Back when I was making goodies for baked relief, I was asked to make a gluten-free afternoon tea cake. I’m not quite as experienced with gluten-free baking as I am with gluten free cooking so I turned to good old Google for some help. That’s where I came across the recipe for this orange and coconut cake. The recipe isn’t actually gluten-free, but in the comments I read that someone had tried it out with gluten-free flour and it worked well. I’d never used gluten-free flour but I gave it a go. Although the texture is quite different to cakes made with regular flour, it was still a lovely cake and pretty easy to whip up.

The method is pretty similar to most basic cakes. Firstly, beat the butter until it’s light and fluffy.

Add the sugar to the mixer 1 spoon at a time beating well after each addition. I must admit I added a little more than a spoonful towards the end as I’m rather impatient.

Next, add the orange rind and one egg and beat until it’s all combined.

Now add the other egg and mix it up until it’s incorporated into the batter.

Using a large metal spoon (I’m not sure why it specifies metal but I won’t argue), mix in the flour, coconut and milk.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 50 minutes in a 160C/320F fan-forced oven. Make sure to check the cake with a cake-tester before you take it out of the oven.

Leave the cake in the tin to cool for about 10 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack.

Sprinkle with orange zest and coconut to serve. Enjoy!

 

Gluten-free orange coconut cake

recipe adapted from Taste website

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Ingredients

• 125g (4oz) butter, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• the zest of 1 large orange
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour or gluten free plain flour with 3 tsp of gluten free baking powder (check the ingredients)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F fan-forced. Grease a 6cm deep, 9cm x 19cm (base) loaf pan, square or round cake tin. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the orange rind and one egg. Beat well. Add the remaining egg and beat until well combined.
4. Using a large metal spoon, gently stir flour, milk and coconut into butter mixture (do not over-mix). Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in pan. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Sprinkle with orange zest and coconut to serve.