Gluten Free Casually: August 2015

Berry Buckle Brunch Cake. This is a slightly sweet, moist cake with lots of berries and a slightly tart lemon glaze. It goes perfect with brunch (or make for a casual dessert!). Most of my recipes are very flexible and this one is no exception! You can use any type of berries (or actually any type of fruit you have on hand!). I prefer the lemon glaze but you can certainly make it with a hint of vanilla or almond instead. I was hungry for a buckle brunch cake and decided on making a blueberry version....until I opened up the freezer and realized I only had a handful of blueberries. I did find a package of mixed berries so I used that along with the blueberries. I actually prefer the berry mix that doesn't include strawberries. I don't care much for frozen strawberries. Unfortunately, this berry mix had a LOT of strawberries. The strawberries get a little mushy and will turn the batter a darker color when they cook so I suggest cutting strawberries into small pieces so you don't get a bite of mushy strawberry! It tastes perfectly fine, I just prefer blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. I am not a strawberry kind of girl. (The version I made today is a mixed berry version and does have strawberries so that is why the cake is a little darker in color).

This cake recipe is also very flexible with the type of flours you can use. I used a little bit of coconut flour, gluten free flour blend and some ground almonds for my "FLOUR" mixture. You can substitute finely ground oats or corn flour for the coconut flour and ground almonds. You can also just use all gluten free flour blend. I also used milk in my recipe today but you can substitute a non-dairy milk substitute like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or even unflavored coffee creamer. I love recipes that you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand or tweak the recipe so you can adjust it for people with allergies. Of course, with all my recipes...if you don't have a gluten allergy you can certainly use regular flour. My recipes were all originally made with regular flour and I have converted them to gluten free. I also think this recipe would taste great with some shredded coconut and chopped nuts in the crumb topping!

The girls at work have been raving about a local European style bakery that has scrumptious danishes and pastries. I was so afraid they would go get some today and bring to work...and I would be drooling because they don't make gluten free items. So...I decided to stay up a little late last night and make this berry buckle brunch cake so we all could enjoy a sweet treat this morning! Nothing puts a smile on our faces like pastries and breakfast cakes! :)

Berry Buckle Brunch Cake Recipe:

1/2 cup butter (or use Crisco, Coconut Oil or margarine that contains at least 70% fat. Do not use reduced fat because it contains too much water and will not cook properly!)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup gluten free flour blend (I used Pillsbury brand today since that is what hubby bought at the store. If you don't have a gluten allergy then use regular flour)
1/2 cup finely ground almonds (you can substitute additional flour instead)
1/2 cup coconut flour (you can substitute additional flour instead or finely ground gluten free oats)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 oz. softened cream cheese or plain yogurt or sour cream. You can substitute a non-dairy version or if you don't have any of these items, I have used additional butter or Crisco. This recipe is pretty versatile.
3/4 cup milk + 1 tsp. white vinegar (stir and let stand for a few minutes so it starts to curdle). If you have a milk allergy then you can substitute coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk or any non-dairy milk substitute. They may not curdle with the vinegar but add it anyway
2 cups fresh or frozen berries or chopped fruit

Beat the butter (or Crisco, Coconut Oil or margarine), cream cheese, eggs and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the baking powder, baking soda, salt until combined. Gradually add the flours and ground almonds alternately with the milk. Stir in the berries or fruit. Pour into a greased 9" round springform pan (easier to remove if you are putting it on a platter or giving as a gift) or you can bake in a 9x9 pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and drizzle with lemon glaze.

Cake batter before adding the crumb topping

Crumb topping:

1/3 cup softened butter (or you can use coconut oil, margarine that contains at least 70% fat, crisco or vegetable oil).
3/4 cup sugar (brown sugar will work too)
3/4 cup gluten free flour blend (you can add some finely ground nuts to this if desired!)

Stir until it is crumbly. If it is too powdery then add a little additional butter or oil. If it is too moist then add a little more flour blend.

Crumb topping added & ready to bake!

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
zest from 1 lemon (optional but I really like the flavor it adds)
3-4 tbs. lemon juice

Whisk until smooth and texture that you can drizzle onto the cake. If it is too thick then add a little more lemon juice or water. If it is too thin then add a little more powdered sugar until you get the correct consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.