Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free Glazed Strawberry Cake


I dreamed this cake up yesterday while the sun was shining. I've had strawberries on my mind for several days. It started when a friend replied to my request for inspiration... so here you go, Samantha!

The finished product wasn't exactly as I had imagined it. It's much more dense than I was anticipating. But I think that is actually a GOOD thing. I stashed the glazed cake in the fridge, and it's even more tasty now that it's cold.

My favorite part of the recipe is that it calls for actual strawberries. When I was working out the details of my experimental recipe, I googled around a bit and found that many, many strawberry cake recipes call for packages of Jell-O and other strange ingredients.

Anyway--enough chatter! Here's how to make a cake of your own:

You'll Need:
For Cake:
3 Eggs
1/2 Cup Almond Milk {or rice milk}
3/4 Cup Strawberry Puree {wash and trim your berries, then pulse in a food processor}
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Red Food Color {completely optional, of course}
1 3/4 Cups GF All Purpose Flour {I used Bob's Red Mill}*
1/4 Cup Cornstarch*
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp. Salt
2/3 Cup Earth Balance

For Glaze:
1/4 Cup Earth Balance {melted, but not boiling}
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Almond Milk

To Make:
For Cake:
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, almond milk, strawberry puree, vanilla, and food color, if using. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
Run your mixer on low to combine the dry ingredients.
With the mixer running, drop in small chunks of Earth Balance. Combine so that you wind up with a chunky, sandy mixture. Be careful not to over-mix. It should be lumpy and bumpy!
Again with the mixer running on medium speed, add about 1/2 of the strawberry mixture. Combine well, then turn up the speed a bit so that you "whip" the batter a bit. This will give you cake a bit of fluff.
Turn the mixer up just a bit higher, pour in the remaining strawberry mixture, mix briefly, and then turn off the mixer.
Divide the batter into two 8-inch round cake pans that have been greased {I use Spectrum Shortening} and lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for several minutes in the pan, and then, when you can handle the pans, turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool.

For Glaze:
Combine the glaze ingredients in a medium bowl {remember to melt the Earth Balance}, and whisk to incorporate.
Place one cake round on a dish, spread of a bit of glaze on the top, and then stack the second layer on top.
Pour the remaining glaze on the top of the cake, using a spatula to coax a bit of the glaze over the edges if necessary.


Notes:
It is not necessary to let your cakes cool completely, but keep in mind that a very warm cake will result in more glaze pooling around the bottom of the cake.
I haven't tried it personally, but while we were eating our treat, we decided a layer of sliced strawberries between the two cakes would have been a yummy addition. I'd love to know if you give this a try!


*Did you know?! By combining Corn Starch and AP Flour, you're creating Cake Flour. Since GF Cake Flour isn't readily available on the market, subbing two Tablespoons of Corn Starch per cup of AP GF Flour works just the same.


I shared this recipe on... Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays

13 comments:

  1. What a delicious and gorgeous looking cake!

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  2. Oh, this looks delicious. I bet you could use a little beet juice to color it too.

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  3. You sure could! That'd be a great, more natural option to the red food color :)

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  4. Absolutely mouth-watering! The picture alone makes us want to create this beautiful cake! Our favorite part? Not only is it gluten free but also dairy and soy free! Great job with this creation, we look forward to more!

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  5. Gluten, Dairy, and Soy Free is the way to be! ;) ...thanks for the sweet comment, Melaina!

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  6. This looks like a great option for a first birthday cake! If I use regular cake flour, do I use the same amount as GF flour or GF plus cornstarch?
    How do you think your buttercream icing would go with the strawberry cake? I thought it might look a little more festive for the one year old cake dive in. Thanks!

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  7. Hi Lauren! You're right--what a fun first birthday cake! If you use regular CAKE flour, then no, you do not need to add the corn starch. Cake flour is flour plus corn starch :) ...if you use regular all-purpose flour, then add the corn starch. So, to reiterate, TWO cups of cake flour, or 1 3/4 Cups AP Flour plus 1/4 Cup cornstarch.

    If you need extra information on using "regular" ingredients in my recipes, there is a post here: http://www.dandelionsonthewall.com/2012/06/mainstream-substitutes-for-allergy.html

    ...and finally, yes! I've made this with buttercream instead of the glaze, and it's delish!

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  8. Do you think I could use canned coconut milk instead of almond or rice milk?

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    1. I think so. It might make the cake a bit more rich, but that's not a bad thing, right? :)

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  9. this looks great! Any thoughts on how to make the glaze without the powdered sugar?

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    1. Actually, yes! Adrienne, from Whole New Mom, has a post that might interest you :)

      http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/how-to-make-powdered-sugar-powdered-sugar-substitute/

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  10. I just made a batch of the cupcakes today, following the recipe exactly: they are FABULOUS! I also used the glaze recipe as a base, and ended up whipping it with some of the leftover strawberry puree, and had to add some more confectioner's sugar and a couple tablespoons of coconut oil to firm it up. Decadent and satisfying dessert, perfect for summer!

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  11. I made this last night and it's delicious! I made cupcakes and the only thing I changed was the glaze. I left the Earth Balance cold so it would be thicker like a frosting and used the strawberry puree leftovers with just a tiny bit of almond milk needed. Delish! Thanks for the recipe!

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