My sister Louise made this cake recently for a family get-together. We were all enthralled at how wonderful it tasted. I think the buttermilk is the secret ingredient. I hope you enjoy my version of Louise’s scrumptious buttermilk cake recipe.

Ingredients:

For the cake
– 200g (8oz) butter/margarine
– 315g (12½oz) caster sugar
– 100g (4oz) corn flour
– 100g (4oz) rice flour
– 100g (4oz) potato flour
– 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
– ½ tsp salt
– ½ tsp bread soda
– ¾ tsp xanthan gum
– 4 large eggs
– 300ml (10floz) buttermilk
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 tbsp lemon zest
– 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing
– 200g (8oz) butter/margarine, at room temperature
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 50g (2oz) fresh strawberries
– 450g (1lb) icing sugar
– 60ml (2floz) whipping cream

To decorate
– Fresh strawberries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190oC/375oF. Flour and grease two 20cm/8” round cake tins.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter/margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sieve the flours, baking powder, salt, bread soda, and gum into a bowl. Then mix the flours into the butter/margarine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together with the buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
4. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry by hand, or with the mixer on speed one, until the batter is combined.
5. Divide the batter equally between the two cake tins.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Allow the cakes to cool for 5-10 minutes in the baking tins, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To decorate
1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter/margarine, vanilla extract, fresh strawberries (they mash as you mix) and icing sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Once smooth, turn the mixer to a medium speed and slowly mix in the whipping cream until light and fluffy.
2. When the cakes are cold, sandwich them together with one third of the strawberry icing. Then use the remainder to decorate the top and sides of the cake.
3. Top off with halved strawberries, leaving the green leaves on the fruit for colour, and dust with icing sugar.

 Denise’s Delicious Gluten Free Bakery is one of Ireland’s longest established specialist  bakeries. The bakery specialises in baking gluten, wheat and dairy free cakes, breads and snacks and  these are handmade at our bakery each day.  They are fully approved by the Irish Coeliac Society and enjoy a great relationship with all of our coeliacs friends, readers and newly diagnosed  customers.

Recipes by Denise O’ Callaghan are from her book ‘Recipes from my Gluten Free Kitchen‘.  Denise’s Delicious Gluten Free Bakery product ranges are available in Ireland from the major supermarkets to artisan food stores. For more information or to order online visit www.delicious.ie.