Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

I love baking. Whether it's making a summery cake for a sunny day or simply something to do when stuck inside the house, there's something strangely therapeutic about it. I generally prefer the process of baking the actual cake than eating the finished result! This is probably because, as much as I like to bake, I'm the first to admit that my attempts often fall flat. Don't ask me why (although I personally blame the oven). 

Regardless, this recipe is one to give a go purely to see what the magical addition of mashed potato does to it. Yes, you read correctly, mashed potato. No, I'm not having a "Rachel from Friends" moment as my housemate thought when he assumed I must have got my pages muddled up (he was the first one to eat his own words...and pretty much the entire cake for that matter). 

As the name suggests, this cake contains no gluten, and therefore, no flour. The starch from the mashed potato basically adds to the cake structurally in a way which flour normally would. The added bonus is that, due to the natural water content obviously gained from using potato, the resulting cake is incredibly moist and fluffy. So, here's how it's done:





You will need:
-300g unsalted butter
-300g golden caster sugar
-6 eggs
-265g ground almonds
-375g mashed potato
-zest 5 lemons
-4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
-6 tbsp granulated sugar
-juice 2 lemons








Before you begin, make the mashed potato in the usual way and allow to cool significantly. It doesn't matter if the potato is still a little bit warm if you're short on time but, ideally, have them chilled.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 6. Butter and line a deep, 20cm round cake tin. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the egg, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the almonds, cold mashed potato, lemon zest and baking powder.








Tip the mixture into your prepared tin,level the top, and bake for 50 minutes. The top should be golden and a skewer should come out clean after being inserted into the cake. If in doubt, bake for longer, checking every few minutes. 









For the drizzle, mix the lemon juice and sugar together and spoon over the the top of the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. Getting overexcited and slicing it when still warm will result in a sloppy mess on the plate! 

Although the butter and sugar content in this recipe seem like a lot, this cake will serve 12 people easily so don't feel too guilty! 

Nic

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