Orange and Coconut Polenta Cake

This is one of my favourite creations. Really moist (love/hate that word) and FULL of flavours that just go on and on. Smells amazing too. It's gluten and dairy free and uses coconut sugar so has caramel-ly depth to it. I used eggs from a friend's chickens and most of the ingredients are from local independent shops - except the oranges which I had to get from a supermarket. 

I originally made this as a lemon and coconut cake with postachios on top for mummy but works so well as an orange version too. I used light olive oil and a splash of almond milk as the fat content. The combination of polenta, ground almonds and desiccated coconut make a delectable texture and flavour. I recently made this cake for a parent at school and I believe it went down very well at her birthday lunch.... Happy Birthday! 

You will need:

9inch spring form cake tin

Oven at 180 degrees c

Scales

Electric hand whisk 

2 large bowls.

For the cake:

150ml light olive oil

200g coconut sugar

120g dry fine polenta

80g desiccated coconut 

100g ground almonds

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

Zest of 1 1/2 large oranges

For the syrup:

1 1/2 oranges - juice of

100g coconut sugar

To decorate:

Toasted flakes almonds

Toasted nuts

Extra desiccated coconut

Any fruit or berries

Prepare your tin by greasing with a little olive oil and line the bottom with baking parchment. Heat your oven

Mix together the oil and sugar. In a separate bowl mix the polenta, almonds, baking powder and coconut.

Add 1 egg and a third of the dry mix to the sugar and oil, mixing well each time. Add your zest and a splash of almond milk. Mix again.

Spoon into your tine and bake for 25-35 minutes until the sides are just coming away from the tin and it is springy to the touch. 

Make your syrup by melting the sugar and juice together over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Leave to cool a little before pricking holes all over and pouring your syup over the top. Leave to cool completely in the tin, preferably over night. 

Carefully remove from the tin and transfer to your chosen plate. Decorate as you wish with flaked almonds, other nuts, seeds, coconut or berries.

Enjoy with a glass of champagne! 

Triple nut brownies

Lovely and gooey, perfect warm with some Booja Booja vanilla ice cream!

You will need:
21cm square tin
225g 85% dark chocolate
225g cashew nut butter
200g coconut palm sugar
2 tsp good vanilla essence
3 large eggs
150g ground almonds
100g chopped pecans
16 raspberries

Prepare your tin and heat oven to 170 degrees C.
Gently melt chocolate and nut butter over a low heat then turn off the heat and stir in the sugar and essence.
Beat in the eggs and then the ground almonds and chopped pecans.
Pour into your tin. Evenly place the raps erries in the middle of what will be each brownie.  Bake for 25-35 min until the top is set but the main part is still gooey. Leave to cool slightly in the tin on a wire rack then cut into 16 squares.
Serve immediately with ice cream or they are equally delicious one their own. If you are going to store them, leave to cool completely then store in an airtight container.