Pineapple and Ginger Cake
This is a gluten free and lactose free cake which is excellent for people with those types of allergies/intolerance. The cake is moist and quite dense and becomes quite dark on top. I sometimes decorate the cake with orange slices or pineapple rings which looks very good. If you are not a fan of tofu, you won't need to worry about noticing any "tofu taste" as my brothers call it, it blends well into the other ingredients. The cake is packed with protein, calcium and vitamins. The pineapple is also excellent for the digestive system. I find this the perfect cake to enjoy at a picknick (which is actually quite difficult in Iceland because you have to weigh everything down, otherwise everything will blow out to sea).
You will need a food processor to make this recipe. You will also need a small spring form cake tin, 21 centimetres (8.3 inches) and 5 centimetres (2 inches) deep.

A very nice cake I often make for myself, even if I am not gluten intolerant!
This recipe is:
- Gluten free
- Lactose (dairy) free
Pineapple and Ginger Cake
Ingredients
- 325 grams (11¾ oz) pineapple (weight measured before preparation), trimmed and chopped
- 20 grams (¾ oz) fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 100 grams (3½ oz) Brazil nuts, ground in a food processor
- 100 grams (3½ oz) macadamia nuts ground in a food processor
- 100 grams (3½ oz) almonds, ground in a food processor
- 125 grams (4¼ oz) potato flour
- 150 grams (5¼ oz) Rapadura (or other raw cane sugar)
- 150 grams (5¼ oz) tofu (firm), excess water squeezed out
- 4 eggs (please use free range eggs)
- 2 egg whites (please use free range eggs)
- 2 oranges (zest only)
- 1½ teaspoon aluminium free and gluten free baking powder
Preparation
- To peel the 325 grams pineapple, place it base side down and carefully slice off the skin, carving out any remaining hard "eyes" with the tip of your knife. Then cut the pineapple into quarters, remove the core (hard part in the middle) and cut the pineapple into the large pieces.
- Peel the 20 grams of ginger (the skin is very thin, you can scrape it off with a teaspoon or a small knife) and chop finely.
- Grate or zest the 2 oranges finely. Be careful only to include the outer layer (orange part) as the soft, white part/pith is very bitter.
- Place the 100 grams Brazil nuts, 100 grams macadamia nuts and 100 grams almonds in a food processor. Blend for 20 seconds or until the nuts become finely ground. You might need to scrape the insides of the bowl and blend for a further 10 seconds.
- Add the 125 grams potato flour and blend for 5 seconds.
- Add the orange zest and continue blending for 5 seconds.
- Transfer to a large bowl.
- With a kitchen towel, squeeze any excess liquid from the 150 grams tofu.
- Break the tofu into small pieces and transfer to the large bowl.
- Transfer the ginger, pineapple and the 150 grams raw cane sugar into the food processor and mix for 10 seconds. The texture should resemble marmalade. Pour into the large bowl (containing the tofu and nuts) and with a large wooden spoon, combine everything.
- In a small bowl, whip together the 2 egg whites and the 4 eggs (using a fork). Transfer to the large bowl and mix everything well together.
- Line a small spring form cake tin, 21 centimetres (8.3 inches) and 5 centimetres (2 inches) deep with baking parchment.
- Pour batter into the cake tin. The batter will be very runny but don't worry, it will become more solid once baked.
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius/350 Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 4, for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- You can tell if the cake is ready when sticking a sharp knife into the middle. If it comes out clean, it is ready. I prefer the loaf a little sticky however so it might not be completely ready in 1 hour and 20 minutes, bake for longer if you prefer.
Tips
- You can use tinned pineapple if you prefer, just make sure it is organic (without added sugar or any preservatives/additives).
- You can use maple syrup instead of the agave nectar.
- If the cake is not ready after 1 hour and 20 minutes, cover with tin foil and bake for 10-20 more minutes.
- Serve the cake with whipped soy cream (or regular cream).
- You can use regular baking powder instead of the aluminium and gluten free one.
- You can use hazelnuts instead of the Brazil nuts if you prefer.
- The easiest method for dividing eggs into egg yolks and whites is to crack the egg so that the yolk sits in one side of the shell. Then pour the yolk into your other hand, cradling the yolk in your fingers. The white should run safely away from the yolk. This might require some practise. It usually takes around 4-5 seconds for the whites to fully drip into the bowl. You can freeze the yolks for later use.