Friday dawned and I didn't know what to do. I wasn't well enough for boxing down at the beach as I still had my head cold. I had no appointments or friends coming round at all. I hadn't planned anything to bake, other than a birthday cake for Neil but his birthday wasn't until Sunday. I tried to con him into having an early birthday cake so we could eat it over the weekend but no he wanted it on his actual birthday! Doh. And since I hadn't done any exercise for two weeks I decided I couldn't bake anything else in the meantime. I was at a loose end not knowing what to do. Luckily over the last couple of weeks I'd been scouring op shops and second hand book stores for new reading material and had amassed over 30 books to read! So I took to a sunny spot on the couch and read to my hearts content.
Two new additions came from Ariel bookstore. One was a sewing technique book which was bound to come in handy as I learn how to use my new Singer. Another weight watching device to distract me from the kitchen. And of course the second book was bargain gluten free cookbook - "The wheat-free cook - gluten free recipes for everyone" by Jacqeline Mallora. The latter provided a few hours of entertainment, flicking through and reading various recipes. I can see a few recipes will end on this blog at some stage! Come Saturday morning my self imposed ban on baking was broken when I decided to make something out this book. Its a got a good section on bread, of which all but one don't use yeast and are quick to cook. I was somewhat taken with the idea of rice flour English muffins as an alternative to fruit toast for breakfast. I gave them ago but had problems with the batter which wasn't that fluffy. Silly me had gotten confused with baking powder and baking soda. And the egg rings where no way near big or deep enough to make a good muffin. Anyway I'll try them again soon with new muffin rings and the proper use of baking soda!
Now to the birthday cake. I'd quizzed the birthday boy for a request but he wasn't that decisive so I ended up asking for favorite ingredients or theme and he came up with date and walnut. Funny that, its also one of my favorite combinations too, especially when chocolate is added as well. Anyway since it was Neil's choice I wouldn't add chocolate so I had to hunt for a cake recipe with date and walnuts. Sticking with my books, I came across a recipe that looked interesting in Sue Sheppard's "Gluten free Kitchen" for a Coffee and Pecan cake which I though could be nicely adapted to a Coffee, date and walnut cake. The dates could be mixed in with the dissolved coffee and baking soda to soften them up and walnuts would be a simple substitution for pecans in the strusel topping. I also halved the sugar in the cake and used brown sugar instead of caster. Anyway the cake just made it out of the oven in time before we headed over to Glebe and a birthday breakfast with friends at the cafe near the Maritime Museum. Coffee and birthday cake would be after a trip around the museum and walk back to Glebe. It went down a treat, even if I didn't quite get the quantity of coffee right in the cake it tasted more caramel than coffe and dateore dates. I'd have to get that right another time. Anyway here is the adapted recipe.
Coffee, date and walnut cake (Adapted from The Gluten Free Kitchen by Sue Sheppard)
1c chopped dates (more if you fancy)
1 1/2Tbsp instant coffee (oops just realised I only put 2tsp!)
3Tbsp boiling water
1tsp bicarb soda
160g unsalted butter
1/2c brown sugar (or 1c caster sugar if you prefer)
3 eggs
130g rice flour
35g cornflour
30g tapioca flour
2tsp baking powder
1tstp xanthan gum
1/2c sour cream
pure icing sugar for dusting
walnut streusel (or pecans)
40g unsalted butter
1/2c brown sugar
1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon
2tsp instant coffee
1c walnuts roughly chopped (or pecans)
1. Pre heat oven to 180c. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
2. In a small bowl add chopped dates, coffee, baking soda and boiling water. Allow it to fizz and stir until dates are softened.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl, until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.
4. Sift the flours, baling powder and xanthan gum and whisk until well combined. Fold the flours, coffee and date mixture and sour cream into the butter mixture until well combined. Pour batter into the baking tin, smooth surface and bake for 35minutes.
6. Meanwhile prepare the streusel topping by beating the butter, brown sugar, coffee and cinnamon well until creamy. Stir in walnuts.
7. After the cake has baked for 35-45 minutes spread the streusel topping evenly over the top of the cake, cover with foil and bake for a further 10-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Baked Sunday 26th September 2010
Unfortuantely we weren't that good at taking photos, not even one of the birthday boy with his cake, so here are just a few of the leftovers.
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