Grain Free Lemon Birthday Cake GF SCD

We enjoyed having visitors to stay this weekend and we celebrated my son's birthday with a simple to make birthday cake. Simple because I didn't really want to spend all my time in the kitchen given the limited amount of time we would have together. That said, as you probably know if you're on the SCD, a considerable amount of time is always spent cooking!

I took a few photos of the cake and because every one of my family and friends enjoyed it, I decided it would be a shame not to share the recipe with you.

The cakes are made using the basic sponge recipe sandwiched together and lavishly drizzled with the smooth, zingy lemon cashew cream from the recipe for Ginger and Lemon Tart which is also on my blog. It's best to make the icing at least an hour before icing the cake so that you can keep it in the fridge to allow it to thicken a little.  Once it is iced, store the cake in a cool place before serving.  If you have any of the cake left, keep it in the fridge overnight.

If your food processor has a small bowl, divide the mixture quantities in two and make the batter for the cake in two batches. Just whisk the first batch with a fork before pouring into the tin.

Lemon Birthday Cake GF SCD

Cake
500g Ground Almonds
6 large eggs (in the US extra-large eggs)
6 tblsps extra virgin olive oil
160 ml (⅔ cup) acacia honey

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tblsps pure vanilla extract (alcohol, water and vanilla only)
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
large pinch salt

Lemon Icing

170 g (1½ cups) cashews
80 ml (⅓ cup) mild honey
60 ml (¼ cup) organic coconut oil
80 ml (⅓ cup) to 90 ml almond milk
finely grated rind of 3 lemons
90 ml lemon juice

• Measure out the cashew nuts, tip into a bowl and pour filtered water over them and leave to soak for two hours.
• Gently heat the coconut oil until melted and leave on one side
• Rinse the cashews well with filtered water and tip into a blender.
• Pour in the honey, almond milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and almond milk.
• Add the lemon rind.
• Blend on high until very smooth then store in the fridge until needed.
• Heat the oven to 170° C.
• Line two 7½" (14 cm) sandwich tins with baking parchment.
• Pour the honey, extra virgin olive oil and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor then break in the eggs and process until combined.
• Measure out the ground almonds, lemon rind, bicarbonate of soda and salt into another bowl and whisk together with a fork or balloon whisk.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients little by little.
• Process on a medium to high speed until all the dry ingredients have been mixed in and the batter is smooth.
• Cook for 30 to 35 minutes in the bottom half of the oven until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean and the top is springy to touch.
• Let the cakes cool in the tins for about fifteen minutes then carefully run a knife around the edge, gently tip out onto a cooling rack and remove the paper.
• When the cake is cool, pour some of the icing over one half then place the other on top.
• Pour the rest of the icing slowly over the top of the cake and let it drizzle down the sides.
• Leave in a cool place until serving.