5 gluten- and dairy-free cakes and tarts you’ll like even more than the classic version

If you want to treat yourself to a sweet treat without feeling guilty, you will love these cakes without gluten, lactose or refined sugar. They are versions of classic cakes, to which they have nothing to envy.

Who does not love a good dessert after savoring a delicious meal or, simply, to treat yourself?

It is usually associated sweet with unhealthy, and it is not the same to choose a fruit-based sweet only than to choose a cake or a cake. But I want to show you that, also in the latter case, everything depends on the ingredients, on combining pleasure and health.

The cake and cake recipes I propose are versions of classic cakes and pastries in a healthy version and are suitable for everyone, even if there is some intolerance to milk or gluten.

HEALTHIER CLASSIC CAKES AND PASTRIES

I have selected five recipes of classic cakes and we are going to turn them into cakes without gluten or lactose and without using sugar. In some, you will even find the raw version, without going through the oven.

SUGAR-FREE CAKES AND PASTRIES USING HEALTHIER SWEETENERS

We know how necessary it is to avoid refined sugar, because it is a food empty of nutrients, and one of the most addictive ingredients today. We can choose to resort to more natural sweeteners that provide nutrients, such as:

• Agave syrup: it is extracted naturally from agave, and is found in liquid and powder format. Choose it raw and ecological.
• Fructose: extracted from ripe fruit. Check that it is natural, and not synthetic.
• Rice molasses: It is extracted from round grain rice and is rich in calcium.
• Natural stevia: its fresh or dried and crushed leaves, or in liquid format, sweeten 200 times more than white sugar.

Another very good option to use as an alternative to sugar are dried fruits such as dates or apricots, and also ripe bananas.

LACTOSE-FREE CAKES AVOIDING DAIRY

In confectionery, vegetable drinks are a good alternative to dairy of animal origin. The organic soy drink, for example, is ideal to replace traditional cow’s milk, due to its high content of fat and lecithin.

If we want to avoid butter, we can use non-hydrogenated margarine or extra virgin olive oil, a much healthier option.

When creating toppings for our cakes and biscuits, we can use vegan cream cheese, made from tofu, or we can encourage ourselves to make our own toppings with nuts, such as cashews or almonds.

GLUTEN-FREE CAKES MADE WITH GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS

The secret is in the flours. Choose corn, buckwheat and rice, and you can enjoy delicious gluten-free pastries and pastries.

5 RECIPES FOR GLUTEN AND LACTOSE-FREE CAKES AND CAKES

GLUTEN-FREE CARROT CAKE

This carrot cake or carrot cake is made with almond and coconut flour in addition to carrots and has a coconut and cashew cream in which we avoid dairy. It is prepared without the need for an oven and is delicious.

INGREDIENTS FOR 10 PEOPLE

• 4 carrots, peeled and grated
• 280 g almond flour
• 150 g coconut flour
• 100 g grated coconut
• 250 g peeled walnuts
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 50 ml extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

FOR THE CREAM:

• 250 g rehydrated cashews
• 50 g coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

PREPARATION (1H 10M):

1. Squeeze the grated carrot well with the help of a fork to extract as much liquid as possible.
2. Chop the nuts and incorporate into the carrot paste.
3. Mix the almond flour and coconut flour. Add the grated coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger powder, and then the extra virgin coconut oil.
4. Mix all the ingredients until you get a homogeneous dough.
5. Pour the mixture into a mold and make sure it is well compacted in the mold.
6. Let stand in the fridge for an hour. Then, cut into two or three layers carefully.
7. Prepare the cream for the garnish of the cake. Chop the cashews and incorporate along with the coconut milk and coconut oil.
8. Process until you get a cream with a uniform and smooth texture.
9. Spread the cream between the layers of the dough and smooth on the surface of the cake. Garnish with some nuts and store in the fridge until serving.

GLUTEN-FREE SACHER CAKE WITH PEACH JAM

A delicious sacher cake made with rice flour, corn and buckwheat and with unsweetened peach jam.

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 PEOPLE

• 50 g rice flour
• 50 g corn flour
• 50 g buckwheat flour
• 6 eggs
• 150 g dark chocolate
• 150 g margarine
• 120 g fructose
• 120 g agave syrup
• 150 g unsweetened peach jam
• 1 vanilla pod

FOR FILLING AND COVERAGE:

• 250 g unsweetened peach jam
• 200 g chocolate for topping
• 200 ml whipping cream
• 100 g margarine ointment

PREPARATION (1H 30M):

1. Separate the yolks from the whites. Assemble the yolks along with the natural fructose. Reserve this first mix.
2. Melt the dark chocolate together with the margarine in a water bath. Add the agave syrup and peach jam to the melted mixture. We already have the second mixture. Now join the two mixtures and add the flour and vanilla.
3. Assemble the egg whites and incorporate them into the dough making enveloping movements with a spatula.
4. Pour the dough into a 25 cm diameter pan and bake for 50 minutes at 180 °C. Let cool, and then carefully cut the cake in half to fill it.
5. Spread the middle part between the two layers with peach jam and leave it in the fridge.
6. Heat the cream of the coating to a boil, and add the margarine ointment and chocolate. Stir with a spatula until you get a fluid and shiny ganache.
7. Cover the cake and let cool again in the fridge. In an hour it will be ready to serve.

