From zesty lemon meringue flan to a decadent berry and brownie cheesecake, these fruity cake recipes won’t disappoint when the craving hits! 

Lemon meringue flan 

Serves 8 // Cooking Time 40 minutes + cooling time

Ingredients 

2 cups sugar
1 cup cornflakes
2 × 385g tin condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
4 eggs, separated
Dried lemon slices, to decorate 

Method 

For the cornflake-brittle base 

1. Grease a baking tray.
2. Cook 1 cup sugar in a pot over low heat until melted, then stir in the cornflakes.
3. Pour the mixture onto the baking tray. Leave to cool.

For the flan 

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a flan mould or cake tin.
2. Whisk together the condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks to make lemon curd.
3. Pour the lemon curd over the cornflake-brittle base and cover with foil.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until almost set. Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the meringue 

1. Place remaining 1 cup sugar in a pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling until it is completely melted and boiling.
2. Whip the egg whites until they reach ribbon stage (just before stiff-peak stage).
3. Slowly drizzle in the still-boiling sugar while beating the egg whites. The heat will cook the egg and turn the meringue mixture glossy.
4. Spread over the cooled lemon curd. Brown with a blowtorch or pop under the grill for a few minutes. Decorate with dried lemon slices.

Recipes & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen 

 

Date swirl granadilla ‘cheesecake’ 

Serves 8 // Cooking Time 90 min

Ingredients 

For the filling 

180g raw cashews
1 tin full-fat coconut cream
100g tofu
1½ tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup honey or golden syrup
1 cup coconut oil, melted
Juice and zest of 1 lemon 
Pinch salt  

For the crust 

¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
¾ cup peanuts
200g pitted dates
Pinch salt 
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1–2 tbsp hot water 

For granadilla topping 

2 gelatin sheets
200ml granadilla pulp
50g sugar 

Method 

1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave uncovered for 1 hour, then drain.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a standard cake tin with parchment paper.
3. To make the crust, place oats, peanuts, dates and salt in a blender and mix until the mixture is a fine breadcrumb texture. Add coconut oil and hot water until the mixture has a cookie dough consistency.
4. Transfer the mixture to the lined cake tin. Spread it out evenly and press down firmly.
5. To make the filling, add the soaked cashews to a blender with the coconut cream, tofu, cornflour, vanilla, honey, coconut oil, lemon juice and zest, and salt and blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Pour the filling over the crust and spread into an even layer.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges look dry but the centre is still a little jiggly. 
8. Allow the cake to cool in the oven, then refrigerate for 4–5 hours.
9. 9. To make the granadilla topping, bloom the gelatin by placing the sheets in cold water for 3
10. 10. Place the granadilla pulp and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. 
11. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add in the gelatin and cook for another 2 minutes, or until dissolved.
12. Allow to cool before pouring evenly over the cheesecake.

Recipe & Styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za  

 

Berry and brownie cheesecake 

Serves 12 // Cooking Time 1 hour  50 minutes + overnight

Ingredients 

For the brownie base 

100g 70% dark chocolate
3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp xylitol
1 egg
1 cup almond flour
1 cup sunflower seeds, ground
2 Tbsp cocoa powder 

For the filling 

4 eggs
900g cream cheese
1½ cups sour cream
¼ cup xylitol
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla essence 

For the berry compote 

200g frozen berries
2 Tbsp xylitol 

Method  

For the brownie base 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Microwave the chocolate and the coconut oil together, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
3. Whisk in the xylitol and egg. Add the almond flour, ground sunflower seeds and cocoa.
4. Press into a 20cm springform cake tin and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin.

For the filling 

1. Beat the eggs into the cream cheese, one at a time, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
2. Pour filling into base and put on the centre oven rack with a pan of water on the rack below. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 3 hours. 
4. Remove from oven and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

For the berry compote 

1. Place berries and xylitol in a pot over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to a thick syrup.
2. Allow to cool, then drizzle over the cheesecake.

Recipes analyzed by: Jenny Meyer
Photography: HMimages.co.za 

  

Chocolate lava cakes topped with cherries 

Makes 4 // Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients 

130g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
75g butter
120g eggs, plus 40g yolk (±4 eggs)
65g golden caster sugar
30g flour
Cherries, for serving  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Grease 4 small round moulds or pudding basins with butter and flour.
3. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl. Melt over a pot of simmering water. Place the bowl on the pot, making sure it fits snugly and that bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir regularly until melted.
4. Add the eggs, sugar and flour to the chocolate mixture. Whisk together until shiny.
5. Pour the batter into the moulds and bake for 10–12 minutes.
6. Turn the lava cakes out of the moulds and serve with cherries.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli