Gluten-Free Vanilla Birthday Cake (no xanthan gum)

Birthday cake on a stand with slice of cake in front and bowls of raspberries and sprinkles around

4.84 from 6 votes

Gluten-Free Vanilla Birthday Cake (no xanthan gum)

A light and fluffy gluten-free vanilla sponge cake, sandwiched with a raspberry crush filling and covered in a whipped chocolate cream cheese ganache

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Cake

Cuisine: British

Servings: people

Calories: 421kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

Vanilla Sponge Cake

85 g sweet rice flour glutinous rice flour
60 g oat flour
50 g millet flour
25 g potato starch not potato flour
25 g tapioca starch
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
240 g butter unsalted at room temperature
240 g caster sugar
4 eggs medium
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Raspberry Crush Filling

150 g raspberries
50 g raspberry jam very good quality

Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache

150 g dark chocolate 70%
50 g cocoa powder
400 g cream cheese
100 g maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1-2 tablespoons whole milk if necessary

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Vanilla Sponge Cake

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted oven / gas mark 4 and line and grease 2 x round 20cm sandwich tins.
Cream the butter and sugar on a high speed in a stand mixer or using electric beaters for about 5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix until completely incorporated, then add the vanilla extract.
Sieve the flours, baking powder and salt together in separate mixing bowl, then add into the food mixer. Beat until just combined.
Stir in the milk to lighten the batter then divide the batter equally between the two sandwich tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake is ready when it's a light golden colour and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to settle for 5 minutes in their tins, then turn out onto cooling racks and leave to cool completely before icing.

Raspberry Crush Filling

Crush the raspberries into the jam using a fork and set aside until ready to use.

Whipped Chocolate Cream Cheese Ganache

Melt the chocolate in a bain marie (or in a bowl set over simmering water) then put aside for a moment.
Beat the cocoa powder with the cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.
Pour in the melted chocolate and beat together. If the ganache is too thick to spread then add a tablespoon of whole milk to lighten slightly.

Cake Assembly

Place one of the sponge layers on a cake board and pipe a circle of ganache on top of the very edge of the cake to act like a dam for the raspberry crush filling.
Spread the raspberry filling on top of the cake, right to the edges of the chocolate dam.
Place the second sponge layer on top and swirl the chocolate ganache all over the top and sides of the cake.

Video

Notes

The eggs used in this recipe were medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount which for this recipe would be 200g.

Flour substitutions

Sweet rice flour => Almond flour
Oat flour => Sorghum flour
Millet flour =>
Buckwheat flour
Potato starch => Cornstarch

Important tips

When assembling the cake use the sponges upside down, this makes them easier to decorate and look smarter.
Sift the cocoa powder into the other ingredients to disperse any lumps.
Use the whipped chocolate ganache straightaway or it will become too thick to spread. If this happens then beat in 2 tablespoons of warm milk to loosen.

I have included even more in depth tips and troubleshooting in the full post above.

Make in advance

The gluten-free vanilla sponges can be made up to 2 days in advance of assembling the cake. Keep at room temperature in an airtight tin.

How to store

The cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days once it is completely assembled.

How to freeze

Whole cake. Freeze the whole cake for 1 hour(unwrapped) once it has been assembled. Then wrap the cake well in plastic wrap and aluminium foil to ensure there is no freezer spoilage. The cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before unwrapping. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Ingredient measurements

Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification. The nutrition serving is for 1 slice of cake, assuming the pie is cut into 16 servings.

Nutrition