Gluten Free Lemon Raspberry Cake

No matter the weather, celebrate your next occasion like it’s Spring with this gluten free cake!

To be honest, I’m not much of a fruity dessert kind of girl. In general, I much prefer chocolate. So when my sister asked me to bake a surprise cake for her husband last week, my mind immediately went to chocolate. But then I took a step back and thought, why not try something a little different? She’s mentioned he loves lemon cake with raspberry preserves before, so I thought I’d give baking a gluten free version a shot. I am so glad I did. (He is, too.)

Rather than giving him a traditional two-layer cake, which I knew would be an overwhelming amount of cake for just one person, I baked two nine-inch cakes and then cut those layers in half. That way, my sister was able to present him with a smaller two-layer cake, and I was still able to taste-test and photograph one for my blog. I actually liked the size of the cake I ended up with. It seemed fitting for such delicate flavors. If you were to serve this cake at a party (I’m thinking a girls’ brunch, baby shower, or tea party), I might recommend that you do the same. Not only does it keep the cake looking adorable, it will also dazzle your guests that you prepared not one, but two two-layer cakes for them.

The cake is springy (and Spring-y), but still able to hold up to the raspberry preserves in the center and a thick covering of the lemon buttercream. It’s not overwhelmingly fruity at all, it just tastes fresh and light. It made me want a mimosa and a tan.

We’re not over, Chocolate, but you might not be the only one for me.

Gluten Free Lemon Cake with Raspberry Preserves
Prep: 10 min   Bake: 25 min   Makes: two 9-inch round cakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
5 egg whites, room temperature
¾ cup buttermilk
2 lemons, zested
¾ cup butter, softened (If using unsalted, add 1 tsp salt.)
1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
2 ¼ cup all purpose gluten free flour (I used Cup4Cup.)
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
For the buttercream:
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (I used 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk.)
For filling:
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Directions:
For Cake:
1. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line the pan bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In small bowl or large measuring glass, mix egg whites, buttermilk and lemon zest. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk GF flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together until thoroughly combined.
4. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or by hand with handheld mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
5. With mixer on low, add in about ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then ⅓ of buttermilk mixture. Continue alternating and beating until all combined.
6. Pour evenly into cake pans. Bake for about 25-28 minutes, or until cakes are turning lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and cool in cake pans for 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
For Buttercream:
1. Beat very soft butter on medium-high for 3-5 minutes until pale in color and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar and mix on low until all incorporated.
3. Add in lemon zest and lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp from fresh lemon) and cream or milk. Beat on high for 3-5 minutes until fluffy.
To assemble:
1. If making a traditional layer cake, top one of the cooled layers with the raspberry preserves. (Microwaving the preserves for 10 seconds makes it easier to spread.) Place other layer on top of the preserves. Using a spatula or offset knife, frost with the lemon buttercream.
2. If making two smaller layer cakes, slice each layer in half with a long bread knife. Carefully remove the tops of the cakes. Top the bottom halves with half of the raspberry preserves. Replace tops of cakes. Frost each with half of the buttercream.

Recipe adapted from Shugary Sweets.