This tasty treat is a cross between a cheesecake and a tart. It has a rich and unctuous top layer with a crunchy gluten free biscuity base.

Makes: 10 – 15 slices

Time: 25 min. prepping the base followed by 25 – 30 min. baking. 20 min. to make and add the topping. Just over an hour in total plus but add on cooling time and overnight in the fridge.

Level: Reasonably easy

Need: A 20cm/8” fluted tart tin or a plain cake tin with a loose bottom, a hand held electric whisk, 3 – 4 strips of acetate would be helpful but not essential.

Ingredients

NB – Most of the measurements below should be preceded by the word “about”. Sorry to be so vague, I made this “on spec”, didn’t make notes and here’s what I can remember. Gluten free bases offer lots of leeway anyway. Sometimes I swap the ingredient amounts around and often use ground almonds instead of flour. If you prefer, just use your favourite cheesecake base recipe with gluten free biscuits and melted butter.

For the GF base

200g/7oz butter
150g/6oz soft light brown sugar
50ml/2fl oz golden syrup
200g/7oz porridge oats
100g/4oz oat bran or oat meal (if you don’t have any just use more oats)
100g/4oz gluten free flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp fine salt

For the topping

200g/7oz white chocolate broken into pieces
50g/2oz butter
150ml/6fl oz double cream
50g/2oz – 75g/3oz full fat cream cheese or mascarpone
50g/2oz – 75g/3oz full fat crème fraîche
Some stem ginger, chopped (about 4 “balls” from a jar)
Some ginger syrup from a jar
(optional) 3 – 5 tubes of food colouring gel

Method

1. Brush the base and inside of the tin with melted butter and line the base with baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan/ 400°F / Gas 6.

2. To make the GF base: in a large bowl mix together the oats, oat bran, GF flour, ground ginger and salt. Stir in the beaten egg.

3. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan over a low/medium heat. Pour into the dry mixture and mix well.

4. Press the mixture into the prepared tin. If possible, work it with your fingers up the sides of the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 – 30 minutes. When baked, set aside to cool.

5. To make the topping: put the white chocolate and butter in a bain marie and heat gently until the mixture is smooth and runny. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little, then mix in the cream cheese and crème fraîche.

6. Spread the chopped ginger over the cooled base then add enough syrup to wet the surface but not enough to make it soggy. (If you have strips of acetate they can now be used inside the tin to make releasing the tart easier later.)

7. Carefully pour the topping mixture on top of the biscuit base*. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight, until set.

7a. * One option for decorating is to use several cake colourings. (I like using “Colour Splash” tubes) Just dab a few small drops randomly on the surface of the topping then swirl them into a pattern using a cocktail stick.

Gallery

I hope you enjoy this lovely tart. If you want to see more tart recipes click here.

Or have a look at my site for lots of other recipes, sweet and savoury. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

Chocolate Prune and Orange Tart

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake with Almonds

Coffee and Walnut Millionaires Shortbread

Strawberry and Pistachio Polenta Cake

If you’d like to comment or ask a question that would be great, just go to the contact page. Click here for the home page.

Happy Baking – Ian

This is an extremely moist and tasty cake. The polenta and pistachios give it a lovely distinctive texture and the orange flavour comes through well.

Makes: Quite a large cake, giving 12 or more slices

Level: Easy

Time: Prep: 30 – 35 minutes. Baking: 60 – 70 minutes

Need: A deep sided 23cm (9”) round spring-form tin

Cake ingredients

300g/10oz butter (softened)
300g/10oz caster sugar
1 large orange (zest and juice)
4 large eggs, beaten
300g/10oz ground almonds
150g/6oz polenta
1 tsp baking powder
50g/2oz pistachios, chopped moderately small

For the syrup & topping

A small or medium orange
75g/3oz caster sugar
2 – 3 tsp marmalade or apricot jam
About 50g/2oz pistachios, some roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C / fan 140°C / 310°F / Gas 2.5. Grease the tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.

2. Put the soft butter, sugar and orange zest into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.

3. Whisk in the eggs one by one, then add the ground almonds, polenta, orange juice, baking powder and chopped pistachios. Carefully mix in until thoroughly combined.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the oven for about 60 – 70 minutes. (Check at 60 minutes – cover if necessary). Set aside and make the syrup. (* read note below first)

5. For the syrup, put the sugar and the orange juice (add a little water if necessary) in a pan and stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 2 – 3 minutes until syrupy. Spoon or brush the hot syrup over the still warm cake.

* This makes the cake extra moist. You may prefer to use less syrup or even no syrup if you want a drier cake. Personally I’m happy with a lovely moist cake, but I thought it worth mentioning.

6. Leave in the tin until fully cooled, then remove and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand.

When the cake has cooled and is firm you may want to carefully invert it and have a flatter top surface.

7. Heat the marmalade and brush over the cooled cake then sprinkle on the chopped pistachios. Press them in gently.

I’d recommend serving it with creme fraiche or Greek yogurt – something with a bit of a “tang” to offset the sweetness of the cake.

I hope you enjoy this lovely cake. If you want more cake recipes click this link, or have a look at my site for lots of other great recipes, both sweet and savoury. Below are a few that I’d love you to try:

Strawberry Sponge Cake