This gluten free strawberry shortcake cake is a enjoyable tackle the basic dessert, with an impossibly tender vanilla cake, a thick layer of recent whipped cream, and naturally loads of recent strawberries.
Probably the most tender vanilla cake made with butter and a contact of oil is sturdy sufficient to carry all these strawberries, their juice, and fluffy whipped cream.
My take
Nicole’s Recipe Notes
I like the berries and cream flavors of basic gluten free strawberry shortcake a lot and wished to have the ability to serve it as a correct birthday cake. This recipe makes the right present stopper dessert for a crowd.
I might have used the identical recipe as our basic gluten free vanilla cake that is appeared at numerous weddings and birthday events through the years (to rave evaluations each time!). However that cake has a extra delicate, open crumb, good for fluffy vanilla buttercream.
Right here, I wished an much more tender however barely dense cake with a velvet clean crumb. So I added some oil to the butter, for a cake that’s steady sufficient to carry tons of strawberry juice, whipped cream, and berries.
For the reason that cake itself would not have any strawberry taste, not like our gluten free strawberry cupcakes, we begin by mixing sliced strawberries with sugar and a little bit of vinegar. The berries launch tons of their juice that we pour on prime of the cooled cake, and have tons of strawberry taste and aroma.
substitutions
Substances and substitutions
For the total ingredient checklist for the cake, strawberries and whipped cream, please see the recipe card. Listed here are some notes on elements and the way you would possibly keep away from different allergens:
- Dairy: This cake is made with complete milk and butter, and each add richness and tenderness. If you’ll want to make it dairy-free, attempt vegan butter (Miyoko’s Kitchen & Soften manufacturers work finest) and unsweetened unflavored nondairy milk like almond milk or Ripple unsweetened milk. Coconut milk within the carton (not the can) ought to work effectively, too). For the whipped cream, you possibly can attempt utilizing chilled coconut cream or one of many new dairy free whipping lotions.
- Eggs: You will want 1 complete egg and 1 egg white for this cake. To make the cake egg-free, for the entire egg, you possibly can attempt a “flax” or “chia” egg, or Bob’s Pink Mill egg replacer. For the egg white, attempt unsalted aquafaba, or the brine from a can of chickpeas. You may as well attempt 1 1/2 of your favourite egg replacer, too.
- Gluten free flour: I’ve made this cake with Nicole’s Finest and Higher Batter’s unique mix. It could additionally work effectively with my mock Cup4Cup or my mock Higher Batter. If you would like to attempt utilizing Bob’s Pink Mill, it would not comprise sufficient xanthan gum for the cake to not crumble, so attempt including one other 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dry elements.
- Oil: Any impartial oil will work, like canola, vegetable, peanut, avocado, or grapeseed. I do not advocate utilizing all oil as a substitute of a mixture of butter and oil, or the cake will style (and odor) oily.
- Sugar: The cake requires 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, and the strawberries for 1/4 cup. You may attempt changing it with a granulated sugar various like Lankato monkfruit sweetener. You may as well attempt decreasing the sugar the cake by about 25 grams and it ought to nonetheless work. I do not advocate swapping in a liquid sweetener right here.
- Vinegar: Including a little bit of white balsamic or white wine vinegar to the strawberries helps draw out their moisture. As an alternative, you possibly can add a splash of salt to the strawberries with the sugar.
My Professional Tip
Skilled ideas
Sift the flour
Like with our gluten free angel meals cake, it is so vital to the feel of this cake that you just sift your the flour mix to ensure the rise is even and the cake is lighter. Because it’s the primary ingredient within the cake, you possibly can simply sift it proper into the blending bowl.
Use softer butter
We’re utilizing the “reverse cream methodology” to make this cake, which simply implies that we whisk collectively the dry elements (together with sugar), after which beat softened butter (and oil) in to create a velvety cake that has a considerably denser crumb.
To ensure that the butter mixes simply into the flour, be sure that yours is a bit softer than the non-greasy butter we often want if we’re beating it first with sugar. If you wish to be actually exact, a temperature of about 75°F on an immediate learn thermometer is simply good.
Stop your display from going darkish
Put together the strawberries
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In a medium-size bowl, place the sliced strawberries and sprinkle the granulated sugar and (non-obligatory) vinegar on prime. Toss gently to mix with out crushing any strawberries.
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Enable the combination to sit down whilst you make the cake so the strawberries launch their juices.
Put together the cake
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch spherical cake pan and line the underside with a spherical of parchment paper (hint the perimeter of the pan on the parchment, then reduce out the circle). Set the pan apart.
