Gluten-Free Nectarine Thyme Limoncello Cake
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This Nectarine Thyme Limoncello Cake is a beautifully delicious celebration of summer. Soft and fluffy lemon and thyme sponges are sandwiched together with an easy to whip up Limoncello Thyme Cream. Made with easy to access gluten-free flours this cake has proved a certifiable hit with everyone with no one guessing it’s gluten-free.
This is a very special cake which has been an integral part of this website for many years and was the first cake I baked after having my first child. At the time it was a huge celebration for me and it has always proved so popular among everyone who has ever made it.
It sounds fancy but is actually very simple to make and uses your favourite gluten-free flour blend with almond flour to stabilise the bake. This creates a gorgeously light and fluffy sponge which marries perfectly with the light but rich mousse-like cream which is used to fill and cover.
I originally made this cake with white nectarines but when I decided to re-photograph I couldn’t get hold of white nectarines anywhere so here I used regular yellow nectarines. Honestly, both choices are beautiful so use whatever has the best flavour of the season.
I’ll walk you through the simple steps with a lot of focus on how to get our limoncello cream infused with thyme and whipped up to a stable and dreamy consistency with lots of tips so you achieve it perfectly first time. The rest is pretty easy.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Nectarine Cake
- Gorgeous flavour combination. The nectarine, thyme and limoncello is a really lovely seasonal combination. The aromatic thyme and citrus spike compliments the fresh summer fruit.
- Fresh cream. This is a cream filled cake (with no butter) and so feels light and fresh.
- Easy to get hold of ingredients. You can use any gluten-free flour blend as the almond flour does a lot of work in stabilising the blend.
- Quick bake. The sponges only take 20 minutes in the oven and cool very quickly so you can be assembling your cake in no time. (Do allow time for your thyme cream infusion though – follow my tips to make that super quickly too).
- Secretly gluten-free. It won’t be a secret to you of course but it will be impossible for any of your guests to have a clue there is no gluten in this cake.
- Make ahead. This cake is best made the day before so the cream filling has time to settle so it’s perfect if you are hosting and need to prepare your dessert beforehand.
- No xanthan gum needed.
Ingredients Needed
Nectarines. I originally developed this cake using white nectarines but I have photographed them here with yellow (since I couldn’t get hold of white ones) but rest assured both taste delicious. The best ones are the ones that are firmly in season. Nectarines aren’t grown in the UK but they are available in shops throughout the summer season, I find the best ones are available July-August.
I actually recommend using softer nectarines for between your cake layers and slightly firmer ones for the top decoration as they will hold their shape better on the top of the cake. You don’t want your fruit too soft though as it will leech out a lot of liquid and make your cream waterlogged.
Limoncello. You can omit the limoncello if you are alcohol free. The flavour of the Limoncello is subtle here – you can amp up the flavour by using a heavier hand, particularly when you are brushing the sponges. Thyme. Make sure you use fresh thyme – dried won’t work here.
Thyme. Make sure you use fresh thyme – dried won’t work here.
Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar available in the UK. Regular white granulated sugar can be substituted.
Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.
Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.
Vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the best quality vanilla extract here as there's already a lot going on with the flavours and it won't make a difference. A supermarket brand is just fine.
Lemon. Make sure it is unwaxed and organic otherwise you need to scrub off the wax.
All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. You can use any. I recommend Doves Freee Plain White Gluten-Free Flour. You don't need a brand which contains xanthan gum, but if it's included then don't worry about that either. I also particularly recommend my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Mix which gives great results.
Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.
Sour Cream. I recently changed this recipe to include sour cream instead of buttermilk as I've been finding buttermilk difficult to get hold of. Actually I love the tang this heavier dairy ingredient gives the cake and helps with a moist tender crumb.
Baking powder. A leavening agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.
Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
Double Cream (for the filling). You can swap for heavy cream.
Mascarpone (for the filling). This helps add stability to the whipped cream filling and also gives a lovely depth of flavour.
Icing sugar (for the filling). Just a little to add sweetness to the whipped cream. Also called confectioners sugar or powdered sugar.
How To Make Nectarine Thyme Limoncello Cake
The following gives a short concise method with step-by-step images. For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Sponge Layers
Beat together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix on a low speed.
Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest and thyme leaves and mix in.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a large separate bowl.
Add the flour alternately with the sour cream, then rest for 30 minutes.
Pour the batter equally across the cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. Brush the limoncello over the top of the sponges using a pastry brush then leave to cool.
Limoncello Thyme Cream
Prepare the ice bath by filling a large casserole dish halfway up with ice then top up with a little cold water.
