Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Hazelnuts and Maple Syrup: Technique of the Week!

I finally got around to using my slow cooker again to continue trying out new recipes using the “slow cooking” technique. Last time I did a savoury cabbage and white bean side dish which made a lot of servings!! I have been enjoying the leftovers on jacket potatoes or stirred into pasta and there is still a tub in the freezer!

This time I decided to embrace the rare sweet craving I was having last weekend and I made a perfect slow cooker sweet recipe – rice pudding! This took around 5 hours so you can just put it all in the slow cooker in the morning and go get on with your day, then later on it is ready to serve after your weekend dinner. Pudding rice is perfect for slow cooking because you really want the rice to break down and become creamy. By using a sweet milk such as almond or hemp milk you add some flavour as the rice absorbs the milk during cooking.

I found this recipe a perfect balance for me because it had a sweetness from the maple syrup but that was toned down by the cinnamon and hazelnuts. If you like it sweeter then you could always just add a sprinkle of cinnamon when serving with plenty of maple syrup!

Serves 4

Gluten and wheat free, vegan, sweet tooth friendly

100g pudding rice
50g golden caster sugar
1 litre dairy free milk (I used hemp milk)
1 tspn ground cinnamon
A drizzle of Maple syrup and a handful of roughly chopped hazelnuts per person

Put all of the ingredients except the syrup and hazelnuts in the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours, give it a little stir every now and then if your around.

Serve hot with your chosen toppings.

This rice pudding is super creamy but is slightly darker than a normal rice pudding because of the cinnamon.

What is your favourite rice pudding topping?

Flax and Banana Pancakes: 3 ingredients, Gluten-free and Vegan

These pancakes are perfect served with banana, blueberries and maple syrup!

I’ve never really had much of a sweet tooth but when I was stood in the kitchen with this plate of fluffy sweet pancakes in one hand and a fork in the other I actually did a little dance and said out loud (to myself) “oh wow, oh my, yummy” haha. So apparently these pancakes will make you dance and talk to yourself!

Tuesday is pancake day (shrove Tuesday) and I wanted to find something a bit different to try so I researched gluten free pancakes. I found an intriguing recipe for pancakes with just mashed banana and eggs! I know that in baking you can replace eggs for ground flax mixed with water so I decided to see if this would work for these pancakes. Instead of water I used hemp milk to give it an added sweetness and creaminess. I also added a good sprinkle of cinnamon.

The pancakes are soft and fluffy but quite delicate. I found it was easier to flip them with the traditional ( and more exciting) flick of the frying pan rather than trying to use a spatula. The taste of banana comes through quite strong and my choice of milk made them quite sweet but I actually really liked that!

An indulgent way to benefit from the goodness of flax!

Serves 2
Wheat and gluten free, vegan, awesome

1 large banana
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
6 tablespoons hemp/ soya/ almond milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Dairy free butter or coconut oil for frying

The method for this recipe is as simple as the shopping list of ingredients. Mash the banana then mix with all the other ingredients and stir really well until you have a thick consistency.

In a frying pan, heat the butter or oil on a low to medium heat until it starts to bubble slightly. Take a dessert spoonful size of the pancake mix and pour it into the pan and using the back of the spoon spread it out to shape it into a round disc around 1cm thick.

Cook on one side for approx 1-2 minutes and then flip over and cook for a further 1 min.

Continue until all the mix is gone, makes around 6 pancakes, then top with sliced banana, blueberries, maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

And hey, why not serve these to your loved one for valentines day! Other topping ideas include:

Chocolate sauce and raspberries
Orange zest and chocolate chips
Lemon juice and sugar
Fresh figs and yoghurt

Coconut, Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cake

I know it’s not the end of the month but today I made my own recipe of a cake and had to share it! I might try another of my ideas next week or I may call it a day on the cakes because I am having to visit the gym more frequently

Coconut cake with a cherry and dark chocolate layer topped with flaked almonds and brown sugar

I absolutely loved the Bakewell cake I made last week with the fruits layered in between the cake sponge mix. I decided to take this idea but put my own flavours into it, Cherries are at the end of their season and I picked up a large bag from my local market for cheap, if you can’t get cherries any more and don’t want to wait untill next summer then any berry would work just as well. Preferably a sweeter berry such as a raspberry or strawberry.