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In a big measuring cup or medium-size bowl, place the egg, egg white, milk, and vanilla. Whisk to mix very effectively, and put aside.
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Into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a big mixing bowl with a handheld mixer), sift (sure, it’s a must to sift!) the gluten free flour mix.
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To the blending bowl, add the xanthan gum (if wanted), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and whisk to mix effectively.
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Add the butter and oil to the big mixing bowl, and blend on medium velocity till the combination seems uniformly sandy (about 2 minutes). Cease the mixer just a few instances to scrape down the edges to ensure all the flour will get moistened by the butter and oil.
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With the mixer on low velocity, add the whisked moist elements.
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As soon as the moist elements have been added, enhance the mixer velocity to medium and beat till the combination appears principally uniform (about 2 minutes). Utilizing a silicone spatula, flip over the batter just a few instances by hand.
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The batter must be fluffy and comparatively clean, though just a few lumps are tremendous. Don’t overmix the batter in an try and make it completely clean. It is going to be thickly pourable.
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Switch the batter to the ready pan, and clean into an excellent layer with an offset spatula. Bang the underside of the pan flat on the counter just a few instances to interrupt any massive air bubbles.
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Place the baking pan within the heart of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan within the oven 180°, and scale back the oven temperature to 325°F.
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Proceed to bake at 325°F till the cake is flippantly golden brown throughout, has begun to tug away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out with no quite a lot of moist crumbs hooked up (at the least one other quarter-hour for an 8-inch cake, much less for a 9-inch cake).
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Take away the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Enable the cake to chill within the pan for quarter-hour on the rack earlier than turning it over onto the rack (and eradicating the parchment paper liner) and letting it cool utterly.
Put together the whipped cream
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Place the heavy whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar in a big mixing bowl or the clear bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
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Whip on medium-low velocity within the stand mixer or utilizing a handheld mixer till the cream simply begins to thicken. Enhance the mixer velocity to medium or medium-high and proceed to whip till the combination holds a stiff (however not dry) peak.
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Place the whipped cream within the fridge to sit back whilst you end the cake.
Serving: 1slice | Energy: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fats: 27g | Saturated Fats: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 0.2g | Ldl cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 899IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
Recipe variations
Since this recipe has 3 distinct elements, you possibly can mess around with flavors and textures fairly simply. Listed here are some concepts to get you began:
Frosting concepts
There are about as many recipes for gluten free frosting as there are flavors you possibly can think about. Strive utilizing a basic vanilla buttercream recipe and including a layer of chopped strawberries on prime. Or add some strawberry jelly to the buttercream (use jam should you desire some strawberry items).
You may as well use a stabilized whipped cream as a substitute of standard whipped cream so you possibly can maintain the cake out at room temperature for longer.
Completely different fruits
Instead of strawberries, you should utilize a unique fruit. Raspberries can be the best swap, since they will launch juice as they sit with the sugar and vinegar. You may as well attempt blueberries, however I’d brush the highest of the cake with blueberry and even apple jelly slightly than soaking the berries first. Ardour fruit or kiwi would most likely additionally work, or a mixture of various fruits.
Make a layer cake
You may as well double the yield of the recipe (to 16 slices) and divide the cake batter equally into 2 separate 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. Then, observe the instructions as written, besides use fewer strawberries within the heart. Then, layer the second cake on prime of the a few of the strawberries, and prime with whipped cream and extra strawberries.
FAQs
I would not advocate making this cake in a loaf pan. If you would like a vanilla cake that is in a loaf form, do that gluten free pound cake recipe.
It is best to have the ability to make this recipe into 12 cupcakes, pour strawberry juice on prime after they’ve cooled, then prime with whipped cream and berries. I feel they need to take about 22 minutes to bake at 350°F, however I can not make sure. I’d chop the strawberries slightly than slicing them, although, to suit extra on every cupcake. Or you can use our gluten free cupcakes recipe as a substitute and use the identical toppings.
make forward/leftovers
Storage directions
As soon as you’ve got assembled the cake by including the strawberry juice, plus the whipped cream and strawberries, the cake is finest served the identical day. You may refrigerate the cake, as assembled, to maintain the whipped cream from melting. Simply let it come again to room temperature earlier than serving.
The plain vanilla cake will be made, cooled and wrapped tightly, then saved for as much as 1 day on the counter, 3 days within the fridge, or as much as 2 months within the freezer. If frozen, defrost at room temperature earlier than ending the cake.
