Rhubarb & Coconut Cake (DF + NF)

Well, I must say it seems like eons ago that I was madly throwing together pink fruit skewers for a Pink Afternoon Tea in aide of Breast Cancer Research. My gorgeous besti friend Cat made this delightful gluten free Coconut & Rhubarb Cake. She popped a few drops of pink food colouring into the batter to get into the spirit of the afternoon. It was one of the favourites of the afternoon made lactose free, especially for my friend and after a little hiatus in Bali (it's a hard life for some) she is back and has kindly emailed me the recipe to share with you. Enjoy!

Cat's Pink Coconut & Rhubarb Cake (Gluten & Lactose Free)

225g Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

275g castor sugar

100g desiccated coconut

125g Nuttelex, melted (or other lactose free margarine/butter)

3 eggs, lightly beaten

125ml Soy Milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup rhubarb, finely chopped

5 trimmed rhubarb stalks, for topping

2tbsp Demerera sugar

Optional: a few drops pink food colouring

Heat oven to 150deg C. Grease and line a 14cm x 21cm loaf tin.

Mix together the flour, sugar, coconut, butter, eggs, milk and essence till combined. Add pink colouring if you wish. Mix until a smooth batter is formed.

Pour half the mix into the loaf tin and top with chopped rhubarb. Add remaining batter. Trim rhubarb stalks to 12cm and lay on top of batter. Sprinkle demerera sugar on top and bake for approximately1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10minutes before turning onto rack to cool completely.

Cut into thick slices and serve slightly warm with icecream or wrap in cling wrap and add it to your kids (or your own) lunch box. Yum! 

This recipe was a straight conversion from 'normal' flour, butter and milk to gluten and lactose free. If you don't have gluten or lactose free ingredients substitute 'normal' butter for the Nuttelex or wheat flour for the gluten free flours.