Here’s a cake worth adding to your repertoire: It’s super fast to put together, it’s gluten- and dairy-free and it can be dressed up or down. The almond meal and pureed pears give the cake a frangipane-like texture. Vanilla, maple syrup and coconut oil add to the irresistible flavor. For dessert, top the cake with some soft-whipped cream, ice cream or warm chocolate sauce. For afternoon or morning tea, the cake is delicious plain, served warm or straight from the fridge.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 50 min |
| Yield: | One 9-inch cake |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus more for oiling the parchment paper
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 3 tablespoons brown rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 large ripe Anjou pears
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 cup maple sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- Pinch sea salt
- Chopped almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 12-inch square piece of parchment paper, and press it into a 9-inch round cake pan. (Don’t worry about the sides overlapping-this is what creates a rustic edge.) Set aside.
- Process the almond meal, oats, oat flour, rice flour and baking powder in a food processor until the oats are ground. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl; set aside.
- Beat the egg in another medium bowl; set aside. Peel and roughly chop 1 of the pears. Process the chopped pears, coconut oil, maple syrup, maple sugar, vanilla, almond extract and salt in a food processor until smooth; add the mixture to the bowl with the egg, and whisk to combine. Pour the pear-egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir to combine. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, and lightly spread it out.
- Working quickly, peel, quarter and core the remaining pear. Cut each quarter into 4 long slices, arrange them in a circle on top of the batter and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Bake the cake until the edges are deep golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 50 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Drizzle the cake with maple syrup, and serve warm or cool. Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 206 calorie |
| Total Fat | 12 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 4 grams |
| Cholesterol | 16 milligrams |
| Sodium | 57 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 22 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 grams |
| Protein | 5 grams |
| Sugar | 12 grams |