Coconut Frangipane Cake – Gluten free & Dairy free

Coconut Frangipane Cake

This post will make my mother smile.

It is a cake that she used to cook for us when I was a child, that, I didn’t really embrace until I got older. Of course, this is a “healthified” version, the original being a basic butter cake with a sweet macaroon topping. The sweetness of the topping was the appealing bit as a kid and I would pick it off and leave the cake!! Just like the icing I guess!

The recipe came from my Nanna and was handwritten in her old spiral bound recipe compendium with a Bakelite cover. I have fond memories of that book and both my mother and I are devastated regretful of not knowing what ever happened to it. It got lost into the ether 30 years ago. Fortunately, I had already transcribed her Anzac biscuit & shortbread recipes before that happened.

This gluten-free, grain-free rendition can easily be made dairy-free too if you substitute the butter for macadamia oil.

I have used my butter cake recipe made in the TM but I do the meringue topping in my stand mixer to get more volume in my whites – feel free to use your TM for this but make sure your bowl is super clean and dry (and warm, for better results) to do it.

120g sugar (I used Natvia)

1 strip of lemon rind

300g ground almonds ( I use blanched)

3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

150g butter (or 120g macadamia oil for dairy free)

40g tapioca

2 teas baking powder

1/2 teas bicarb soda

 

For the cake, mill the sugar with the lemon rind on SP 9 for 10 seconds. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix on SP 6 for 30 seconds until smooth.  Pour into a tin and carefully spread the meringue over the top. Bake for 40  – 45 minutes at 160ºC until pale golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

 

Meringue Topping

2 egg whites

pinch cream of tartar

4 tabs sugar

45g desiccated coconut

a few drops of stevia to taste (optional)

2 tabs shredded or flaked coconut for garnish

 

In a clean dry bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the sugar (and stevia if using) gradually and beat until dissolved and glossy. Fold through the coconut, then spread on the cake batter and garnish with extra coconut before baking.