So my lovely” detox healthier me” plan went a little astray over the weekend. I was away with my sister and much fun was had, but a few alcoholic beverages were also had. 🙂 I had some superfood powders with me and took lots of spirulina so I was quite good really. In my holistic approach it is not healthy to be too strict either and it is rare I get too spend time with my big sis! So I am back on track again I will preparing myself a wheatgrass shot shortly.

For all you guys not detoxing here is a Lemon Cake! It is vegan (obviously), gluten free and sweetened with agave. The icing/frosting is made with icing/ confectioner’s sugar. But there are some alternative options as the bottom of the post in regards to sugariness.

Gluten free Lemon Cake 

• Two thirds of a cup of soya/ coconut yogurt. Some coconut yogurts are very set so feel free so add a little coconut milk if nessacary.
• One teaspoon of apple cyder vinegar
• Juice and zest of one and a half organic unwaxed lemons

Mix these ingredients together and leave to sit and curdle while you prepare the other bits.

• A generous half a cup of dark agave
• A third of a cup of a light sunflower oil. I found I had run out of sunflower when I went to make this. I melted four scant dessertspoons of organic cold pressed coconut oil instead. The coconut oil changed the texture, it was more set than crumbly but tasted just as good.
• A quarter cup of apple and strawberry puree. You could just use apple if you like.
• One teaspoon of sieved cornstarch.

Mix these together in order, sieving in the cornstarch and then giving everything a quick whisk.

• One and a half cups of fine maize meal
• Half a cup of ground almonds- almond flour.
• One teaspoon of vanilla powder. If you are using vanilla extract add it to the agave.
• A pinch of sea salt
• One teaspoon of baking powder
• Half a teaspoon of bread soda/bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda. So many names for it!!

Preheat your oven to 170C / 340F if a fan oven, prob 180C/350F if not fan.

Prepare a 7.5 inch / 20cm cake tin. Put a square of baking paper in the centre and lightly grease.

Mix your soya yogurt, apple cyder vinegar and lemon juice. Leave to one side

Get a bowl and mix your agave, oil and fruit puree. Sieve in your cornstarch and give it a whisk for a minute.

In another bowl put in your maize meal, add your ground almonds and press out any big lumps. Add your vanilla powder and salt and give the ingredients a mix. Sieve in the baking powder and baking soda- I always sieve these as it is pretty horrid to come across a lump of them in your lovely cake. Now mix everything again!

Add your yogurt mix to your agave mix and give it a quick whisk. Quickly yet gently add your dry ingredients to the wet. Lightly fold the dry in, just until they are combined. NO OVER MIXING and leave your worries and tension to one side so you do not beat the cake batter up! Pour the batter into your cake tin and put it straight into your oven. Heed the advise, if you over mix the cake will be dense and will not rise.

It takes 30 minutes in my fan oven but it could take 35 in a normal one. It is done when it starts to come away from the sides, there are little cracks on the top and it is going a light golden colour. If it looks good take it out and stick a skewer in it, if it comes out dry then your cake is done. Leave it in the tin for 10 minutes to cool. Gluten free goodies can be a bit delicate and crumbly while warm. Treat it kindly when you turn it out to cool on wire rack.

delicately balanced on my windowsill!

If you were to serve it as little lemon fingers I think you could get away with just squeezing a little lemon juice on top. This was a birthday cake for one of the guys I work with. He doesn’t mind a bit of sugar so I made a Lemony icing!

• Two and a half dessertspoons of coconut oil- mashed
• Half a cup of icing / confectioner’s sugar – seived
• Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder or the scraped insides of a vanilla pod
• Juice and zest of half an organic unwaxed lemon
• One dessertspoon of warm water – cold water would make the coconut oil re-solidify.

Mash the coconut oil, sieve in the icing sugar and vanilla, mush mash and press so the fat is taken up by the sugar. Add your lemon juice and zest and give it another good mix. If it is still not forming a smooth spreadable mix you can add a dessertspoon of warm water. Make sure your cake is completely cooled before putting your icing on. I put a few little bits of lemon skin on a decoration.

Iced- in a slightly untidy manner and sitting in the morning sunshine. 🙂

If you prefer your sugar in the agave fructose form I have made an icing with agave and coconut oil and arrowroot in the past. Elena’s pantry has one almost exactly like mine. The only adjustment I would make for this cake is reduce the coconut milk by a few dessertspoons and add the juice of half a lemon instead. http://www.elanaspantry.com/coconut-cream-frosting/

Hope you try it out. Xs Aissa