Delicious, gluten and lactose free Kumquat cake!

In my last post I mentioned that after the Christmas break I´m looking for easy recipes to make. Getting back to the daily routine after that rather lengthy break was not easy but with a piece of a cake or tart one gets the push needed to keep going.

I often get inspired to try new recipes by watching the shows of celebrity chefs and cooks. I once saw the elegant Nigella Lawson making a clementine cake and have been wanting to try it ever since, but I never did! This time around, I decided to give it a go as it seemed pretty easy and quite delicious; just what I needed!
I played around a bit with the recipe and substituted the clementines with one of my favorite citrus fruits: Kumquat.

Kumquats are tiny fruits but they pack quite a punch with their intense and refreshing citrus flavor. They are usually eaten whole, as their skin is quite delicate and delicious. They are not the most common fruits around, so if you can't get hold of them use clementines.

This recipe is perfect for those who have lactose and gluten intolerance on top of being really delicious and easy to make. 

For an 18 cm pan you need:

• 185 g kumquats
• 25 g olive oil
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 110 g sugar
• tsp cointreau (optional)
• 125 ground almond
• 1/2 tsp BP 

First, put the kumquats in a saucepan and cover them with cold water and cook them until tender which should probably take between 25 to 35 min.  Drain them and let cool a bit. You can remove the seeds if you want but I didn't as the seeds are edible. Blitz the fruits until you have a nice and smooth purée.

Whisk the oil with the sugar, add the eggs one by one and mix well, add the purée and cointreau (if using), and finally the almond flour with the baking powder. 

Pour the mixture in a prepared pan (greased and covered with baking paper) and bake in a preheated oven (180C) for about 30 to 40 min or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 

You can enjoy this cake with just a dusting of sugar or served with Greek yogurt sweetened with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup!

The cake is so easy yet is so flavorsome that people won't believe how easy it is to make. So next time you want to enjoy  an easy cake, yet are in a hurry, give this cake a try and I guarantee you will love it.