Cooking and Serving: 85 minutes | 8 slices layer cake
Ingredients
Why this recipe works | How to make gluten free strawberry cake | Ingredient substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 85 minutes | Servings: 8 slices layer cake
Ingredients
Why this recipe works
How to make gluten free strawberry cake
Expert tips
Ingredient substitutions
Storage suggestions
Strawberry syrup – A homemade smooth, jammy syrup made of strawberries and
Milk – Adds richness, a predictable amount of moisture, and brings the cake
Gluten free flour – Provides the cake’s main structure, absorbs moisture and
1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum since that blend contains too little.
Baking powder & soda – Helps the cake rise in the oven and brown.
Salt – Balances sweetness and enhances other flavors.
Butter – Adds buttery flavor and richness, and adds some leavening to the
Oil – Adds moisture and tenderness, even when the cake is chilled in the
Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness, and locks in moisture for a tender crumb.
Eggs – The whole eggs bind the cake together; the extra egg white helps
Vanilla – Adds depth of flavor and some complexity to this sweet, tender
Gel food coloring – Deep pink or red gel food coloring keeps the cake from
Instructions
Baked cake layers in pans cooling on a wire rack
cake layers in pans cooling on a wire rack.
Be sure to cool the cakes completely before decorating, or the warmth from the.
cakes will melt the frosting. Trim off any dome on the baked cakes to level them.
You’ll need 5 to 6 cups of frosting for an 8-inch layer cake. Place 1/3 of the.
frosting between the layers, and turn each layer upside down for a flat, uniform.
I made a classic white buttercream with 16 tablespoons of butter and.
confectioners’ sugar, and added freeze-dried strawberry powder for flavor. You.
can also just Betty Crocker gluten free strawberry frosting, or add the same.
strawberry powder to a can of white frosting.
Single cake layer topped with a mound of pink frosting on a round metal.
cake layer topped with a mound of pink frosting on a round metal turntable.
Two stacked cake layers with frosting between them on a metal turntable.
stacked cake layers with frosting between them on a metal turntable.
Top view of cake covered in an even layer of pink frosting.
view of cake covered in an even layer of pink frosting.
Frosted gluten free strawberry cake topped with a layer of bright red powder.
gluten free strawberry cake topped with a layer of bright red powder.
KEEP THE CAKE RED
Baked goods made with strawberries tend to look gray when baked because the.
pigment that makes them red becomes inactive when the cake isn’t acidic enough,.
and during baking. To preserve color and avoid a gray cake, add some pink or red.
gel food coloring. Otherwise, try adding some fresh lemon juice to the puree.
during cooking to help preserve the color.
MAKE THE SYRUP AHEAD
The strawberry syrup takes some time to cook, strain, and reduce. I like to make.
it up to 1 week ahead of time and store it in a sealed glass container in the.
refrigerator. It makes the cake baking process so much faster. Let it come to.
room temperature before baking with it.
AVOID REGULAR DRIED STRAWBERRIES
Dried strawberries are like raisins, which are partially dehydrated fruits. We.
use whole strawberries (fresh or frozen) to make the strawberry syrup, and.
freeze-dried strawberries for the frosting. Freeze-dried fruits are crunchy and.
dry after having their moisture entirely removed Trader Joe’s, and they’re also available in a store brand at Target and Whole.
Foods, and under various brand names on Amazon.
CONSIDER STORE-BOUGHT FROSTING.
Even though I’m a from-scratch baker all the way and homemade buttercream is.
delicious, canned frosting tastes great and is so easy. Duncan Hines and Simple.
Mills both make excellent gluten free strawberry-flavored frosting, and it saves.
you the trouble of sourcing and preparing the freeze-dried strawberries.
Whole cake covered in pink frosting and red powder, decorated with strawberry.
cake covered in pink frosting and red powder, decorated with strawberry slices.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS.
If you need to avoid allergens other than gluten, or you’d like to make a.
variation on this cake, here’s my best advice on how:.
