Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Summer Blueberry Cake | gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free recipe

blueberry cake closeI love blueberries and so do my boys. Fortunately, blueberries grow best in bog environments and Richmond, where we live, happens to be primarily bog so in the summertime, blueberries are bountiful. We eat blueberries in just about any form, but the fresh local berries are the absolute best. They're delicious, healthy and packed with antioxidants, I really don't see a downside.

When I saw this pin on Pinterest for buttermilk, blueberry breakfast cake, I knew I had to have it. I grabbed some blueberries out of the fridge, my janet & greta gluten-free flour mix and got to work creating a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free version.

It turned out beautifully, spongy, soft and sweet with a hint of lemon to brighten the flavour of the blueberries. To me, it tastes like summer and as an added bonus, it travels well and would be great in parent and kid lunchboxes alike.

I prefer to use coconut oil in my recipes, but because of the summer heat it was already in its liquid form. Fortunately after I popped the coconut oil in the freezer for about 5 minutes it had partially harded and I was able to use my kitchen-aid mixer to create a smooth, creamy texture suitable for creaming with sugar.

Summer Blueberry Cake

Summer Blueberry Cake
(gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free)
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 2 cups of gluten-free flour mix*
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp xantham gum**
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp sugar
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 9" square cake pan.
  2. In a small bowl, combine blueberries with 1/4 cup of gluten-free flour mix. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining gluten-free flour mix, baking powder, salt and xantham gum. Set aside.
  4. Blend coconut oil until creamy, blend in the sugar.
  5. Add eggs to the sugar mixture, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in the vanilla.
  6. Starting with the dry ingredients, alternately add the dry mix and the coconut milk to the wet ingredients, mixing well between each addition.
  7. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the berries, then spread the mixture into the prepared pan. The batter will be thick.
  8. Sprinkle the cake with 1 tbsp of sugar, bake for 35 minutes until the top begins to golden and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  9. Cool, in the pan, at least 15 minutes.
  10. Enjoy!
*I used the janet and greta gluten-free flour mix, recipe below.
**If your gluten-free flour mix does not contain xantham gum, add 1/2 tsp instead of 1/4.

Janet and Greta's
Gluten-Free Flour Mix
The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleski

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups sorghum flour
  • 2 cups potato starch
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 tbsp xantham gum
Directions:
  1. Place all the ingredients in a large ziploc bag, bowl or container.
  2. Blend well.