There is something about a celebration that just deserves cake, today I’m celebrating 6 years of See Brooke Cook and thought it was a perfect time to share this amazing recipe. When this blog was started I never anticipated the need to move to a gluten free lifestyle, but it happened and with that some of the recipes have changed. None the less, I am still just trying to share a delicious piece of life with you, minus the junk my body can’t handle. Now, if you’re saying.. “but Brooke, I don’t want to bake gluten free” that is perfectly okay! You can make this cake with your favorite gluten full vanilla cake recipe, use regular flour in the crumb topping and continue with the lemon cream filling just the same, you won’t hurt my feelings! So let’s move on to this cake!
I didn’t really know what to expect with the vanilla cake itself, in my experience gluten free chocolate cakes are generally MUCH better, because you get some moisture back from the chocolate; so to say I was a little worried this was going to be a dry disaster would be an understatement. Thankfully, all that worry was for nothing! The cake layers were fluffy and moist with a really nice crumb (no weird spongy texture here), and the lemon cream filling.. talk about a home run! The flavor is delicate but full, and since it is cut with whipped cream it is light and airy, that’s the stuff dreams are made of! So today we celebrate 6 years in this little space, and really good gluten free cake.. I’d call that a win! Enjoy!
Gluten Free Lemon Cream Cake (Print Me)
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 1/4 cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used this Better Than Cup4Cup blend)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
9 Tablespoons (54 g) nonfat dry milk, ground into a finer powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 Tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg (50 g, weighed out of shell) + 3 egg whites (75 g) at room temperature, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (8 fl oz) lukewarm water
For the crumb topping:
1/2 cup (70 g) all purpose gluten free flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1/2 cup (58 g) confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the lemon cream filling:
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
5 Tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups (460 g) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For assembly:
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, for brushing
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, for sprinkling (optional)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round baking pans and set aside.Start with making the cakes; in a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthin gum (if needed), nonfat dry milk, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisking to combine well. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, place the butter and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (~3 minutes). Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed until well-combined. Add the dry ingredients and water, alternating between the two beginning and ending with the flour, beating on medium speed to combine after each addition. The batter will be light and fluffy and may seem a bit curdled (this is normal). Divide the cake batter evenly among the two prepared cake pans and shake into an even layer in each. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (~25 minutes). Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.Next, make the crumb topping by placing the flour and confectioners’ sugar in a medium-size bowl whisking to combine well. Add the butter, vanilla and lemon juice, mix to combine (the dough will be thick). Place dough between two small sheets of unbleached parchment paper and roll out into a rough rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and transfer the dough still on the bottom sheet of parchment to a small rimmed baking sheet. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes, or until just beginning to brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before breaking and crumbling into small pieces. Set aside.
To make the lemon cream filling pour the heavy whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (~5 minutes). Scrape the whipped cream into a separate bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill. In the same mixer bowl, place the cream cheese and butter and beat (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) until light and fluffy (~3 minutes). Add the salt and confectioners’ sugar, beat on low speed until the sugar is absorbed into the mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest, turn the mixer up to high speed and continue to beat until light and fluffy (about 3 more minutes). Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and gently fold it into the filling.
Finish by assembling the cake (yessss!). Place one of the cooled 9-inch cakes, upside down, in the center of a serving platter. Brush the exposed side of the cake with lemon juice and place about one-half of the lemon cream filling on top. Spread into an even layer all the way up to the edge of the cake, and top with the other cooled 9-inch cake, upside down. Again, brush the exposed side of the top cake with lemon juice and cover the whole cake, top and sides, with a very thin layer of the filling (this is the crumb coat to keep your cake looking pretty). Place the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes (or the refrigerator for about 20 minutes) until the crumb coat is firm to the touch. Remove from the refrigerator or freezer and cover with the remaining filling on the top and sides. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the crumb topping, pressing the crumbs gently into the frosting/filling to adhere. Sprinkle with the optional lemon zest. Chill the cake for 10 minutes to make slicing and serving easier. Store left overs in the refrigerator, letting sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Source: Gluten Free on a Shoestring