DAIRY FREE
Instead of butter in the cake batter, try block-style vegan butter, like.
Miyoko’s Creamery, Melt, or Country Crock brand. Avoid the tub-style, which you.
can’t cream and is mostly oil. For the milk, use a plain, nondairy milk with a.
similar texture to cow’s milk, like soy milk or coconut milk in the carton.
For the butter in the frosting, I recommend butter-flavored Crisco or Spectrum.
brand shortening for a more authentic taste than vegan butter, but vegan butter.
EGG FREE
In place of the 3 whole eggs, I recommend adding 1/3 cup (47 grams) additional.
gluten free flour bend, 1/3 cup added (80 grams) plain yogurt (nondairy is.
fine), 1 more teaspoon baking powder, & 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. For the.
egg white, try 25 grams liquid aquafaba, or the brine from a can of chickpeas.
XANTHAN GUM
In place of 1 teaspoon xanthan gum if your flour blend doesn’t already contain.
it, try 2 1/2 teaspoons guar gum, 1 1/4 teaspoons konjac powder, or 5 teaspoons.
cellulose (or Perfect Gluten Replacement). For details on these replacements,.
please see our post on how to use a xanthan gum substitute.
STRAWBERRIES
If you’d like to make this cake with another fruit flavor, I’m sure raspberries.
or blueberries would work just as well. Make the fruit syrup with frozen or.
fresh berries, preparing it in the same way, and the frosting with freeze dried.
raspberries or blueberries.
Close-up of a back and side of single cake slice on a white plate, showing thick.
frosting and strawberry pieces along the side.
of a back and side of single cake slice on a white plate, showing thick frosting.
and strawberry pieces along the side.
GLUTEN FREE STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE
Prep Time: 35 minutes mins.
Cook Time: 50 minutes mins.
Cooling time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins.
Yield: 8 slices layer cake.
Two-layer pink frosted cake with two slices removed, topped with red powder and.
fresh strawberry slices.
pink frosted cake with two slices removed, topped with red powder and fresh.
This moist, tender gluten free strawberry cake uses frozen berries for a rich,.
flavorful syrup and a perfect crumb. Make it any month of the year, for any.
EQUIPMENT
Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld mixer.
Blender or food processor for grinding freeze-dried strawberries.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SYRUP
8 ounces frozen strawberries, you can also use fresh.
¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) lukewarm water.
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar.
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt.
FOR THE CAKE
3 cups (420 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend.
FOR THE CAKE
3 cups (420 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend.
Notes
* 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, (omit if your blend already contains it)
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* ⅔ teaspoon baking soda
* ½ teaspoon kosher salt
* ⅞ cup (7 fluid ounces) whole milk, at room temperature
* ¾ cup (215 g) reduced strawberry puree
* 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
* 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
* 4 tablespoons (56 g) neutral oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 large (200 g weighed out of shell) eggs, at room temperature (discard 1
* Pink gel food coloring, optional (I like Americolor brand “Deep Pink”
* 1 ounce (28 g) freeze-dried strawberries
* 16 tablespoons (224 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
* 4 cups (460 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more as necessary
* 3 tablespoons (1.5 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream, at room temperature,
plus more as necessary
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SYRUP
* Place the frozen strawberries, water, granulated sugar, and salt in a
medium-size, heavy bottom saucepan.
* Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until
the strawberries are very soft, and the mixture has just begun to thicken a
bit (about 5 minutes).
* If you have a stick blender, use it to puree the mixture completely while
it’s still in the saucepan. If not, allow the mixture to cool a bit and puree
it in a regular blender.
* Pass the mixture through a strainer or other sieve to remove the seeds.
* Place the puree in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat and bring
to a rolling boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced (about 15 minutes). The syrup should be very thick and much darker in color.
