Gluten-free vanilla and pomegranate sponge cake recipe

Baking your own cake ensures that you know exactly what you are putting into your wonderful body and this one is guaranteed to make you glow from head to toe!

Not only does the pomegranate give this classic gluten free vanilla sponge an exotic twist, but this fruit is actually in season at the moment so you will be enjoying the freshest nutrients. Vanilla is also a fantastic cooking ingredient as natural vanilla extract contains numerous antioxidants which help to protect your body from free radicals and toxins.

Now you can enjoy your slice of cake for afternoon tea and eat it guilt-free too.

Ingredients:

• 200g of coconut sugar
• 200g of butter or coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 200g of buckwheat flour (or rice flour)
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 3 tbsp of almond milk
• 2 tsps of vanilla bean powder or extract
• 1 pomegranate
• 4 tbsp of honey
• 1 tsp of cinnamon

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 170°C.
• In your food processor, cream the butter and sugar together for a minute and then add in the eggs one by one. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and mix well.
• Then slowly add in the vanilla and milk into the above dry ingredients.
• Grease 2 identical cake tins with butter/coconut oil and pour half of the mixture into each. If you only have one cake tin, bake the first then cook the second half afterwards.
• Bake the cakes for 20 minutes. The sponge should be golden brown and just cooked through. Allow the sponge to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the jam, cut the pomegranate in half and bash out the seeds. Leave some to the side to decorate and pop the rest in a pan with the honey, cinnamon and 100ml of water. Bring the pan to a simmer and let this cook for 20 minutes.
• To assemble the cake place the first sponge on a cake stand or plate then smear the top with the pomegranate jam. Place the next sponge on top and decorate with pomegranates. Delicious!

Photo credit: Madeleine Shaw