Don't Sweat the Aubergine

sponge by substituting gluten-free equivalents in the above recipes. Gluten-free flour and xanthan gum (which supplies the binding qualities of gluten) produce cakes with powdery textures , I find. Other cooks, specialists in this field, use combinations of flours to come closer to the ideal, more crumbly sponge; but if I want a gluten-free cake, I prefer to turn to recipes that work in their own right.
ALMOND CAKE
----
HOW TO MAKE IT
----
    This is a slight adaptation of a recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The chief difference is that I prefer to use two lemons rather than one – the flavour can seem a little dry otherwise.
    8 egg yolks 5
    250g caster sugar
    1 tsp vanilla essence
    Zest of 2 lemons 9
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    300g ground almonds
    6 egg whites 5
    Icing sugar
    Heat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C, and put in a baking sheet. Line and grease a 20cm springform cake tin. 2
    Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy (see Genoese sponge, here ). Stir in the vanilla, lemon zest and cinnamon. Fold in the ground almonds.
    Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. 6 Add about a third of them to lighten the batter. Now you can fold in the remainder of the whites without having to thrash the air out of them.
    Scrape the batter into the cake tin. Bake, on the baking sheet (which helps to convey the heat), for 40 to 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    Drop the cake tin from a height of about 30cm on to a hard surface. 7 Allow the cake to cool before turning it out. 8 Dust it with icing sugar, if you like.
LEMON POLENTA CAKE
    This cake is given a lift by baking powder rather than by egg foam. Gluten-free baking powders are available.
----
HOW TO MAKE IT
----
    225g butter
    225g caster sugar
    3 eggs
    200g ground almonds
    125g quick-cook polenta
    1 tsp baking powder
    1 tsp vanilla essence
    2 lemons – zest and juice 9
    Set the oven to gas mark 4/180°C. Line and grease a 20cm springform cake tin. 2
    Cream the butter and sugar. 3 Add the eggs, and stir in the almonds, polenta, baking powder, vanilla and lemon.
    Scrape this batter into the tin. Bake, on the baking sheet (which helps to convey the heat), for 40 to 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    It is especially important to let this cake cool before you turn it out. It will be quite crumbly until then.
Custard puddings
CUSTARD
----
HOW TO MAKE IT
----
    As an accompaniment to puddings for 4 to 6 people
    1/2 vanilla pod, or 1 tsp vanilla essence
    150ml milk
    150ml double cream
    3 egg yolks 1
    2 tbsp, or about 30g, caster sugar 2
    Slit the vanilla pod lengthways with a sharp knife; scrape the seeds into the milk and cream. Warm the milk and cream with the pod and seeds in a saucepan until bubbles appear; turn off the heat, cover the pan, and leave for 20 minutes. 3 Lift out the pod. Return the pan to a simmer.
    Or, if using vanilla essence: bring the milk/cream and vanilla essence to a simmer.
    Beat the egg yolks and the sugar. Pour a little hot milk into the mixture, whisking; 4 then a little more; then tip this mixture back into the saucepan. Over the gentlest heat, stir the custard until it starts to thicken; remove it from the heat immediately, and pour into a warm, but not hot, jug. 5
    Serve right away, or keep the custard covered in the fridge, where it will thicken, to serve cold.
----
WHY YOU DO IT
----
    1 • Yolks only . They will produce a richer custard than would whole eggs. You’ll need three yolks, at least, to set as much custard as you would with two whole eggs. For advice on separating eggs, see point 5, here .
    2 • How much sugar? Recipes vary wildly. Of course, it’s a matter of taste.
    3 • Infusion time . To let the vanilla flavour the milk and cream. If you want a milder vanilla flavour, without the seeds in the milk, drop in the whole pod without slitting it; you’ll probably be able to use it again. If you don’t want vanilla seeds in your custard, pour the milk and cream – after the infusion process – into another pan through a sieve.
    4 • Milk into eggs . Put the hot liquid into the cold liquid, so that the volume of the cold liquid is greater, and whisk all the time to distribute the heat. That way, you avoid making runny scrambled egg rather than custard. If you put the eggs into the simmering milk, they will get a sudden exposure to boiling heat, and curdle. (Similar considerations – along with ones of social status – inform the decision about whether to