Gluten-free Baking: Apple, Pear & Raisin Cake

This is my latest experiment in gluten-free baking: it has a damper, more solid texture than a regular cake but I think it works well with the fruit. For me Ella's recipes have been a bit hit-and-miss so far but this one is a winner! The ingredients and flavours suggest autumn and winter but this still tasted delicious in July.

3 red apples (or whatever eating apples you have) peeled, cored and roughly chopped
2 pears, peel, cored and roughly chopped
225 g raisins (I used a mixture of raisins and currants)
200g ground almonds
100g chopped pecans
160g brown rice flour
150ml almond milk
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cashew butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Put apples, pears and cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook gently for about 10 minutes or until they break down into a lumpy puree.
2. Place all remaining ingredients except raisins and pecans into a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Add the apple and pear mixture and blend again.
4. Stir in the raisin and pecans then spread into a greased and lined springform tin about 23cm in diameter.
5. Cook at 180c for 40-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in the tin as the cake is more fragile than one made with regular flour.

Because this cake won't really rise you don't have to be scared about opening the oven to check it - the original recipe said 40 minutes but my oven definitely took 60. Keeps for about a week in a tin although I defy you to have any left after more than two days.

It's spicy, fruity and delicious AND healthy.  Refined-sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free - who knew that could taste so good?! Vegans: you shall have your cake and eat it!