Lemon Amaretto Cakes-Gluten Free

There is a possibility that I might be a coeliac.  At least that is what the specialist said the other day.  I have all of the symptoms, but have been treated for having IBS for about 5 years now.  The symptoms are very similar.  

I did a reckie around the grocery store today and there is not a heck of a lot for coeliac's.  There's a bit, but what is there is very expensive.  

I picked up some gluten free self rising flour and a box of cereal, but seriously . . .  they wanted almost £3 for a loaf of bread.  (That's like almost $4.51 American or $6.01 Canadian.) I don't know how people cope.  It's outrageous!   I really hope I am not.

I thought I might try baking a Gluten Free cake or some such.  I looked at one recipe and it would have cost me a virtual fortune by the time I baked the one I was looking at.  

 I would have spend almost £6 on ground almonds alone, not to mention half a dozen large eggs and all the other bits in it.   I can't afford that  . . .  as lovely as it looked.  Then there is the sugar  . . .

I found this recipe in a gluten free baking book by Hannah Miles.  (Remember she was first runner up in Master Chef  2007 and her cakes are lovely.   It's called The Gluten-Free Baker.  

It has a lot of sugar in it (1 1/2 cups altogether plus 1 TBS), so I was only able to have a tiny taste, but I can tell you from the tiny taste I had . . .  they are totally gorgeous!!

She baked hers in tiny loaf tins.  I chose to bake mine in muffin tins because I was too lazy to cut out baking paper to fit into the loaf tins . . .  and if I did muffin cakes then I could use my cupcake papers.

The cakes are really moist and lemony flavoured.   

A lot of the moistness comes from the amaretto syrup drizzle you spoon over the hot cakes when they come out of the oven.   It soaks all down into the cakes . . .

 

Once totally cooled you spoon a lemon drizzle icing over top and scatter on toasted flaked almonds.   Altogether very scrumptious indeed.  

I would think these would please any coeliac . . . at least any coeliac who wasn't diabetic at any rate!

*Lemon Amaretto Cakes*

Gluten Free

Makes six individual cakes

Printable Recipe 

These are fabulous little moist cakes wth an amaretto syrup drizzle which soaks into the warm cakes and a finish of lemon drizzle icing and toasted almonds. 

115g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)

115g of caster sugar (1/2 cup granulated sugar)

2 large free range eggs

60g gluten free self raising flour (or 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour, plus

1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/8 tsp xanthan gum)

60g ground almonds (1/2 cup almond meal)

80ml plain yogurt (1/3 cup)

the finely grated zest of two lemons 

For the amaretto drizzle:

60ml amaretto (1/4 cup)

1 TBS caster sugar
the juice of one lemon 

For the icing drizzle:

160g of icing sugar, sifted into a bowl (1 cup confectioner's sugar)

the juice of one lemon

toasted flaked almonds to top

Grease a six cup muffin tin and line with paper liners.   Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Place the muffin tin on a tray.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Whisk together the flour and almonds.  Fold this into the creamed mixture along with the yogurt and lemon zest.  Divide the cake batter amongst the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cakes are firm to the touch and golden brown.

Whisk together the ingredients for the amaretto drizzle until the sugar is dissolved.   Spoon this over the hot cakes, a bit at a time,  when they come out of the oven.   It will be completely absorbed.

Allow them to cool in the pan.  Once they are completely cooled, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice to make a spoonable drizzle icing.  If you need to add a bit of water you can.   Spoon this over the top of each cake and scatter with some flaked toasted almonds while the icing is still wet.   Allow to set.

These will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container.