Gingerbread loaf

 A dark spicy gingerbread that is not too sweet but dense and moist with apple and treacle or molasses. 

Makes: 1 loaf

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups flour
9 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons black treacle or blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda
3/4 cup/180 ml milk
1/4 cup/60 ml Fortune rice bran oil
1 medium apple, cored and diced (no need to peel, just wash it well and this way you can preserve the fibre from the skin)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Grease a loaf cake tin.
2. Puree the apple in a blender or food processor. Place in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for  2 minutes. Stir and microwave for another 2 minutes. 
3. Mix the sugar and treacle or molasses with the apple puree. 
4. Add the oil and beat with a fork or whisk until it is well blended. Add the milk and mix well.
5. Mix the flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
6. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
7. Pour the cake batter into the greased loaf tin. The batter should spread out in the tin but tilt the tin if needed so that the batter lies flat.
8. Bake in a middle rack of the oven for 35-45 minutes until a knife or skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool completely before turning out of the tin and slicing.

Sticky toffee cake

Inspired by a classic British recipe, sticky toffee pudding but not quite as rich or sweet. The sweetness in this cake comes in bursts from bits of dates scattered throughout. It is flavoured with sweet spices and has a dark, dense, moist crumb. I have used gluten-free flours in the cake as these give a softer texture in low-fat recipes.

Makes: 1 small cake

Ingredients
1/2 cup sorghum/jowar flour
1/2  cup rolled oats/oatmeal (ensure it is certified gluten-free if making it for a  special diet)
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons yoghurt (I used soya yoghurt)
1-1/2 tablespoons black treacle, molasses or golden syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons finely chopped dates
1-1/2 tablespoons nut butter (any except for peanut butter) or 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped almonds or cashew nuts

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a cake tin, 14 cm/5.5 inches wide. Place the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl. Grind the oats (and the chopped nuts, if using) to a powder in a blender/food processor/ coffee grinder. Add to the mixing bowl. If using nut butter, add it to bowl and rub it between your fingers with the other ingredients to incorporate it, until the mixture resemble a coarse powder, like bread crumbs. If you are not using nut butter, simply blend all the dry ingredients with a spoon or whisk until well combined.

In a pan, place the sugar, chopped dates and treacle, molasses or golden syrup, along with 1/2 cup/125ml water. Heat over a medium until the treacle has melted and the sugar is dissolved. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add it other dry ingredients along with 4 tablespoons of the yoghurt and mix well. The batter should be fairly thick but easy to spoon into a cake tin. If is too stiff, mix in an additional 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt. Tip the mixture into the greased cake tin with the help of a spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife or skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out dry and clean. As it is quite sticky there may be crumbs on the skew but there should be no wet batter. 

Leave the cake in the tin to cool to room temperature, then turn out the cake onto a plate by sliding a knife around the sides and tapping the base of the tin, taking care not to break the cake as it is quite crumbly. To serve, carefully cut the cake into chunks or slices, using a serrated knife if possible reduce crumbling.

Carrot cake muffins

Carrots add moisture and sweetness to these lightly-spiced muffins which have a soft, fluffy crumb with hints of chewy coconut and juicy chunks of pineapple.

 Makes: 9 muffins

Ingredients

1/4 cup sorghum/jowar flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup rolled oats or oatmeal (use certified gluten-free oats if making it for a special diet)

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used demarara sugar; if using unsweetened milk add an extra teaspoon of sugar)

3 tablespoons fine dessicated coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda

1 cup coarsely grated carrot (grate just prior to ensure it is crisp)

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh or canned pineapple

3/4 cup milk (I used non-dairy hazelnut milk)

 Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease 9 holes of a cupcake tin (for making small cupcakes not giant muffins; about 5 cm/ 2 inches diameter at the top) or line with greased paper cases. Grind the rolled oats or oatmeal with the cloves to a powder. Place the sorghum and rice flours in a bowl and add the ground oats, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Mix with a spoon or whisk until the ingredients are well-combined. 

Add the pineapple, carrot (freshly grated) and the milk and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Divide the muffin batter evenly between the holes of the tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer or knife inserted in the muffin comes out clean (it might be slightly sticky from the pineapple but there should be no wet batter). Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes until you can handle them comfortably. Cool the muffins further or serve hot.