I got the idea for the brown sugar topping from a comment left by Loustar on my courgette and lemon cake and I loved it, so much nicer than a sweet icing (which this cake definitely did not need) and a bit more interesting than icing sugar. When I sprinkled the brown sugar on top it looked beautiful like glitter! This topping is completely optional but does look so rustic and pretty.

Love the beautiful cherries piled on top!

I had enjoyed the flavours of the ground almonds in the BBC Bakewell recipe and I decided that with the rich chocolate and cherries I would also need an element of the cake which would break through those flavours. I decided on desiccated coconut because it is quite earthy and would top off the chocolate beautifully (any one else love bounty bars??)

I also couldn’t help but pile flaked almonds on the top for that crunch! This topping is also optional but delicious, maybe it would also work with the coconut sprinkled on top!

The cherries and chocolate ooze out from in between the cake sponge

Makes 1 cake to serve however many you fancy!

140g Unsalted Butter
140g Caster Sugar
140g Self Raising flour
70g desiccated Coconut (not the sweetened variety)
3 Medium Sized Eggs
300g unpitted cherries
50g Dark Chocolate chips (or grated chocolate if you’re using a bar of chocolate)
Brown Sugar for decoration

NB: Pitting the cherries is a very mundane job if you don’t have a fancy little gadget that does it for you. I found halving the cherry then digging the stone out of one side was the easiest and quickest. Put a handful of whole cherries to one side to decorate the top.

Pre heat the oven to 170c (fan oven) and butter/ line a 22cm/ 9 inch diameter cake tin. Lining it is annoyingly time-consuming for someone inpatient like me but if you are wanting to take it out of the tin easily this is an important part of the process.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk (you can use a food processor if you have one but I don’t so I find that putting a clean tea towel over a bowl will help stop the mix flying everywhere. It’s insanely unhealthy but also impossible not to just dip a finger in at this point! but yes maybe don’t eat the mix quite yet!

Once the butter and sugar is light and fluffy sift in the flour and add the sugar, coconut and eggs. Mix well untill everything is combined and you have a moist cake batter.

Tip half of the cake mixture into the cake tin and spread out to form one even layer. Cover with a layer of pitted cherries and evenly sprinkle over the chocolate chips then top the whole lot with the rest of the cake mixture and gently smooth it down using a spatula or the back of a spoon (or your finger) so that the cherries are completely covered. At this point if you are using the flaked almonds then sprinkle those over.

Put on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes. Check the cake is cooked but inserting a knife or poker and if it comes out clean then the cake is done. It should also be golden on top.

Leave it too cool in the tin then remove and place on a wire rack untill it is completely cooled. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pile some fresh cherries on top.

surprise colours when you slice into the cake

A Classic Victoria Sponge (LEON Baking and Puddings recipe): Friday Challenge!

I had a bit of a disaster when I set my self ‘Bread’ as my friday challenge subject a few months ago. I learnt how to make a pretty decent bread roll but when it came to adding my own flavours and trying to be abit creative I came up short and realised that it would take a bit more practise. With that in mind I decided to try the whole baking thing again but this time with cakes!

I like cake but I’m definitely more of a savoury person so I thought this would be a challenge for me, but I can honestly say that after eating this victoria sponge I am starting to think maybe I like cake much much more than I realised…

I decided to start with a Victoria Sponge because it is the staple cake recipe which has stood the test of time. It doesn’t have too many flavour additions so I can learn how to bake a standard sponge without being distracted by extras and well it is quintessentially British as it was named after Queen Victoria so it seems apt for these Olympic times! Also since I met Scott he has been asking me to bake him his favourite Victoria Sponge and all this time I have promised one day I will, and now 5 years later I finally have! Even if I did tie it in with some blog cooking, to be fair that’s even better for him as I’m now going to make 3 or 4 more cakes for the month.

The recipe is from my current favourite cookbook range ‘LEON Baking and puddings’ (The book I also made gooey chocolate cakes from). The recipe was really simple to follow and although it took a little bit of work, such as alternating adding the eggs with the flour and beating each time, I can honestly say that this was really quite easy to make! You can buy this book and others from the LEON range here. The recipe for this cake is in the Baking and Puddings book.

