It feels like a while since I posted a recipe guys. Unless you're a long time reader you may not know that I used to run a bakery business and I even got to the final auditions for GBBO Series 2 - I've always loved whipping up treats for my family and friends and I find it a nice relaxing pastime, but I've been so busy that I've not had much chance to bake which is odd for me. As my time is so precious now (being an adult is crazy huh?) it takes a special recipe to spark my interest enough to get my cake tins out of the cupboard.
Recently I was asked by the lovely folks at The Groovy Food Company if I'd like to try out a recipe by Gizzi Erskine that used some of their lovely organic ingredients to create a cake that is sugar and butter free. Now I'm a bit of a baking purist so I'm kind of skeptical or anything that doesn't follow the holy cake quaternity of butter, sugar, eggs and flour - but it can't be said that I'm not willing to try something new so I jumped at the chance!
Recently I was asked by the lovely folks at The Groovy Food Company if I'd like to try out a recipe by Gizzi Erskine that used some of their lovely organic ingredients to create a cake that is sugar and butter free. Now I'm a bit of a baking purist so I'm kind of skeptical or anything that doesn't follow the holy cake quaternity of butter, sugar, eggs and flour - but it can't be said that I'm not willing to try something new so I jumped at the chance!
The recipe in question is Gizzi's Pineapple, Lime and Agave 'Margarita' Cake which definitely sparked my intrigue as a cocktail lover as well as a baker, although no alcohol is involved. If you are a booze fan you may well know that tequila which is the main ingredient of a margarita is made from a type of agave, who's nectar is also an excellent alternative to sugar and what is used to sweeten up this cake and it's frosting. It adds the same sweet tang that tequila has and so gives a real margerita-esque flavour here along with the lime. The pineapple adds a gorgeous other later of sweetness and moistness to the cake, although I must tell you that this is in no way a fluffy sponge and more of a dense heavy crumbed bake.
While the cake itself may not have converted me, this frosting recipe is absolutely killer and will definitely be my go to for a cream cheese frosting in the future as it's so much more light and dreamy than any other I've tried. I also adore the different kind of sweetness that the agave nectar gives and I've actually started using it in place of tablet sweetener in my coffee and instead of honey on greek yoghurt - I'm a convert for sure! What, no sugar darling?
While the cake itself may not have converted me, this frosting recipe is absolutely killer and will definitely be my go to for a cream cheese frosting in the future as it's so much more light and dreamy than any other I've tried. I also adore the different kind of sweetness that the agave nectar gives and I've actually started using it in place of tablet sweetener in my coffee and instead of honey on greek yoghurt - I'm a convert for sure! What, no sugar darling?
Pineapple, Lime & Agave Nectar Margarita Cake
Serves 10
Cake Ingredients
180g The Groovy Food Company Organic Coconut Oil, melted
180ml The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar Rich and Dark
4 eggs
200g self-raising flour
50g The Groovy Food Company Organic Coconut Flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate soda
350g fresh pineapple, very finely chopped
½ tsp sea salt
zest of 1 orange
zest and juice of 2 limes
Frosting Ingredients
170ml double cream
juice and zest of 1 lime, plus more lime for garnish
70ml The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar Rich and Dark
300ml cream cheese
Cake Method
Heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich cake tins.
Place the Rich and Dark Agave Nectar and eggs in a bowl or a tabletop mixer and beat together, slowly pouring the melted coconut oil in as you go, and beat together for 5 minutes or until fluffy. (Pouring the fat in slowly helps it to emulsify with the mixture and prevents it from splitting.)
Sift in the flours and bicarbonate of soda and quickly beat them in. Finally stir in the pineapple, salt, fruit zest and lime juice.
Pour the cake mixture into the tin, leveling off the top as you go, then pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.The cake is ready once you can slide a skewer into it and it comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer it carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting Method
Whip the double cream until stiff, then beat in the cream cheese and the agave nectar. Stir through the zest and juice until well combined.
Spread half of the mixture on top of one cake, place the second cake on top, then spread the rest of the mixture on the top of the cake. Grate over the remaining zest and decorate as you wish!
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