Sour Almond Poppy Seed Loaf (Gluten & Dairy-free)

When I was a drinker, Amaretto sours was one of my favourite cocktails. The tart blend of lemon and almond with just the right amount of sugar was a flavour I love. That's what inspired this gluten-free and dairy-free almond sours poppy seed cake. Using a perfect blend of vanilla and almond extract with lemon zest and juice folded into an easy to make pound loaf batter. This gluten-free treat will become one of your favourite lazy Sunday treat, for those days you want something sweet but without the hard work.

Ingredients you'll need

I always recommend using the best quality ingredients and sustainably sourced when possible. Also, if this is your first time cooking gluten-free for someone with Coeliac disease, I always recommend checking the ingredients label before using because Gluten can sneak into recipes when you least expect it. Below is each ingredient you will need:

• Granulated Sugar - White granulated sugar works best with this recipe.

• Egg - I only cook with organic free-range eggs. However, I am conscious that cooking gluten-free is already very expensive, so any quality egg will do. The egg quality won't change the flavour of these cookies.

• Almond Milk or Soya Milk - I tend to stick with using either; almond or soya milk, as my partner is dairy-free. But any gluten-free milk alternative will do. I have experimented with all types of alternative milk, swapping that out at a 1:1 ratio and never encountered any problems. If you're not dairy-free, you could experiment with using whole milk.

• Neutral oil - You want a neutral oil in this recipe to not take away from the flavour of almond and lemon. I suggest vegetable, sunflower, or peanut oil.

• Vanilla Extract - Use a good quality vanilla extra in this recipe as you want a flavour to compliment the cinnamon. Don't use a vanilla flavouring or essence as this won't deliver the same complex flavour. Also, vanilla flavourings and essences might need different measuring sizes.

• Almond Extract - Use a good quality almond extra in this recipe as you want a flavour to compliment the lemon and vanilla. Don't use an almond flavouring or essence as this won't deliver the same complex flavour. Also, almond flavourings and essences might need different measuring sizes.

• Gluten Free Plain Flour - I tend to only ever cook with a gluten-free plain flour blend from Doves Farm FREEE foods. The blend contains rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, maize flour and buckwheat flour. You could experiment with using alternative brands for gluten-free plain flour or using your own gluten flour plain flour blend by recipe but results may vary.

• Xanthan gum - Depending on the gluten free flour blend you use you might want to omit the Xanthan gum or reduce the amount. It's typically needed to give the cookie dough it's structure replacing the need for gluten and making it easier to work with.

• Salt - Table salt is all you need. Don't be afraid of adding salt to your baked goods, as salt helps enhance flavours.

• Baking powder - This is an key ingredient that will help the cake rise during baking. Giving it a fluffy texture.

• Lemon juice - You can't have a sour amaretto cake without something sour. And nothing beats the combination of lemon and almond.

• Lemon zest - The lemon zest will provide another dimension of flavour to the cake.

• Icing sugar - This is needed to give the cake a deliciously crunchy icing and to give it one final burst of sweetness. You could get away with icing the cake but if you've gone through all the effect of making the cake you might as well creating the icing as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question you want to ask that isn't in the frequently asked questions section, please send me your question or drop a comment at the bottom of the recipe. I try to answer every question, ensuring you create perfect recipes every time.

Is this sour almond cake alcoholic?

While it has taken inspiration from the classic alcoholic cocktail: amaretto sours it can be made 100% alcohol free. You will just have to ensure that you're using an alcohol free almond and vanilla extract. The almond extract and lemon juice combine are what help to replicate the classic cocktail flavours.

Can I make this sour almond poppy seed loaf recipe gluten free?

As someone with Coeliac disease all my recipes are 100% gluten-free. Although you can easily trick gluten eaters into thinking it's not gluten-free with how delicious these snickerdoodle cookies taste.

With this in mind do be cautious of cross-contamination if your household kitchen isn't 100% gluten-free and you are cooking for someone with Coeliac disease. As well as checking all the labels of the ingredients you use in this recipe. This is especially the case when using bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) which sometimes isn't free from cross-contamination due to being packaged in factories that handle wheat, barley, and rye.

Can I make this sour almond poppy seed loaf recipe dairy free?

Nearly all of my recipes are dairy-free and that's the case with the cake. I use neutral oil and an milk alternative as it's source of fat. Meaning you won't have to make any changes to this recipe for our dairy-free friends.

Can I make this sour almond poppy seed loaf recipe vegan?

I haven't made this gluten-free and dairy-free sour almond loaf vegan but you could experiment with swapping out the egg for Oggs egg replacement. However, as this is a switch I haven't tried my self the results my be different.

How do I store this sour almond poppy seed loaf?

To keep them fresh: I recommend storing this gluten and dairy-free sour almond loaf in an air-tight container for up to three days.

Can I freeze this sour almond poppy seed loaf?

You can freeze this cake for up to a month, it best to freeze it in slices. I recommend letting it defrost at room temperature for several hours before eating.

Recipe

Here's my recipe for this highly moreish, gluten and dairy-free sour almond poppy seed loaf with just the right amount of sweet and sour.

Serving 10 large cookies

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 10-12 minutes

Special Equipment

Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachment
A 23 x 13 cm loaf tin

Ingredients

200g gluten-free plain white flour
25g almond flour
1 lemon zested
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
200g white caster sugar
2 large eggs, gentle whisked
3/4 cups of almond milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Almond Lemon Glaze

45g icing sugar
25ml lemon juice
1/4 vanilla extract
1/4 almond extract

Method

Preheat oven to 160°c and line a loaf tray with grease-proof paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all your dry ingredients; flour, almond flour, lemon zest, poppy seed, baking powder, and salt.
Add the 200g of sugar and mixed everything by hand.
Next pour in all you room temperature wet ingredients; eggs, milk, neutral oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Mix on low speed until everything has started to form into a smooth batter.
Then increase the speed to medium-high and although to mix for 2 minutes to create a thicker batter.
Once the batter has thickened, pour into the loaf tin.
Put in the oven for 50 - 60 minutes. When golden brown and a clean tooth pick comes out, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
To make the icing. Put all the ingredients into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix on low until the icing sugar has almost completely dissolved.
Once the loaf has cooled down, using a toothpick prick several holes in the top of the cake. Drizzle the icing all over the cake and allow to dried before serving.
Once the icing has hardened sliced the cake and serve.

For more gluten and dairy-free cake recipe visit proudlyglutenfree.com