A big wedge of Viccy Sponge

I was so impressed with the height of this cake and also how light and fluffy the cake was inside, I’m guessing this was from the amount of times I had to beat the cake mix before baking it in the oven. I didn’t have any vanilla essence so I added some maple syrup to the mix, I was scared this would ruin it but it just added the sweetness that the vanilla would have.
I was alarmed at the amount of sugar and butter went into this cake (330g of each!!) but I guess it is meant to be a treat..to be shared…

The inside of my Victoria Sponge

What I have learnt about cakes:
From my first attempt at baking a cake I feel like this is going to be quite acheivable, it was quite simple and I think as long as you follow the instructions pretty closely then you can’t go too wrong. I left my cake in the oven for 30 minutes whereas the recipe called for 40 minutes however mine is a fan oven and I know from cooking other things that it usually takes a little less than the recommended cooking time. I also remember from watching “The Great British Bake Off” that you shouldn’t open and close the door often as you will cool the oven down and your cake might sink so I only opened my oven twice, once to check and the second time to take it out.
I would like to see what would happen when you mix fruits or nuts into the cake mix before baking, would it be too soggy? Would it tip the fluffy cake off balance? If anyone has any suggestions please let me know

A Rather Grown-up Chocolate Rice Krispie Cake

I know what you were instantly thinking…ooh alcoholic! But unfortunately no I have not made alcoholic krispie cakes, although if you were to soak the dried fruit in a liquor of your choice first I wouldn’t tell any one!As long as I can have one too

I decided I needed a sweet fix which wouldn’t be too unhealthy and without the need to actually bake anything and I instantly thought back to the easiest cake in the world to make (which was also the most fun when we were younger) ……rice krispies cakes. These are simply made by pouring rice krispies into a large bowl, melting chocolate in a seperate bowl and then mixing them together. Place scoops of chocolatey rice krispie mixture into muffin cases and set in the fridge. You could add all sorts such as marshmallows and smarties but for us adults I thought why not add some dried fruits and “Superfoods”…

I had recently invested in some amazing varieties of Linwoods ‘Superfoods’ which includes sachets of organic milled flaxseed, shelled hemp, milled flaxseed mixed with nuts, milled flax with seeds and goji berries and finally milled flaxseeds with cocoa berries.

I have also tried stirring these into my porridge but I think this (covered in chocolate) is my favourite way of eating them. These have been great for me because it’s not something I would add to every meal but the mini sachets at a reasonable price has meant I have been able to experiment without buying a big bag of one flavour.

We also had quite a bit of dried fruit left over from our wedding (we had tiers of wheels of cheese with cake stands next to it filled with dried fruits and grapes) so I had been thinking of a way of using these up too. There isn’t a strict recipe for these cakes as I have changed it everytime I make them so I’m just going to give you a few suggestions of the combinations we have enjoyed. Choose a couple of ingredients from each category and have fun!

Cereals:
Rice Krispies
Branflakes
Cornflakes
Granola
Oats

Dried Fruits: Chop into small pieces
Dried Cranberries (craisins)
Raisins
Dried Figs
Prunes
Dried Apricots

Mixed Nuts: Chop into small pieces
Brazil nuts
Almonds
Macademias

Superfoods:
Milled Organic Flaxseed
Shelled Hemp
Milled Flaxseed, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts
Milled Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin and Sesame Seeds and Goji Berries
Milled Flaxseed, Cocoa and Berries

Mix all of your chosen ingredients from the above categories together in a bowl then choose a type of chocolate (any type will do!) and melt it in a seperate bowl. Pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. I have found that 150g of chocolate will make around 10 cakes. Then fill the muffin cases with the mix and put in the fridge to set.

Chocolate: (I have always used Green n Blacks)
Dark Chocolate
Ginger Chocolate
Cherry Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
White Chocolate

White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cups

As many of you will know from reading this month’s Friday Challenge posts I have found this quite difficult because I don’t have a sweet tooth and also I NEVER cook puddings! I feel really proud of this recipe so even though it may need a little tweaking, I think it makes a pretty impressive pudding or sweet canape!

