GLUTEN FREE COCONUT & COFFEE CAKES

 I've been making these gluten free coffee cakes and coconut cakes for Dafna's Cheescake Factory in Liverpool for a while now and they've proved to be a hit.  Gluten free cakes can be a little dry I think but I've used potato and sweet potato along with rice flour and ground almonds.  Adding vegetables to the mixture makes them soft and light.  Both are topped with buttercream to finish.

Everyone knows I like to save money where I can and these mini cakes were baked in sponge pudding tins, the ones you get in the supermarket and boil in the can.  They're a 4" tin and perfect for a gift size cake.

Birthday Cup Cakes 'Gluten Free'

I discovered the best book on baking gluten free cakes last summer, 'Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache' by Harry Eastwood.  She uses rice flour, ground almonds and vegetables like swede and butternut squash to substitute wheat flours.

Usually gluten free cakes can be either a bit stodgy and don't rise or just very dry - these are not!  They are beautifully soft and light.

These cup cakes were baked with a little help from my daughter as a birthday gift for my mother-in-law.  Luckily there were a few extra for us.

We baked Cappuccino Cup Cakes with sweet potato and Lavender Cup Cakes with courgette.  Both have a mascarpone frosting.