyllium husk

120g sugar or substitute

110g coconut oil, melted and cooled

100g almonds

For the custard (recipe adapted from No Milky Way):

500ml nut milk (I make my own cashew milk)

40g sugar or substitute

30g corn starch

4g agar agar

1/4 tsp curcuma

For the decoration:

strawberries (or any other fruit)

shape cutter for the tart

Instructions:

Make the dough either early in the day or the day before, because this will have to cool.

Mix all the ingredients for the tart together and knead until it comes together into a sticky ball. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

When you’re ready for the next step, pre-heat the oven to 175C.

Take the tart dough out of the fridge and start kneading again until it’s supple enough to manipulate (you might have to take smaller chunks and knead those separately until you can put it all together again – coconut oil gets very hard.)

Roll out the dough in between two baking sheets until it’s about an inch (2,5 cm) thick. (Use whatever you have left to cut out shapes for decoration.) Put the pastry on a low round baking mould that you’ve prepared with oil and a baking sheet, and bake for 20 mins or until it gets brown. Bake whatever shapes you have made for about 10 mins – make sure they don’t get too brown.

Leave to cool entirely. The coconut oil will make sure it hardens and makes it easier to manage as it cools, so don’t be tempted to try to take it out of the mould when it’s still warm.

Next make the custard.

Put all the ingredients into a small pot and put it on a medium heat. Mix well until the mix starts to thicken. Add a bit more sugar if you’re so inclined.

When the tart has cooled down, pour the custard into it and put it into the fridge so it can set.

After half an hour or so, decorate with strawberries and the shapes you have cut out of the leftover dough – or decorate to your liking! Enjoy!

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Foolproof gluten and dairy free pancakes

After a tough week for both myself and my boy, we both felt this Sunday deserved celebrating. Hence pancakes! This is such an easy recipe, and very healthy for your bowel movement, because it includes psyllium husk which regulates your bowel. You’re welcome!

Ingredients

150g buckwheat or rice flour

1tsp psyllium husk (you can substitute with xanthan but that won’t give you any health benefits)

400ml any milk

2 organic eggs

Pinch of salt

1 tsp raw cane sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

Coconut oil for baking

Instructions

Mix all ingredients well. If the mix is very thick, add a little bit more milk. The psyllium keeps it all together.

Bake your pancakes. Heat the coconut oil in a pan and allow the pan to heat up well before adding the pancake batter. Enjoy with a fruit salad and granola for a healthy effect!

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Superquick pancake… Cake

Been looking for some new stuff to watch on Netflix and decided on Nadiya Hussein’s looovely and chill programme Time to Eat. Love most of the recipes but the pancake cake seemed like an excellent idea. So obvs I wanted to make it gluten and lactose free…

Ingredients

150g buckwheat or rice flour

50g sugar or substitute

1 tsp psyllium

1 tbsp olive oil

Sprinkle of salt

300ml milk of any kind

2 eggs

About 150g jam

100g peanut butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Mix up all the ingredients apart from the ham and peanut butter, and pour in an oiled cake tin.

Put dollops of jam and peanut butter on top and mix them up gently through the batter.

Bake for 25-30 mins. Enjoy !

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Easiest berry & chocolate afternoon cake

I’ve been looking for ways to use up apple sauce I froze last year and when I came across Oh My Pie’s pink cake, I saw a possibility to experiment. I adapted her recipe and it’s just about the easiest instructions ever. Chuck everything together and leave in the oven for 30 mins. It doesn’t get much easier, and the result is delish.

Ingredients

100g almond meal

100g peeled and finely grated courgette

80g buckwheat or rice flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

90g maple syrup

120g apple sauce

1/4 tsp psyllium

2 eggs

100g frozen berries

50g chocolate drops

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175C.

Mix all the ingredients to a supple dough.

Pour into an oiled cake tin and bake for 30 mins.