I had the idea of making a white chocolate and raspberry mousse after making the dark chocolate mousse topped with raspberries (which you can see here)! I liked the flavours together but I thought the dark chocolate was very rich and I’d prefer a lighter mousse if I was going to make it.
I then thought of making the chocolate cups for the outside after making the marbled chocolate bars and realising that chocolate can be just as impressive if used for decoration as it is for its flavour! I couldn’t decide what kind of cup to make so I did three different ones (I made two of each type) -

A dark chocolate cup -

A White Chocolate Cup -

And a marbled chocolate cup -

The first time I made these cups I placed six square sillicon muffin cases upside down on a tray and drizzled the chocolate over the top, spreading it out thinly with the back of a spoon, then set them in the fridge. Well once they had set I realised I couldn’t get them off the tray because the chocolate had literally glued them to the tray once hardened. By the time I’d got them off the tray they were smashed to pieces. So… I ate the pieces… and tried again but this time I spooned the chocolate on to the inside of the muffin case and then again using the back of a spoon I made sure the layer of chocolate up the side was quite thick and even, I then placed these into the fridge quickly to set. (I put each one in the fridge as soon as I had coated the inside of the muffin case) I had thought the chocolate would simply run back down the sides however it didn’t and when I gently peeled away the cases I was left with these chocolate cups!

The white chocolate was more runny and I found it harder to work with but my favourite is the marbled cup! To create the marbled effect I took the white chocolate first and drizzled it in a zig zag into the muffin case, I then filled the gaps with dark chocolate and using the back of a tea spoon I spread it out so that the case was evenly coated. To be honest I had thought this would look terrible but I am pleased with the result!

The Mousse is balanced nicely between sweetness and sharpness of the fruit. I loosely based the recipe on the dark chocolate mousse however I omitted the yoghurt and replaced it with fresh raspberry puree. It is very foamy and light however after leaving it in the fridge over night this did firm up considerably!

Here is my recipe, this serves 6

For the cups:

60g White Chocolate
60g Dark Chocolate
Or 120g of just one type of chocolate depending on what type of cup you want to make! I used chocolate chips because they are very quick to melt.

Get 6 sillicon muffin cases (I imagine this will work with paper ones too but I didn’t try it). Melt the white and dark chocolate in seperate bowls by either placing the bowl into a pan over boiling water, without the bowl touching the water, and stir untill melted…or as I do, stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then for another 30 seconds and it will be perfect.

Spoon about 1 or 2 tablespoons of chocolate into the case and then using the back of a metal tea spoon start to spread the chocolate around the inside of the case. Spread the melted chocolate up the sides of the case creating an even layer. It is hard to explain but when you begin to do it you will see that it works! Once you have done each case put it straight into the fridge and begin the next case. You can drizzle abit of each coloured chocolate to create the marbled effect.
Leave them to set for an hour and then once you can see the chocolate has hardened gently peel back the muffin case untill it is completely removed, then place the chocolate cup back into the fridge.

For the Mousse:

85g White Chocolate chips
2 Egg Whites
1 tablespoon Sugar
125g Raspberries and a few extra for decorations

Begin by melting the white chocolate in a bowl and then put to one side.

Place the egg whites in a big bowl and whisk them with an electric whisk untill you have soft peaks, add the sugar and whisk untill the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are beautiful and glossy!

Puree the raspberries in a blender and then stir most of them into the white chocolate, but reserve some of the pureed raspberries to pour on top of the mousse when it is in the cups. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate and raspberry mixture using a metal spoon untill combined and then fold the rest of the eggs in. Try not to mix it too hard as you don’t want to loose the air in the mousse.

Take the chocolate cups out of the fridge and spoon the mousse into the cups, top with some raspberry puree and a few raspberries then place them straight back into the fridge for 1 or 2 hours (or over night).

I think the key to this recipe is to work quickly with the chocolate when making the cups and get them into the fridge as soon as you’ve made a layer within the cases. Also be very gentle when removing the cases and try to not press too hard on the base of the cup! Most of all have fun, experiment and enjoy!!

Warm Gooey Chocolate Cakes (Leon Baking Cookbook): Friday challenge!

I love reading the LEON Cookbooks because they are more like a scrapbook than a recipe book, they give you tonnes of information on the ingredients, the story behind the recipes and of course some great photos! I knew I’d find something good for my chocolate challenge in their “baking and Puddings” book and I was right – this warm gooey chocolate cake was so indulgent yet really simple to make! I was impressed and I’m actually wondering why I was so scared of cooking with chocolate before!

