Gluten Free Recipes For Baking This Easter

Ahead of Easter FREEE – home to the #1 gluten free flour range in the UK, has shared four delicious baking recipes everyone can enjoy. Featuring two stunning showstoppers and two easy to make bakes, there is something for every occasion.

• Gluten Free White Chocolate Layer Cake – With three layers of delicious sponge, this showstopper is ideal for a celebration or teatime treat. For a super decadent dessert, try serving with a few raspberries and a jug of cream
• Gluten Free Banana Bundt Cake with Fudge Icing – The shape of this bake adds the wow factor to the ever-popular banana bread cake – and is a fun way to enjoy a favourite
• Vegan Easter Chocolate Cornflake Nests – No bake and easy to make, these nests aremade with gluten free Cornflakes and filled with tasty vegan eggs, which can be dusted with edible gold or silver or rolled in toasted coconut
• Gluten Free Hot Cross Muffins – Packed with traditional spices and currants, these easy to prepare muffins make a great alternative to yeasted hot cross buns.

Gluten Free White Chocolate Layer Cake

Makes 1 layer cake | Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Temperature: 180°C, Fan 160°C, 350°F, Gas 4 

Ingredients:

Vanilla Sponge Layers

• 175g FREEE Self Raising Flour
• 175ml butter
• 3 eggs
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp milk
• butter, for tins

White Chocolate Buttercream

• 50g butter
• 50g icing sugar
• 2 tsp milk
• 50g white chocolate

White Icing

• 75g butter
• 75g icing sugar
• 100g cream cheese (full fat)

White Chocolate Shards

• 15g white chocolate

White Chocolate Drip

• 75g white chocolate
• 50ml double cream

Method:

Vanilla Sponge Layers

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Rub some butter around the inside of three 18cm/7” round cake tins or insert a baking liner.
3. Sieve the flour into a large bowl.
4. Cut the butter into small cubes, put them into the mixing bowl and stir to cover them with flour.
5. Break the eggs into the bowl, add the sugar, and vanilla extract and beat everything together until smooth. 
6. Add the milk and mix well.
7. Divide the mixture between the prepared baking tins and smooth the top.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cakes are just brown and start to come away from the side of the tin.
9. Turn the cakes out on to a wire rack, peel off the paper and leave to cool.

White Chocolate Buttercream 

1. Cut the butter into small cubes, put them in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add the icing sugar and milk and beat until smooth.
3. Coarsely grate the white chocolate into the mixing bowl and mix together well.

White Icing

1. Chop the butter into cubes and put them into a mixing bowl.
2. Beat the butter until it is smooth.
3. Add the icing sugar and beat until combined.
4. Measure the cream cheese into the bowl and beat together until smooth.

White Chocolate Shards

1. Break the chocolate into cubes.
2. Put the chocolate pieces into a small bowl and microwave on full power until the chocolate is soft, about 60-80 seconds.
3. Pour the chocolate onto a marble tile, the back of a baking tray or a piece of parchment.
4. Spread the chocolate out thinly.
5. Leave to chill.
6. When ready to use break the chocolate into shards.

White Chocolate Drip

1. Cut the chocolate into small cubes.
2. Put the cream into a saucepan over a medium heat.
3. When the cream comes to the boil remove the pan from the heat.
4. Immediately tip the chocolate cubes into the hot cream, shake the pan and leave for 5 minutes.
5. Gently stir the cream and chocolate until smooth.
6. Leave to cool.

White Chocolate Layer Cake

1. Divide the white chocolate buttercream filling between the top of two cold sponges, spreading it out over each.
2. Place the sponges one on top of the other and leave to set.
3. Gently spread half of the white icing around the sides of the cake.
4. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.
5. Pour the white chocolate drip around the circumference of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides.
6. Scatter the white chocolate shards around the circumference of the cake.

Gluten Free Banana Bundt Cake with Fudge Icing

Makes 1 bundt cake | Cooking time: 50-55 minutes for metal tin, 45-50 for silicone mould

Temperature: 180°C, Fan 160°C, 350°F, Gas 4

Ingredients

Banana Bundt Cake

• 2 ripe bananas
• 100g butter
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 200g FREEE Self Raising White Flour
• oil, for tin

Fudge Icing

• 75g butter
• 75g brown sugar
• 50g double cream

Method

Banana Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Rub some oil around the inside of a metal bundt tin or silicone mould.
3. Peel and mash the bananas on a plate.
4. Chop the butter into cubes and put them into a mixing bowl.
5. Add the sugar and beat together until smooth.
6. Add the mashed banana and vanilla extract and beat again.
7. Break the eggs into the bowl, one at a time, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next.
8. Sieve the flour into the bowl and stir the mixture.
9. Tip the mixture into the metal tin or silicone mould and smooth the top.
10. Bake in the metal bundt tin for 50-55 minutes, in silicone for 45-50 minutes or until the sponge springs back when touched.
11. Cool the cake in its tin for 40 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Fudge Icing

1. Chop the butter into cubes and put them into a saucepan.
2. Add the sugar and cream.
3. Put the pan over a gentle heat and stir to make a smooth sauce.
4. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Stir as the icing cools and thickens slightly.
6. Gently pour the icing over the top of the cold bundt cake allowing it to run down the sides.
7. Allow the icing to set and store in a tin until ready to serve.

Vegan Easter Chocolate Cornflake Nests

Makes 8 nests

Ingredients:

Vegan Chocolate Eggs

• 25g plain chocolate
• 25g smooth peanut butter
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• edible gold or silver dust

Vegan Chocolate Nests

• 50g plain chocolate
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 50g FREEE Organic Corn Flakes

Method:

1. Stand 12 fairy cake cases in the holes of a muffin tray.
2. Gently melt together the butter and chocolate until just runny.
3. Stir in the golden syrup.
4. Add the corn flakes and stir until they are evenly covered in the chocolate.
5. Working quickly, divide the mixture between the prepared cake cases.
6. Divide any syrup left in the bowl between the cakes.
7. Leave to set.
8. When set, store in an airtight tin.

Gluten Free Hot Cross Muffins

Makes 12 muffins | Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Temperature: 190°C, Fan170°C, 375°F, Gas 5

Ingredients

• 50g white fondant icing
• 200g FREEE White Bread Flour
• ½ tsp FREEE Bicarbonate of Soda
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp lemon rind, grated
• 75ml natural yoghurt
• 150g oil
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g currants
• 25g candied peel
• 2 tbsp apricot jam

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Stand 12 paper muffin cases in the holes of a muffin or tart tray.
3. Flatten the fondant and cut into 24 matchstick size strips.
4. Measure the flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a bowl, stir to combine and sieve into another bowl.
5. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl.
6. Finely grate the lemon rind into the bowl.
7. Add the yoghurt, oil and sugar and beat together well.
8. Tip the flour into the bowl and beat until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
9. Stir in the currants and candied peel.
10. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases.
11. Gently lay two fondant strips across each muffin to form a cross.
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
13. Gently warm the apricot jam.
14. Remove the hot cross muffins from the oven and brush the warm jam over the tops.

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