Leave in the tin until fairly cool and eat. For afternoon, or breakfast, as my kid does…

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Vegan chocolate & beetroot brownie cake

I have to admit I’ve never been a fan of cakes with beetroot. Even though I don’t mind most other vegetables, beetroot seems to always come through flavour-wise. But since I had cooked beetroot lying around and was looking for veg puree to make cake, this chocolate and beetroot cake was an easy option. It doesn’t feature too much beetroot so that makes it tolerable. I built it up in 2 layers but actually I think it works better as a brownie in 1 layer with the cream directly on it.

Ingredients

400ml any milk

1,5 tsp apple cider vinegar

100g beetroot puree

200g almond meal

100g cocoa powder (I use raw cacao powder)

50g buckwheat flour

200g sugar

40g corn starch

1,5 tsp baking powder

1,5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp psyllium

For the cream: 400ml coconut milk (only the hard stuff), 50g sugar, pinch of pink pitaya powder or another pink colourant. Optional rose petals and Easter eggs…

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175C.

Put the milk and vinegar together and leave for 2 minutes.

Add all the other ingredients and mix till we’ll combined.

Divide the mix among 2 well oiled round baking tins and bake for 40 mins.

Leave to cool entirely. Then add cream on top and enjoy!

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Lemon & dandelion polenta cake

My son has started asking me what witchery I’m cooking up today. After nettle picking for soup and dandelion leaf and rocket pesto, I also made a dandelion syrup from the flower petals. I call it basic witchery😊 and my son is very interested. I wanted to do something with my new dandelion syrup and this polenta cake I’ve been meaning to put together for ages was a match made in heaven.

If you don’t have dandelion syrup or can’t be fussed making it, not to worry: you can use a regular lemon syrup which doesn’t take long to make as well. But of course with dandelion you get the added bonus of extra vitamins a and B12, and delicious antioxidants.

Ingredients

For the syrup: about 2 handfuls of dandelion petals (pull a flower in 2 and pick the petals out from the middle, it’s easier than trying to separate them one by one from the green), 150ml water, half a lemon, and 300g sugar

For the cake: 2 eggs

160g sugar

200g carrot puree (boil and puree carrots, let them cool down)

200g ground almonds

100g finely ground polenta

2 tsp baking powder

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp psyllium

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Start making the syrup the night before: put petals and water in a pot on the fire to boil for a few minutes, then cover and let sit for the night.

The next morning, drain the liquid into another pot (make sure you squeeze the liquid out of the petals). Add the sugar, the juice of the lemon and the rest of the lemon cut into chunks. Let boil on a low heat for 2 hours or until it’s thick enough for your liking. Take the lemon chunks out. That’s your dandelion syrup!

For the cake, Pre-heat the oven to 180C

Beat the eggs and sugar for 4 minutes and add the rest of the ingredients.

Pour into a lined and oiled cake tin and bake on 180C for 20 minutes and 160C for 40 mins. Check if a skewer comes out cleanish (crumbs are ok bit it shouldn’t be too sticky).

With a skewer, prick holes in the cake and pour some of the syrup over it. Let the cake stand for another hour (difficult, I know), finish with petals and sugar (I wouldn’t normally, but this cake is almost medicinal…) and enjoy! The texture of this cake is quite crumbly btw, that’s normal. Enjoy with some cream!

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Lemon, ginger & honey cake

Anxiety, loss, threat… It’s difficult to remain optimistic these days. I cope with a mix of work (distraction!), mindfulness… and relaxation (more distraction). Baking keeps the wolves of anxiety at bay, and for that I’m truly grateful.

Yet while humanity struggles, nature is blossoming and spring is here. Hope springs! So here is a lemon and ginger cake to put a spring in your step, even if that is indoors or in other confined conditions. Lots of love and self care to you all.

Ingredients

200g boiled and mashed carrot

120g runny honey

2 eggs

Grated zest of 1 big lemon

Grated ginger, about 10g (but if you’re not a fan, take less)

60g rice or buckwheat flour

60g ground almonds

2 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

For the drizzle: juice of 1 lemon and 3 tbsp fine sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a bread tin with baking foil.

