Lemon-y, lovely and LOW FAT!

Too good to be true I hear you cry....NOT SO says I!

Seriously, the fat is 4 eggs which at 6 grams each totals 24g in the whole cake!  YAY!

I'm not some mad yo-yo dieter, I have a problem with my gallbladder called Biliary Dyskenesia, I find that if I stick to a low fat diet it limits the episodes of gallstone like pain I suffer.....and believe me that's good!  Having been through childbirth...I'd rather do that again than have gallbladder pain (I've heard kidney stones are equally excruciating!)

My lovely Hub is a true masterchef and produces THE most wonderful low fat meals, but he doesn't bake.  Nor did I for years because I thought I couldn't, until that is we had to care for a young man with a gluten allergy.  So that he could join in the birthday celebrations without feeling like the odd one out, I started homebaking gluten free cakes...and believe me (because I have been told by brutally honest 4-12 year olds!!!) they are GOOD!

My traybake recipe here can be made using Doves Gluten free self raising flour...if you don't want a big one then halve the recipe and make in an 8 inch deep tin to produce a deep sponge that you can cut in half for a lovely Victoria Sponge....mmmmm!

Anyhow...I digress...on with the cake!

4 eggs, separated into 2 bowls and line your 8 inch deep tin with baking paper.

Next, whisk  your yolks and 100g (4oz) of sugar until pale and fluffy (left) and whisk your whites until stiff (right), you'll know when they're done when you can turn the bowl upside-down and they don't flop out!  My 3 year old thinks this is an hilarious trick when performed over her head!  (if they do hit the deck, they're great for shining shoes!)

 

 

Scrape the yolk mixture into the whites and whisk together..........

Next add 100g (4oz) of self raising flour (or plain flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder) just a tablespoon at a time if you're nervous, but I've gently plopped the whole lot in and quickly but gently stirred it through, speed keeps it airy (a bit like souffle).  Transfer to your prepared tin and pop in your 180 degree preheated oven for around 35 minutes.

 

When it comes out let it cool then lemonate decorate.......

 

For the water icing on the top I use icing sugar, I'm guessing around four tablespoons and a dessertspoon of lemon curd and a teaspoon or 2 of water (depends on the consistency of your lemon curd!), mix until it is firm but runny enough to travel across your cake!

 

For the centre I make a small buttercream with about 20 grams of margarine (at 60% fat this is a total of another 12 grams of fat in your cake), mix with about 60 grams of icing sugar with the back of a fork....at the point you think of giving up because it too stiff, pop in a dessert spoon of lemon curd!  It will now make a nice pliable buttercream....yummy and VERY lemon-y.

 

Here it is with the rest of our naughty tea last Sunday....after a huge lunch, this was all we could manage come tea time!  With a nice pot of tea of course!

So if you were keeping count, that was a total of 36 grams of fat in the whole cake!  I like a nice generous slice so that I feel like I'm spoiling myself....but its still only 4 grams or so!

You could try this with Lime or Orange Curd or why not plain buttercream (add about 10ml of milk instead of the curd to make the buttercream pliable), some jam and just sift the top with icing sugar.  My next experiment will be adding about 40 grams of cocoa powder (this will change the fat content) and Morello Cherry jam with Vanilla buttercream....mmmmm!

If you do try it or have any comments or queries, please let me know.  I hope you enjoy making this and above all eating a gorgeous slice of Guilt-Free cake!

Back soon with a 'Melman' progress shot!

Byeeeeeee!
Nora
xxxx