Pistachio and Strawberry Rose Meringue Cake

This stunning cake is the ideal centerpiece for a girly afternoon tea in the sunshine. Serve with beautiful rose champagne, and make sure you have lots of hungry guests with a sweet tooth. The lightness of this cake is perfect for warmer weather or a wedding celebration. The pictured cake was made by my talented friend Georgie, who has a cupcake and sweet business in Brisbane called Narnies Cupcakes. She can make an array of gorgeous treats, including macarons of all colours and flavours, beautiful wedding cakes and cupcakes, and can cater to your personal preferences and occasion.

Skinny Sugar-free Cinnamon Tea Cake

This is a very simple recipe and makes the most delicious buttery cake with simple but beautifully matched flavours. I replaced sugar in the recipe with Natvia stevia sweetener. Cinnamon on the palate is also associated with sweetness and can mimic the taste of sugar in your mouth.

Skinny Sugar-free Gluten-free Butterfly Cakes

The perfect treat at an afternoon tea, butterfly cakes are dainty and sweet, and are always a crowd pleaser. These sponge cakes are made without gluten or sugar yet stay fluffy and moist. To keep the cakes completely allergy free, the berry centre is made with blueberry flavored CoYo, spiked with some Chambord liquor.

Skinny Butterfly Cakes
120 calories per cupcake

Ingredients:

• 100gm (2/3 cup) gluten-free plain flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup of Natvia sweetener (stevia sweetener powder)
• 50 gm butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large tub of blueberry CoYo (coconut milk yoghurt)
• 2 tablespoons of Chambord or raspberry liquor

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners. Sieve the flour and baking powder twice into a bowl and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sweetener until pale and creamy, and doubled in size (about 5 - 8 minutes).
3. Gently fold the flour mixture into the eggs and sweetener until combined. Add in the melted butter and fold again until incorporated.
4. Divide the mixture amongst the 12 cupcake liner; the mixture should come to just over 3/4 full. Don't fill the cupcake to the brim on the liners as they will rise.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until risen and golden.
6. Take out of oven and let cool in tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.
7. Once cooled, use a small sharp knife the cut out a dome shape in the centre of the cakes. Cut this small piece of cake into two to use later.
8. Transfer the CoYo into a bowl and mix together with liquor.
9. Fill each cake cut-out with the CoYo and top with remaining cake pieces to form the butterfly.
10. Dust with natural icing sugar before serving. 

Gluten and Sugar Free Protein Cakes

These cakes are so moist and delicious, I couldn't have been happier with the results. They are beautiful as a muffin, toasted as an english muffin or served warm with co yo ice-cream and sugar-free maple syrup for dessert. Made with really clean ingredients, this is an excellent skinny sweet, which is free from gluten, any added sugar and packed with protein and healthy fats.

Vegan power porridge

This simple yet satisfyingly delicious breakfast will give you an extra push to get out of bed on a cold winter morning. Easy to make, you can toss a few ingredients together to make a celebratory breakfast any day of the week. Full on nutrients and fuel for your day ahead, this morning meal is one of my absolute favourites.

A Simple Brunch - Egg and Bacon Cups

I love making bacon and eggs as a treat on the weekends, but if you are catering for more than two, the thought of multitasking poaching eggs and grilling bacon for a crowd can make you want to crawl back into bed. If you would rather spend your morning enjoying the sunlight and chatting with your companions, this recipe is perfect for you. Within a few minutes, your breakfast will be all prepared, and you can sit and relax while the cooking part takes care of itself. Serve your cute egg cups with whatever accompaniments you like; I picked some beautifully ripe baby tomatoes, and gluten-free English muffins that were topped with mashed avocado, Himalayan sea salt and continental parsley.

Banana and Chia Seed Protein Cookies (gluten and sugar free)

This recipe makes delicious sweet and moist cookies that are filled with healthy goodies like omega fats, protein and important vitamins and minerals. Not only are these cookies packed with protein, they are bursting with potassium, which reduces lactic acid, improving your strength endurance and recovery time. You only need a few ingredients and the biscuits are very easy to make. If you don't have a cookie cutter, just roll portions of the dough into a ball and flatten before baking.