Flourless Baking

If you’ve run out or are struggling to get hold of flour, don’t despair – you can still bake! A few clever ingredient swaps or a different method can result in some beautiful cakes, desserts and savoury treats. Here’s a selection of recipes to try which don’t need any flour at all

CAKES

Serve these as teatime treats or with Greek yogurt, crème fraîche or ice cream as dessert

Flourless chocolate ‘cloud’ cake with whipped cream and raspberries

A moist and squidgy chocolate cake which relies on whisked eggs to lighten it

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Martha Collison’s polenta cake

Polenta cakes made with polenta and ground nuts and drizzled with a syrup, make beautifully moist, dense cakes

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Spiced orange and almond cake

Easy peelers aren’t just for snacks. Cook whole and whiz into a puree, then add into the cake mix

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MERINGUE

Whisked egg whites with sugar can be transformed into meringues and pavlovas, ready to serve filled with whipped cream and berries or piped into discs and layered with cream and fruit to stack as layered cakes

Meringue kisses

Strawberry and hazelnut meringue cake

Martha's giant rippled meringues

Mixed berry and lemon pavlova

COOK'S TIP: Vary the flavours

Swirl cocoa powder into the meringue mixture just before spooning onto the baking sheet, fold in ground almonds or hazelnuts for a nutty pavlova, or add lemon zest for a fruity twist. For colourful meringues, paint your piping bag with stripes of gel food colouring before adding the meringue mixture