Warm the double cream with the thyme until just below a boil. Pour the warm cream (with the thyme) into a food storage bag then submerge into the ice bath to cool completely (about an hour). Transfer to the fridge until ready to use.
Remove the thyme from the cream and discard. Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl along with the mascarpone. Once the cream starts to thicken then add in the icing sugar and limoncello and continue mixing until soft peaks form.
Assembly
Place the first cake layer on a cake board then slather the cream generously over. Press half of the cubed nectarine into the cream then once you have filled your layer smooth over a little more cream on top.
Add the second layer then repeat with the cream and nectarine.
Add the third layer and slather over the rest of the cream. For the naked cake effect, just smooth the cream billowing out of the sides of the cake layers using a palette knife.
Decorate the top with fresh nectarine wedges and thyme sprigs.
Expert Tips
The cream should be warmed with the thyme until just below boiling point - you don't want it to boil so watch the saucepan carefully. Even better if you have a digital thermometre as it should reach 60-65°C (140-149°F).
When you warm cream (like for this particular thyme infusion) it goes into what’s called the ‘danger zone’ for bacteria growth (between about 8°C and 60°C). The longer it sits in that range the greater the chance for bacterial growth so it is important to chill our cream quickly.
Both the cream and the mascarpone need to be fridge cold (about 4°C) before mixing to allow them to whip up properly.
The mascarpone makes the mixture thicker and more stable than plain whipped cream so it will reach soft peaks sooner.
Start mixing slowly which avoids the mascarpone clumping. Make sure not to overwhip. This can be avoided if you mix at a low speed and make sure to pause the whisking every so often to check how it’s thickening. Finish whisking by hand to give yourself more control and stop whisking the cream early when the cream trails are just about holding their shape.
Limoncello. Feel free to be extra liberal or more reserved with your Limoncello. Currently the amount I've suggested is subtle but tangy. I don't really recommend adding more Limoncello to your sponge layers as they could get soggy but you could definitely make your cream as boozy as you like. Do taste test as you go. Of course, you can also omit entirely.
Once the cake has been filled and covered with the cream then you can leave the cake to settle in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The thin layer of cream helps avoid the sponge from drying out. Top with the fresh nectarine directly before serving.
FAQs
If it’s just slightly grainy then stop whisking and add 1-2 tablespoons cold cream and fold in gently by hand until the cream is smooth.
If it has started to split then take ⅓ out and whisk with a little cream until smooth then fold the rest back in.
If it’s definitely split then it’s past saving for this purpose but you can fold it into custard or pastry cream. You will have to start again with your Limoncello Thyme Cream though.
I recommend just omitting the Limoncello.
However, if you still wanted to include that extra lemony flavour then you can prepare a lemon syrup for brushing over the cakes. Gently heat 100g caster sugar, 100g water and the peeled zest of a lemon in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Strain, cool then brush over the sponge layers instead of the Limoncello.
For the cream filling you could just add in a strip of peeled lemon zest along with the thyme when creating your thyme infusion to still keep that lemon flavour.
All the cream ingredients should be kept as cold as possible which will cream a stable whipped cream. Assemble the cake quickly and refrigerate immediately after. Keep in the fridge until serving and avoid the finished cake sitting at room temperature for a long period of time.
These gluten-free sponges are moist and hold together well. You still need to be cautious when assembling as you’ll be handling the sponges to get them on top of each other. I recommend lifting the sponge layers on baking parchment then flipping them softly onto the flattened palm of your hand then onto the cake layers in a very gentle motion.
You can bake the sponges up to 2 days before assembly, store at room temperature in a cool dark place in an airtight container. I recommend assembling the whole cake the day before serving so the cream has time to settle together.
The cake, once finished, should be stored in the refrigerator. It’s best eaten within 24 hours but can be kept for up to 3 days because of the fresh cream, after that it starts to de-stabilise.
More Gluten-Free Recipes You'll Love
This Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Cake is a wonderfully indulgent cake for a special occasion. The very lemony sponge is made from almond flour (ground almonds) and plain gluten-free flour so it is incredibly accessible for novice gluten-free bakers. Fresh raspberries are baked into the sponge but also fill the cake along with a lemony mascarpone cream.
The combination of fruit in this Gluten-Free Nectarine & Plum Cobbler is a perfect balance. The last nectarines of the season are especially sweet and juicy and the new plums are on the tart side but bursting with flavour. The cobbler topping is made with gluten-free flour and cornmeal which tastes like the most delicious honeyed cornbread.
This Gluten-Free Plum Cake is a lovely way to make the most of late summer fresh produce, a wonderful treat which is right at home with a cup of tea for company. Rich and moist, this cake is easy to make with a sour cream enriched batter and brown butter for extra flavour.
