Flourless Nut Cakes

Hazelnut Coffee Cake

If you're new to eating wheat free, or gluten free, here's a versatile cake recipe that you're sure to love . . . everyone I serve it to loves it, and can't believe there's no flour in it! (Or white sugar!)  I adapted these from one on Debra Lynn Dadd's site, http://www.sweetsavvy.com/. I sometimes make it a Maple Pecan cake, sometimes a Hazelnut Chocolate cake or a Hazelnut Coffee cake - whatever I feel like. Experiment with different nuts and flavourings until you find your favourite!  If you buy nuts bulk like I do, these cakes don't have to be overly expensive.

Maple Pecan Cake

1.  Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C (325 degrees F) and grease or line a 9-inch round cake pan.

2.  Grind in Thermomix on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 100g Rapadura

3.  Add all other ingredients and mix for 30 seconds, speed 8:
- 90g butter/ghee/coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tblspn arrowroot flour (or cornflour)
- 170g pecan halves
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

4.  Pour into tin and cook 30 - 40 mins, or until skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.

5.  Drizzle with a little pure maple syrup.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This one's a bit heavier - almost like brownies. 

All you do is add 40g of good quality cocoa, change the pecans to raw hazelnuts, and instead of drizzling with maple syrup just dust with cocoa or sprinkle over some grated chocolate.

Hazelnut Coffee Cake

Add a couple of tablespoons of instant coffee instead of cocoa, use hazelnuts instead of pecans, and eat as is or sprinkle with some powdered Rapadura.

Let me know if you think of any other great combinations!