* Measure out 215 grams syrup, and allow it to cool to room temperature while
you begin to prepare the cake. Store any leftover syrup in a sealed container
in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
* Grease two 8-inch pans, line each with a round of parchment paper, and grease
the paper. Set the pans aside.
* Preheat your oven to 350°F.
* In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
* In a large measuring cup or separate medium-size bowl, whisk together the
milk and strawberry syrup. Set the wet mixture aside.
* In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large
bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla on
medium-high speed for 4 minutes or until creamy, light and fluffy.
* Beat in 3 eggs and 1 egg white (discard the 4th egg yolk) on medium-high
speed until the batter is smooth.
* Add dry ingredients in 3 batches and the milk mixture in 2 batches, beginning
and ending with the flour mixture. Beat well on medium-high speed after each
addition to combine fully. The batter should be thick and glossy.
* Beat in up to 4 “blobs” of the optional pink gel food coloring. Turn over the
mixture with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure
that there are no dry patches or streaks of color.
* Divide the batter equally among the 2 prepared 8-inch cake pans. Spread and
shake the batter into an even layer in each pan. Bang the pans flat on the
counter a few times to break any large air bubbles.
* Bake for 25 minutes. Rotate the pans and lower the heat to 325°F. Continue to
bake at the lower temperature for 15 minutes more, or until the center of
each cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester comes out
* Place the pans on a wire rack and allow the cakes to sit in the pans for 5
minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack, and remove the cake pans. Allow
to cool completely on the wire rack before frosting.
* Blend or grind the freeze dried strawberries into a fine powder. Sift the
powder and discard any larger pieces or seeds.
* In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a
large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy (about 2
* Add the confectioners’ sugar and about 15 grams of the strawberry powder, and
beat on slow speed until the butter has absorbed most of the powder.
* Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until very light and fluffy
* Beat in the heavy cream but is very smooth when spread with a spatula. Beat in more sugar or heavy
cream as necessary to achieve the right texture.
* Frost the cake with about 1/3 of the frosting in between the layers and the
rest on top and on the sides. Chill briefly before serving to make the cake
I recommend Better Batter’s original blend gluten free flour, Nicole’s Best
multipurpose blend with added xanthan gum, or VitaCost gluten free multi-blend
gluten free flour, with added xanthan gum. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free
Baking Flour should also work, but be sure to add 1/4 teaspoon more xanthan gum
or the cake may be crumbly.
Want to make your own? Head to my all purpose gluten free flour blends
page for mock blend recipes.
Nutrition information
For 1 slice of layer cake, with frosting.
| Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1489IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 157mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
Slice of layered pink cake on a scalloped white plate, garnished with fresh
strawberry pieces and two other plates with cake in background
of layered pink cake on a scalloped white plate, garnished with fresh strawberry
pieces and two other plates with cake in background
This is a very moist cake that you can store in the refrigerator as a whole
cake, covered or as individually wrapped slices for for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freeze the frosted cake or slices uncovered for 1 hour, then
wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator, still
To make the cake ahead of time, I recommend freezing the cooled individual baked
cake layers unfrosted. Wrap tightly in freezer-safe wrap and freeze for up to 3
months. Defrost at room temperature, then frost and serve.
Can I make this into cupcakes?
I haven’t tried making this batter as cupcakes, but I have a similar recipe for
gluten free strawberry cupcakes
What about 9-inch cakes?
You can use 9-inch round cake pans, or 8-inch square, with the same recipe, for
25 minutes at 350°F. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for
less time than 8-inch round cakes until done (probably another 10 minutes).
Can I make this into a single layer cake?
Yes! Just reduce the yield from 8 slices of layer cake to 4 slices, and bake the
cake in a single pan.
What happens if I leave out the food coloring?
The cake will just be a bit gray in color. But it gets covered up with plenty of
pink frosting, and everything tastes just as delicious.
How do I make this into a 3-layer cake?
Just divide the batter evenly among 3 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 20
minutes, then at 325°F until done (about another 10 minutes).