When initially reading the ingredients list I was a little baffled because the ingredients were very similar to the chocolate mousse I made – chocolate, egg whites, sugar so I wondered what exactly would make this become a cake!? Naive maybe but in my mind a cake had flour in it, needless to say I was a teeny bit chuffed when this ‘possibly a mousse’ cake came out of the oven and it had a cakey texture!! The main difference I can see is that this cake had ALOT of coco powder (I used Options hot chocolate powder, not sure if that’s what they meant but it was delicious!) and therefore was denser than the mousse recipe.

I cooked it in little ramekins and this is how it came out – (icing sugar added after cooking)

I wasn’t sure if I was meant to remove them from the ramekins but when looking at their photo I see that they had removed it and it looked delicious -

So I did too – behold the gooey mess of cake on my plate! -

I made half the quantity from their recipe because there are only two of us and it worked fine. I also melted down an easter egg instead of buying dark chocolate because I wanted to use up some of the chocolate we had left over! I’d love to try this with dark chocolate because with the Cadburys it was very rich – didn’t stop me licking my plate though!!

I can’t find the recipe online so I don’t have a link for it I’m afraid but I would recommend the books if you can get hold of them!

What I have learnt about chocolate:

I think I’m beginning to realise that puddings are not as hard as I’d imagined, you just need to understand the basics. Subtle changes can make two recipes which look similar very different!

The thing I find good about using chocolate is that it can be used in many different ways, it can be served runny as a sauce, set as a mousse, hard and chilled, grated as a garnish etc.

Also this time I used an electric whisk when mixing the egg whites with the sugar and it was a lot easier and the egg whites became lovely and glossy!

So far both of my chosen recipes have relied on melting chocolate and mixing it with whisked egg whites so next week I’m going to try something a little different and experiment with some flavour combinations!

 

Chocolate Mousse with Raspberries (Ultimate Makeover BBC Goodfood recipe): Friday Challenge!

I feel like this year is going really quickly, I can’t believe it’s already April let alone already being Easter! I’ve been married 6 months this weekend (yay) which feels like it’s flown by,  speaking of weddings I pre scheduled this Friday challenge post because I am at Scott’s cousins wedding today in the midlands. Congratulations Gemma and Nathan I hope today is truelly perfect for you!

I spent last weekend shopping for a new outfit for their wedding and as usual came home feeling stressed and over heated after battling the hundreds of other people that decided to go into town as well. I’m not a great shopper anyway as I get bored and tired easily but when your also trying to dodge screaming kids, pushchairs, slow walkers and huddles of teens it can be quite an assault course! Anyway I got a lovely outfit and also found a beautiful pashmina (scarf) reduced from £20 to £3!! When I got home I needed a treat and then remembered I’d put this weeks Friday Challenge in the fridge to set! I think maybe I will enjoy this month’s Friday Challenge after all….

I chose to make a chocolate mousse as my first recipe for April’s Friday Challenge because I had never made one before, and it looked quite simple! I chose Angela Nilsen’s recipe from the BBC Goodfood website because she had made a low fat version which suited me just fine! You can see the recipe and comments from other people who have made this recipe here.

The first thing to say about this chocolate recipe is that it really was easy to make! Also, I feel really silly admitting this, but I was amazed at what happened to an egg white after being whisked. I’ve seen people whisk egg whites to make a meringue on cookery shows on tv before but for some reason it just didn’t register in my mind that that’s how a  mousse is so airy. I have to admit I think my mousse looks a little flat because I got really bored of whisking the egg white! Also when I added the sugar I think I may have not whisked it enough because it’s still a little grainy…I was afraid of over working the egg but next time I’ll work a bit harder! It was still quite fluffy though.

I liked the addition of coffee, it helped give it a richness but it also made the mousse a bit too strong with the flavour of the dark chocolate as well. I think I’ll leave it out next time.

The raspberries were a nice touch though and I’d recommend using those when serving the mousse as it was a nice sweetness.

What have I learnt about Chocolate?

Well I learnt that chocolate and raspberries are nice together…although I kind of already guessed this! I learnt that egg whites are amazing and when whisked they become light and fluffy! I also learnt that by watching a lot of cooking on tv I knew what “whisk untill you have soft peaks” and “Fold the mixture” meant so that’s a bonus!