Mix eggs and sugar for 3 minutes and then fold in all the other cake ingredients gently.

Pour in the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, make the drizzle by mixing lemon juice and fine sugar.

Once baked, prick holes in the cake right through to the bottom and pour the drizzle over. Leave the cake to stand for 10 minutes and forget about your worries and strife! ❤️

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Apple & caramel breakfast muffins

I love the taste of caramel but it’s so bad for ya… So my favourite substitute is simply dried dates mixed with water. Delicious and nutritious!

I don’t usually start with a recipe but look in my cupboards to see what urgently needs using up. This time it was carrots, but do substitute for squash or pumpkin if you have any leftovers. Half of these have gone already as they’re so delicious!

Ingredients

2 medium organic eggs

100g raw cane sugar or substitute

200g peeled and finely grated carrot

100g brown rice flour

100g almond flour

17g protein powder (I use pea)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

1 apple, finely diced

6 medjool dates

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Beat eggs and sugar for 4 minutes until well combined and then fold in the remaining ingredients except the dates. You’ll get a fairly firm batter.

Put the dates in the blender with about 100ml of water. Blend until well combined (you’ll get a finer consistency with a Vitamix but another blender will do too).

Fill the muffin trays halfway with the batter and then add a teaspoon of the date mix. Then add another 1/3 of the batter.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. They’ll come out with a crunchy top! Leave to cool in the muffin tray and take out when cool.

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Jaffa muffins with gooey centre

What do you make when you’ve got leftover carrot and chocolate ganache? Kid needed a lunchbox sweet so the muffin format seemed like a logical choice. Kid also likes chai so I added some chai spices. Really happy with the result!

Ingredients

For the ganache: 100ml coconut milk from a can (only the hardened part) and 100ml melted dark chocolate

For the cake:

2 medium organic eggs

80g sugar or substitute

200g grated carrot

Zest of 1 orange and juice of half that orange

50g rice flour

100g almond meal

2tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt and a bag of chai tea. I used Yogi sweet chai

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C. Use 2 muffin trays.

For the ganache, mix coconut milk and melted chocolate and put in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together for 4 minutes. Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Fill the muffin trays 2/3rds and then add a spoonful of ganache before you fill the rest of the tray with the egg mix.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and leave to cool for half an hour before you take the muffins out of the tray. Enjoy!

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Vegan choc & liesberry cake

I don’t tend to make many vegan cakes as I need those eggs for protein. But I was excited to start experimenting for a birthday cake I was asked to bake, and my attempt to add courgette worked out beautifully. I baked the cake in 2 batches and then cut both cakes in two so I could add raspberries and chocolate mousse for added deliciousness.

Ingredients

130g buckwheat or rice flour

75g almond meal

75g tapioca or corn starch

1/4 tsp psyllium

120g sugar or substitute

75g cocoa powder

2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt

375ml any milk

125g finely grated courgette

300g raspberries

3tbsp cocoa powder

400ml coconut cream (cooled in the fridge)

3tbsp sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Add flour, almond meal, starch, psyllium, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate, salt, milk and courgette in a bowl and mix well.

Pour half of the mix in two 14 inch cake moulds that have been lined and oiled. Set in the oven for 30 minutes, let cool and then put in the fridge.

Crush the raspberries.

For the mousse, add cocoa powder, sugar, and coconut cream (with the water) in the mixer and blend until combined.

Cut both cakes horizontally in half. Put the first bottom half on a plate, then spread half of the raspberries on top. Add the bottom of the second cke on top and then layer with half of the mousse. Add the first top of the cake and add the second half of the raspberries. Layer with the final top half of the second cake. Spread the rest of the mousse on top and around the cake. Decorate as desired. Put in the fridge for 20 minutes. Enjoy!!

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