This vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free coffee and walnut cake is so delicious you wouldn't realise that it's egg free. I made it to celebrate my husband's birthday at our annual family gathering for the May Day celebrations in our village.
On the first Saturday of May our village comes alive. In the centre of the village stands a Maypole with a history dating back to 1850.
This year Gawthorpe hosted its 138th Mayday Procession. The celebrations began early in the day and people were decorating the floats all over the village.
At 2.00 pm the distant sound of a brass band signals the beginning of the procession. The route it follows is 4.5 miles long and starts with a circular tour of the village before travelling down into the local town, Ossett, and returning back up to the village. Roads are lined with people enjoying the festivities. A local brass band heads the procession and there is a strong sense of community spirit, sometimes lacking these days.
the Maypole dancers,
vintage vehicles and cars,
and people dressed in costumes for the fancy dress competition.
Coffee and Walnut Cake GF
250g plain gluten free flour (no gums) I use Doves Farm
180g organic unrefined sugar
60g walnut pieces
1 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
250ml almond milk
60ml extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp instant coffee
2 tblsp boiling water
1½ tblsp organic cider vinegar
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
2 tsp ground flaxseeds
1 tblsp boiling water
Coffee Buttercream Icing
150g vegan spread or butter
300g unrefined icing sugar
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp boiling water
1 tsp milk
Walnuts to decorate
- Pour a tablespoon of boiling water onto the ground flax seeds, whisk with a fork and put on one side to cool.
- Measure out the coffee into a small bowl and pour on two tablespoons of boiling water, stir well.
- Set the oven to 190° C (185° C if it is a fan oven) then grease and line with baking parchment paper two 7" sandwich cake tins.
- Measure out the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt and sieve into one bowl.
- Chop the walnuts roughly and add to the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together with the almond milk, coffee, oil, vanilla extract, flax seed slurry and vinegar in another bowl.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix quickly.
- Pour into the prepared tins and bake just above the centre of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Don't open the door before 20 minutes. The cake is cooked when the centre of the cake springs back when touched lightly or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake will also begin to come away from the sides of the tin. This cake took 25 minutes. Don't worry if the cake cracks along the top, this often happens. Leave to cool in the tins. They can be turned out onto a wire cake cooler after about 15 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make the coffee buttercream icing.
- Measure out the coffee into a small bowl and add a tablespoon of boiling water, stir well.
- Beat the vegan spread or butter with a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk.
- Sieve the icing sugar and add to the vegan spread or butter with the coffee. Continue to beat until it is all incorporated.
- Sandwich together the two cakes with the buttercream icing. Ice the top of the cake and decorate the top with walnuts.
