6 Gluten-Free Cake Recipes For Christmas

Are you searching - how to make gluten-free cakes at home? Since Christmas is just around the corner, everyone seems to be gearing up for the festive season. From shopping to buying gifts to baking cookies and cakes, you can already feel the Christmas mood everywhere. If you have a toddler in the house who is allergic to gluten then you must bake a gluten-free cake in order to avoid any health complications for him. There are a number of gluten-free cake recipes available and I will share a few of them with you. But first, let us understand what ‘Gluten’ is.

What Is Gluten?

Gluten comes from the family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, spelled and barley. From the gluten-containing grains, wheat is by far the most commonly consumed. The two main proteins in gluten are glutenin and gliadin. Gliadin is responsible for most of the negative health effects. When you mix flour with water, the gluten proteins form a sticky network that has a glue-like consistency. This glue-like property makes the dough elastic and gives the bread the ability to rise when baked and also provides a chewy, satisfying texture.

What Gluten Can Cause?

It Can cause Gluten Intolerance in kids. A number of children are intolerant towards gluten and their body reacts to the same. The symptoms include stomach ache, tiredness, diarrhea and bloating. If you notice any of these symptoms in your child then you can conclude that he is having gluten intolerance.

Gluten Can Cause Celiac Disease!

This is a severe form of gluten intolerance and the most common symptoms of this are digestive discomfort, tissue damage in the small intestines, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, headache, tiredness, skin rashes, depression, weight loss, and foul-smelling feces. Some children show no signs of digestive symptoms but may show tiredness or anemia.

Delicious Gluten-free Cake Recipes

To make sure your child is prone to no gluten allergies, diseases like Celiac. We will list down 8 recipes for gluten-free cakes. They are easy to make and delicious to eat.

#1. Delicious Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients For Lemon Drizzle Cake

• 350 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
• 350 g caster sugar
• 8 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 lemons
• 150 g gluten-free self-raising flour
• 100 g ground almonds
• 150 g sugar cubes

Method To Prepare Lemon Drizzle Cake

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease the loaf tin with parchment paper
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy for 5min
• Gradually, beat the eggs, followed by the finely grated zest of 4 of the lemons and the juice of 1 lemon
• Fold the flour and ground almonds into the butter mixture
• Then spoon into the tin and bake for 40-50min or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
• Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then invert on to a wire rack to cool
• Meanwhile, put the sugar cubes into a small bowl with the juice of 2½ lemons and the pared zest of 2 lemons
• Soak for 5min, then use the back of a spoon to crush the cubes roughly
• Spoon over the warm cake and leave to cool completely before serving in slices

#2. Yummy Banana Cake

Ingredients To Prepare Banana Cake

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 150 g light muscovado sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 100 g smooth applesauce
• 6 very ripe bananas, about 750g peeled weight, mashed
• 2½ tsp mixed spice
• 300 g gluten-free plain flour blend
• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Icing Ingredients For Banana Cake

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g icing sugar, sifted
• 100 g light muscovado sugar
• 1 tbsp milk, optional
• Dried banana chips, optional, to decorate

Method To Prepare Yummy Banana Cake

• Preheat oven to 180°C mark and grease and line the base and sides of a 2kg loaf tin with baking parchment
• Beat butter and muscovado sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until it becomes pale and creamy
• Gradually whisk in eggs, then add applesauce
• Stir through bananas
• Sift over spice, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt
• Fold together with a large metal spoon and empty into tin
• Bake for 50min-1hr, or until risen and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in tin for 10min, then take out and cool completely on a wire rack
• For icing, whisk together butter and both sugars until smooth
• If needed, add milk to loosen
• Spread over top of cooled cake
• Decorate with banana chips, if you like
• Slice and eat

#3. Scrumptious Blueberry & Lemon Cake

Ingredients To Make Blueberry And Lemon Cake

• 450g unsalted butter, very soft
• 450 g caster sugar
• 8 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• Zest and juice of 3 lemons (keep separate)
• 150 g quick-cook polenta
• 300 g gluten-free plain flour
• 2½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 400 g blueberries