LEMON PIE GLUTEN FREE IN MINI VERSION

We present the lemon pie in individual mini tartitas, with a meringue that we sweeten with agave syrup and natural fructose.

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 PEOPLE

• 150 g gluten-free crackers
• 50 g rice flour
• 100 g margarine ointment
• 8 molds

FOR THE CREAM AND MERINGUE:

• 4 egg whites
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 lemons
• 200 g agave syrup
• 100 g margarine
• 120 g natural fructose
• a pinch of salt

PREPARATION (50 MIN):

1. Crush the biscuits together with the rice flour and the margarine ointment with a minipimer.
2. Create small balls and arrange the resulting dough at the base of each mold, pressing well on the bottom.
3. Bake at 180°C and bake for 15 minutes. Once cold, let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes, to get a crunchier texture.
4. Grate the skin of lemons and squeeze their juice. Then beat this juice together with the yolks, margarine, and agave syrup until you get a homogeneous paste.
5. Cook over low heat in a saucepan and with the help of the rods you stir until it becomes a thick cream.
6. Pour this cream into the molds you have prepared with the biscuit base already cooled in the fridge and bake at 180 ° C for 20 more minutes.
7. Whip the egg whites together with the fructose and a pinch of sea salt to get the dough of the meringue firm and homogeneous.
8. Add the meringue with the help of a piping bag with star nozzle on top of each cake or lemon pie mini, and burn the meringue with a blowtorch to get a light golden finish.

GLUTEN-FREE RICE AND BUCKWHEAT BROWNIE

BUCKWHEAT, CORN AND RICE BROWNIE WITH JUICY COCOA AND NUTS

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 150 g buckwheat flour
• 50 g corn flour
• 50 g rice
• 4 eggs
• 200 g peeled walnuts (or hazelnuts)
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 150 g dark chocolate topping
• 150 g margarine
• 16 g chemical impeller
• 200 g natural fructose
• a pinch of salt

PREPARATION (35 MIN):

1. Melt the margarine together with the chocolate for bain-marie coating, over low heat.
2. Separate the egg whites and yolks. Whip the yolks together with half of the fructose and incorporate the melted margarine and chocolate, once it has lowered its temperature.
3. Add to this mixture, in a large and wide bowl, the three flours, the impeller and half of the cocoa powder previously sifted with enveloping movements.
4. Assemble the egg whites to the point of snow, with the minipimer at high speed, along with the other half of the fructose and a pinch of salt.
5. Once assembled, lower the speed to a minimum and incorporate the rest of the cocoa powder.
6. Join the two doughs very carefully, with the help of a pastry tongue and always making enveloping movements, to prevent the dough from going down. Chop the nuts and add them to the mixture.
7. Flour a square mold of 20 cm x 20 cm and pour the dough.
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 170ºC, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
9. Accompany, if you want to innovate, with a bitter orange jam without sugar.

GLUTEN-FREE CHEESECAKE WITH BLUEBERRY JAM

Using vegetable cream and cheese and gluten-free digestive biscuits we can make a delicious gluten and lactose-free cheesecake. You can make homemade blueberry jam. Sweeten with agave syrup.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 4 eggs
• 300 ml whipping cream
• 700 g vegetable cream cheese
• 200 g gluten-free digestive cookies
• 100 g margarine
• 200 ml agave syrup
• 200 g blueberry jam
• 5 tbsp. of cornstarch
• Organic lemon zest
• 1 vanilla pod

FOR THE JAM:

• 125 g fresh blueberries
• 100 g natural fructose

PREPARATION (1H 20M):

1. Crush the cookies and mix with the previously melted margarine. Fill with this mixture the base of a 25 cm mold.
2. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the cream cheese together with the cream, eggs and agave syrup, until you get a homogeneous cream.
4. Beat the cream with the cornstarch, lemon zest and vanilla.
5. Add everything to the pan you had baked with the cookie and now decorate for another 45 minutes at 180 ° C. Let cool and add the jam on top.
6. For jam, first mix the blueberries well with the fructose. Cook over low heat until the foam that generates fructose disappears.
7. Add filtered lemon juice to remove any remaining fiber in the juice.
8. Stir quickly and then cover with contact film.
9. Let cool and you have the jam ready to add to the top of the cake.