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Gluten-Free Nectarine Thyme Limoncello Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter - at room temperature
- 300 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs - medium
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 lemon - zest only
- 1 tablespoon heaped fresh thyme leaves
- 150 g gluten-free flour
- 150 g almond flour - called ground almonds in UK
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 200 g sour cream
- 3 tablespoons Limoncello
Limoncello Thyme Cream:
- 720 g double cream
- 2 large sprigs fresh thyme
- 250 g mascarpone
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons Limoncello
- 4 nectarines - cut 2 of them into cubes and 2 of them into thin wedges
Instructions
Sponge Layers
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F and line and grease 3 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins.
- Place the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and beat together for 2-3 minutes until pale, light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix on a low speed.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest and thyme leaves and mix in.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a large separate bowl.
- Add the flour alternately with the sour cream, adding the flour in three additions and the sour cream in two (begin and end with the flour), scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed and mix until just combined.
- Rest for 30 minutes to allow the gluten-free flours to settle and soften.
- Pour the batter equally across the cake tins (about 375g per tin) and bake for 20 minutes until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
- Once the cakes have been removed from the oven, and taken carefully out of their tins, brush the limoncello over the top of the sponges using a pastry brush then leave to cool.
Limoncello Thyme Cream
- Prepare the ice bath for cooling the cream. You will need a large deep casserole dish / crockpot (you could use the sink but I find the casserole dish easier to keep cold as it’s smaller). Fill halfway up with ice then top up with a little cold water.
- Pour the double cream into a large saucepan along with the sprig of thyme. Warm until the cream is at a medium heat, 60-65°C (140-149°F). Remove from the heat.
- Pour the cream (with the thyme) into a food storage bag then submerge into the ice bath. The temperature needs to reduce to 4°C (39°F) within 90 minutes to avoid bacteria forming. It should only take about an hour to get to that temperature so keep checking it with a digital thermometer and replenish the ice every so often to keep it as cold as possible.
- Once the cream is between 4-7°C then transfer to the fridge and store for up to 48 hours until needed.
- Remove the thyme from the cream and discard. Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl.
- Loosen the mascarpone in a small separate bowl to help avoid any clumping then add into the cream. Whisk them together by hand or with an electric hand mixer on low speed, once the cream starts to thicken then add in the icing sugar and limoncello and continue mixing until soft peaks form. Stop as soon as it starts holding its shape as it’s very easy to overmix.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer on a cake board then slather the cream generously over. Press half of the cubed nectarine into the cream then smooth over more cream on top to cover the nectarines.
- Add the second layer then repeat with the cream and nectarine.
- Add the third layer and spread the rest of the cream on top. For the naked cake effect, just smooth out the cream billowing out of the sides of the cake layers using a palette knife.
- Decorate the top with the nectarine wedges and fresh thyme sprigs.
This recipe for the Lemoncello Nectarine cake is not correct. There is far too much liquid with 6 eggs and 300ml of buttermilk. The mixture only needs half of the amount of buttermilk to form a dropping consistency good for baking the cakes. The other wrong info is the double cream, which will not whip once its been warmed, even if it is cooled. So this frosting will not work. Disappointed as I am now going to have to throw away the cream and start again with a different frosting. Please change the recipe to avoid others making mistakes.
Hi Alethea, thank you so much for your comment. This recipe really needed a great update as I published it ten years ago so you spurred me on to do this yesterday! I just made the recipe again exactly as written and was very happy with it up to a point. The sponge worked exactly how I wanted it to and wasn't too wet - it was lovely soft and fluffy. These are gluten-free flours we are working with and so do need extra liquid as they absorb more liquid than all-purpose flour. The double cream also whipped up very well, as the recipe explains, you need to make sure the cream is completely cold again before whipping it - although I will emphasise the importance of this in the update. I recommend cooling the cream down quickly in an ice bath which helps with getting it to the right temperature quickly and avoiding any bacterial growth which we have to be careful with in cream. I'm sorry you felt you had to throw your cream away but I assure you the whipping would work if it was completely cold. I am amending the recipe though to reduce all of the ingredients of the whole cake as I have always felt it was a little too thick and an unwieldy bake to eat. All the ratios of ingredients remain the same though. I am also replacing the buttermilk with sour cream as buttermilk has proved really difficult to get hold of in smaller supermarkets in the UK. The updated quantities will be changed on the website in the next few days in case you wanted to have another look at it.
Hello, this looks so lovely - if I left out the pieces of nectarine in between layers do you think all the cream come out the sides / would it collapse without the support of the fruit?
No, it would be fine without the nectarine.
Hello
Beautiful cake and would love to make this.
Can I add in some nectarines into the cake batter?
Yes you could!