This Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake is one of the easiest cakes that you will make. It is moist and tender, with the vibrant flavour of fresh strawberries, highlighted by the bright tang of orange zest. Almond flour added to the mixture ensures that the cake has great texture. It will be a fantastic addition to any gathering.
You will love this Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake because:
- It is suitable for many occasions; serve it for morning tea, for dessert, take on a picnic or to a potluck. It is always popular!
- One of the great advantages of this cake is that you can make it a day ahead and it will still be deliciously moist.
- This is a great way to make the most of in-season strawberries.
- It’s so tender that it does not need frosting. A simple dusting is all the embellishment it needs. Serve as it is or with whipped cream or Greek yoghurt.
- If you want to dress it up for dessert, serve it warm with our Easy Strawberry Sauce and No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Butter – we use unsalted butter. One of the most important roles that butter plays in baking is the flavour that it adds. In addition, it helps to give the cake a more tender texture.
Caster/superfine sugar – it is finer in texture than regular granulated sugar and is easier to dissolve. However, you can use granulated sugar if you prefer.
Orange zest – orange and strawberry are great flavour companions.
Eggs – have an important role in baking. They provide structure, flavour and improved texture by adding moisture.
Vanilla extract – for the best flavour, use vanilla which is naturally extracted from vanilla beans and not synthetically flavoured.
Gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour – I have used a commercial gluten-free flour, made from a blend of naturally occurring gluten-free flours. Our gluten-free flour blends contain either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes. Not all gluten-free flour blends are equal. It may take trial and error to find one which you like.
Baking powder – a leavening ingredient, it helps the cake to rise and give it a lighter texture. Check that it is gluten-free.
Almond flour – I prefer to use blanched almond flour as it gives the cake a finer texture than we would get from whole almond flour.
Fresh strawberries – this Strawberry Almond Cake is a great way to use in-season strawberries.
Flaked almonds – add texture to the cake.
Icing/powdered sugar – I use pure icing/powdered sugar to dust the cake when serving. If you use an icing sugar mixture, ensure that it is gluten-free as wheat flour is sometimes added.
How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Cream the butter and sugar and add the eggs:
Start by preparing your baking tin and preheating your oven.
Add the butter, sugar and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer. Beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla with the last egg.
2 – Add in the flours:
With the mixer on the lowest speed, gently add the flours and baking powder until just combined.
3 – Fold through the strawberries:
Add the strawberries to the cake batter and gently fold through.
4 – Put the cake batter in the tin:
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Distribute the remaining strawberries and top with flaked almonds.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Tips for success and FAQs:
For the best result, always bake with room temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients do not incorporate and emulsify properly. If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge, fill a small bowl with slightly warm water and add the eggs, leaving them there for about 5-7 minutes. This will help to bring them to room temperature. Do not use hot water – you may partially cook the eggs!
For accuracy in baking, always weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale.
Whilst it can be tempting to speed up the process and just combine the butter and sugar, you will obtain much better results with your cake if you beat it for about 3 minutes. You will see the butter and sugar change colour and texture, becoming smooth and a pale, creamy colour. The sugar will dissolve into the butter and the mixture will incorporate air, helping to make your cake lighter. In this recipe, we add the orange zest to the butter and sugar. The abrasive action of the sugar on the zest heightens the flavour as it helps release essential oils.
Yes, you certainly can. When it is cold, cover it with cling wrap or place in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry location and dust with icing/confectioners’ sugar to serve.
As this is a moist cake, I recommend that you store in an airtight container in a cool, dry location for up to 3 days. However, if the weather is hot and humid, store it, well covered in the fridge, and bring it to room temperature to serve.
Yes, you can. After it has cooled, wrap it well in cling wrap and then cover with aluminium foil or place into an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Ideally, defrost overnight in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature for serving.
Serving suggestions:
Our Gluten Free Strawberry Cake is delicious as it is. To keep it simple, I like a dusting of icing/powdered sugar to serve.
It is also delicious with:
- Greek yoghurt or whipped cream.
