Is it just me or has the warm weather just not settled here on the Sunshine Coast yet?
The good news side of this for my family (who like their sweet treats) is that I’m still baking, which I don’t tend to do in the summer so much. This recipe was actually a request from my husband for Father’s Day, a trip to nostalgia land. Queen Elizabeth cake was a staple when I cooked in tree planting camps, lo those many years ago, and Ron’s favourite. So I got creative and shifted the old recipe into a gluten and dairy free delight. This is a recipe that everyone will enjoy and you, the baker, can feel great, knowing that this treat is nutrient dense AND delish.
Here it is:
Queen Elizabeth Cake, Jan’s Version
Note: All ingredients are organic
Cake:
- Put 1 c dates in 1 c boiling water and let sit
- ½ c coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 c almond meal
- ½ c coconut and quinoa flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
Topping:
- ½ c almond milk
- ¼ c butter
- 2 c coconut, dried and shredded
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Combine and warm until it’s a mushy sweet conglomeration.
Process butter, sugar, eggs in food processor until smooth, then add dates and buzz them until the dates are in little pieces. You could go all the way to smooth if you want. My personal favourite is small chunks of delectable date. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and gently blend them all together. Pour the mixture into a glass baking dish (9 by 12”-ish) and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Gently remove cake from oven and put the topping over the whole surface. Return to the oven until well browned – maybe 10-15 minutes.
Small print:
- The food processor makes everything go faster but you can still cream the butter and sugar, beat the eggs and chop and mash the dates like I did pre-processor.
- If you want to make this vegan, just substitute coconut oil for the butter and add a few sprinkles of salt. Easy Peasy.
- I use a convection oven and bake at 325°F for 25 minutes, and the browning of the topping will go faster as well.
- This is NOT a low sugar experience. It is a special occasion special treat (unless you’re tree planting – then you can have it once a week cause you need your strength)
- This cake IS full of natural sugars and good fats, and will make your family and friends envious of your gluten and dairy free life style!
- The nutritional goodies from the combination of dates and coconut include: lots of potassium, antibacterial/viral/fungal qualities and a wide variety of minerals, along with smaller amounts of protein and fibre. The almonds add more protein, Vit E, fibre and more minerals. So you see that you’ll be bursting with energy after a piece of this cake.
Enjoy! If you like this recipe you might like both of my cookbooks: Recipes for Loving The Body You’re In and Savoury ‘n’ Sweet: Treats for Every Occasion