This was definitely a good starter recipe for me and I feel great that it was a simple healthy recipe too I already feel like I have learnt heaps more about the pudding world just from making a mousse no more shop bought mousse for us now!

ps do you like my pudding glasses? I bought them from a charity shop a while back (50p each!) and I love them. They’re so retro they look like they’re out of the 70′s!

Valentine-Birthday, Coronation Chickpea wrap recipe and some Minecraft cakes!

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines day – I always do… but that’s because Valentines day is also my birthday! When I was single I didn’t care about Valentines because I was out rocking it up for my birthday and now I’m married it’s a double celebration

This year I spent the day making an afternoon tea for us to enjoy in the evening, my mum had sent over a bottle of Rose bubbly from France which washed it all down very nicely! It’s also my husbands birthday in 3 days and I had planned to make him a cake in the style of one of his favourite online games – Minecraft, however he’s on a stag do that day now so I decided to incorporate the Minecraft idea into the afternoon tea. I made square cupcakes decorated like ‘Creeper’ faces and the rest I decorated like the cakes you can make within the game.

I got the recipe for the sponge cakes from An Irish Village Pantry blog and it really is a fail safe recipe for a newbie baker like me! It was the best feeling to make everything from scratch! I used a lime jam to help the icing stick to the cake which gave each bite a little citrus kick.

Here are a few pictures from my day:

Chocolate coated strawberries (White choc and Milk Choc), Grapes and CherriesSandwiches (top layer are ham for the hubby), bottom later are cheese and tomato wraps and my own recipe Coronation stye chickpea wraps: see recipe below

Corontation Style Chickpea wraps – Serves 2

80g Chickpeas
35g Dried Apricots
40g Raisins
8 tablespoons Natural Yoghurt (Drained in a colander lined with kitchen paper for around 1 hour)
1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder
2 teaspoons Mango Chutney
Small bunch of Coriander
3 Spring Onions

Chop the Apricots into small pieces and slice the sprig onions. Mix all the ingredients together and have in a wrap with some spinach and sliced tomatoes. These were delicious and a lovely alternative for an afternoon tea!

I hope you all had a lovely day whatever you chose to do for it. I had a truely great day

Lemon, Lime and Orange Polenta Cake (Accidental Vegetarian cookbook): Friday Challenge!

Ok so being a novice at baking to begin with I was completely nervous about making this cake! I decided to make it because the whole point of this is to push myself to try new things and cook outside of my comfort zone. The recipe for this cake can be found here. It is from the “Accidental Vegetarian” cookbook by Simon Rimmer which has some interesting ideas in it but just not enough pictures I think (I’m a very visual person)! I’ll just point out that the recipe in the book did not include the sauce so I added some orange slices to garnish but the sauce does look amazing so will make that next time.

The first thing I did was cream the butter and sugar. Luckily me and the hubby had made cupcakes a few days before so I now knew that this could just be done in a big bowl with a hand held eletric whisk. I started off slowly and unfortunately got a little carried away and it went everywhere. Literally. It was on the ceiling, the fridge, the cupboards, the floor, the sink, the window and of course all over me. It has been quite funny because since then we have found hidden little splashes of sugary butter dotted around. Anyway don’t worry because I saved enough to still make the cake.

Next I added the almonds and then cracked in the eggs and I started to doubt whether this was going to work because it was so gooey but I trusted the recipe and carried on. which was a good thing because it turned out great in the end.

Unfortunately it was only when pouring the cake mix into my cake tin that I realised my take tin was only 20cm not the required 30cm so I filled it then poured the rest into cup cake cases. I didn’t want to ruin my oven timings so I cooked the cake on its own first – but because it was smaller it must have needed a different temperature as it was dark brown on the outside before it was cooked in the middle. The cupcakes however turned out perfectly after 25-30 minutes in the oven.

Usually I would remake something if I felt it wasn’t perfect (my fault not the recipes) however this cake feeds 11 people….theres only me and my husband…. and were on a diet… so no more cake baking in this house for a few weeks untill its all been eaten!

What I have learnt about Polenta:

Polenta is a great alternative to use in cakes for people who are Gluten free/ Celiac as teamed with the ground almonds there was no need for flour. It resulted in a denser cake but still very delicious.
I don’t think I’m confident enough to try my own version of a polenta cake but I will definitely have another go at this recipe in the future, with a bigger cake tin!