- Vanilla or Orange Ice Cream.
- Strawberry Sauce or fresh strawberries.
We love to share recipes for gluten-free cakes that have something in common – you would never know that they are gluten-free, and they can be enjoyed by everyone.
Simple to make and delicious to eat, this Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake is moist and full of flavour – it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Be sure to let me know in the comments below when you have given it a try.
Alex xx
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Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g (½ cup + 5 tsp) unsalted butter – at room temperature
- 160 g (⅔ cup) caster/superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 large eggs – at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract See Note 1
- 75 g (½ cup) gluten-free all-purpose/plain flour See Note 2
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 125 g (1 ¼ cup) almond flour See Note 3
- 250 g (9 oz) strawberries
- 20 g (¼ cup) flaked almonds
For serving (optional):
- powdered/icing sugar
- whipped cream or Crème Fraîche
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Instructions
- Grease and line the base and sides of a 22 cm spring-form tin.Preheat the oven to 170 C (340 F) fan forced.
- Combine the plain flour, baking powder and almond flour and set aside.
- Hull the strawberries and cut them into 1 ½ cm (½ inch) cubes. Set aside about 50 g (1.8 oz) of prepared strawberries to add to the top of the cake.
- Add the butter, sugar and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer.On medium speed, beat together until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla with the last egg. The mixture may appear to separate but it will come together with the addition of the flours.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, gently add the combined flours and baking powder.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, gently fold in the strawberries.
- Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.Distribute the remaining strawberries on the top of the cake batter and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.Remove the sides of the cake tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- When the cake is completely cool, carefully remove the base of the tin and the baking paper and transfer it to a serving platter.Dust with icing/powdered sugar and serve with lightly whipped cream and extra strawberries.
Video
Notes
- Vanilla: for the best flavour, use good quality vanilla extracted from vanilla beans, not one synthetically flavoured.
- Flour: we use a commercial all-purpose flour, made from a blend of naturally occurring gluten-free flours. Our gluten-free flour blends contain either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes. Not all gluten-free flour blends are equal. It may take trial and error to find one which you like.
- Almond flour: in general, almond flour is made from blanched almonds and almond meal from the whole almond, although sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. You can use either, they are both finely ground, but my preference in this recipe is for blanched almond flour/meal as it has a finer texture.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Kate
This cake is absolutely wonderful.
In the words of my adult daughter-‘I could eat this ‘till I look like it’!. She loved it; and although not a GF consumer, to her it was ‘the best!’
I often make this for guests on special occasions. Cut cold with each piece lightly warmed and served with fresh pouring cream or strawberry coulis makes a special desert cake. Thanks Alex
Alexandra Cook
Hi Kate,
Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback on the GF Strawberry Cake. I love your daughter’s comment and the fact you have served this cake to guests. I really appreciate your lovely comments.
Best wishes, Alex
Alice
Made this for my Bday as my 3 yo daughter wanted me to have a strawberry cake. This cake was so delicate and delicious, yet sophisticated. I enjoyed making it and enjoyed eating it even more. I just wish that it lasted a bit longer as my hubby demolished it pretty quickly. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Alexandra
Hi Alice, thank you so much for your fantastic feedback on our GF Strawberry Cake. What a great suggestion of your daughter; I am so pleased that it was popular. 🙂
Tessa
Really loved this! The almond flour base tasted great with the strawberry. The cake turned out moist and flavorful. The entire family loved it!
Alexandra
Hi Tessa, I am delighted to hear that you and your family enjoyed the GF Strawberry Cake. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
nancy
oh man i couldn’t believe how easy this Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake was to make! So tasty
Alexandra
Hi Nancy, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the GF Strawberry Cake, thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Cynthia
I’ve tried other gluten-free cakes and none are as good as this! I finally found one that I can make again and again. The texture is fantastic – soft, tender, and moist. The only thing I did differently was adding almond extract instead of vanilla. Delicious, highly recommend this!
Alexandra
Hi Cynthia, I’m delighted that you enjoyed the Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