Gluten Free Lemon Vanilla Cake
If you love strawberry shortcake then you need to try this gluten free lemon vanilla cake topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.
Gluten Free Lemon Vanilla Cake: A Bite of Summertime
Part of what makes this vanilla cake so special is the way it captures the flavors of summertime.
The freshly whipped cream has a lighter feel than frosting and the strawberries tossed in sugar and lemon juice give a bite of acidity that balances the sweetness. Lemon zest is baked into the cake and sprinkled lightly on top of the whipped cream to really highlight that real lemon essence.
My favorite part? This cake doesn’t require any extravagant cake making skills. Simply bake the cake, whip the cream, toss the strawberries, and layer! It’s much less intimidating than frosting and decorating a cake and works perfectly for summer birthdays.
It’s Strawberry Season!!!
While this is a gluten free lemon vanilla cake, I would be ignoring the elephant in the room if I didn’t address the real star of this dessert, the strawberries.
It’s June and my favorite fruits are just starting to come into season here in Oregon. Chances are, if you’re living in the Pacific Northwest like me, there’s a strawberry farm, produce stand, or grocery story somewhere nearby selling LOCAL berries!
Get out there and find yourself some ripe, local, strawberries and enjoy them while the time is here. They are spectacular on their own, with a bowl of whipped cream, or on top of this epic cake.
Baking Essentials:
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
- Parchment Paper Rounds – these are a life saver with any kind of cake making!
Gluten Free Lemon Vanilla Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
If you love strawberry shortcake then you need to try this gluten free lemon vanilla cake topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 tbsp butter (to grease the pan)
- 1/2 cup butter (I use salted)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cups gluten free flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup milk
For the Topping:
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups strawberries
- 1 lemon (juiced)
Instructions
- Set your butter on the counter top a few hours before you start baking.
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease the walls of an 8 inch round cake pan and line with a round cut piece of parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar. Add lemon zest, eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
- In a smaller bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and slowly blend into the larger mixing bowl. Do not over mix. Fold in the milk just until combined evenly. It will be thicker than normal cake batter.
- Pour into your cake pan, leveling out the thick batter with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center of the cake.
- Cool for 1 hour. Move to wire racks and cool for another hour.
- Make the whipped cream. Beat together heavy cream, half of the sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Hull the strawberries and toss with remaining sugar and lemon juice.
- Top the cake with whipped cream and berries. Enjoy!