Ingredients To Decorate Blueberry And Lemon Cake

• 600 ml double cream
• 8 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
• 8tbsp lemon curd
• 200 g blueberries
• Pared lemon zest, optional

Method To Prepare Blueberry & Lemon Cake

• Preheat oven to 180°C mark and line a roasting tin roughly 30.5cm x 40.5cm x 10cm with baking parchment
• To make the cake, put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy, about 3min
• Gradually you can add the eggs and whisk well after each addition
• Whisk in the lemon zest
• Use a large metal spoon to fold in the polenta, flour, baking powder and 4tbsp of lemon juice to make a smooth batter
• Carefully fold in half the blueberries
• Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface
• Scatter over remaining blueberries
• Bake for 40min or until golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5min, then lift out and cool in its parchment on a wire rack
• Once the cake is completely cool, peel off the paper and transfer to a large serving plate or board
• To decorate, put the cream and icing sugar into a bowl and whip until the mixture holds soft peaks, then quickly whip in the lemon curd
• Mound the icing on top of the cooled cake and scatter over the 100g blueberries and lemon zest, if using

Also Try: 3 Christmas Desserts Recipes

#4. Delicious Lemon Tart

Ingredients For Lemon Tart

• 150 g butter
• 100 g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemon
• 150 g rice flour, plus extra to dust
• 2 large eggs

Ingredients For Filling In Lemon Tart

• 6 large eggs
• 6 large egg yolks
• Zest and juice of 4 lemons
• 400 g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 80 g butter

Ingredients To Decorate The Lemon Tart

• Icing sugar, to dust

Method To Prepare Lemon Tart

• To make the pastry, put the butter, sugar, lemon zest and rice flour into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
• Add the egg and pulse again until the mixture just comes together
• Shape into a disc and wrap in cling film and chill for 30min
• Preheat oven to 200°C mark and knead the pastry to soften it slightly and bring it together
• Lightly dust a work surface with rice flour and roll out pastry
• Use to line a 20.5cm round, 4cm (1in) deep loose-bottomed sandwich tin
• Let it chill for 15min
• Line the pastry with a large sheet of baking parchment, then fill with baking beans
• Bake the pastry for 15min, then carefully remove beans and parchment
• Return the pastry case to the oven and cook for a further 8-10min until golden
• Take out of the oven and set aside
• To make the filling, put the whole eggs and yolks, the lemon zest and juice, caster sugar and corn flour into a pan
• Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens (it will need to boil and bubble for a bit) and is the consistency of lemon curd
• Take off heat, stir in the butter until melted and combined, then spoon into the baked pastry case
• Leave to cool then chill until set for at least 4 hours
• To serve, dust the top of the tart with icing sugar, if you like, and serve in slices

#5. Go Chocolatey With Chocolate Cake

Ingredients For Chocolate Cake

• 150 g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 150 g gluten-free plain chocolate
• 400 g light soft brown muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200 ml natural yogurt
• Drop of vanilla essence
• 400 g brown rice flour
• 4.5 ml wheat-free baking powder
• 8 ml bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients For Icing The Chocolate Cake

• 600 g gluten-free plain chocolate
• 400 ml carton double cream

Method To Prepare The Chocolate Cake

• Grease and base-line an 18cm round, deep cake tin with greaseproof paper
• Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted
• Allow cooling slightly
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Lightly whisk the eggs, then beat into the butter mixture with the melted chocolate, yogurt and vanilla essence
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and beat into cake mixture a little at a time
• Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake at 180°C mark for 45 minutes-1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes

To Make The Icing Of The Chocolate Cake

• Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl
• Heat the cream to boiling point and pour over chocolate
• Leave for 5min
• Beat until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth
• Allow it to cool until thickened, then use to cover the cake

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#6. Easy Peasey Coconut Cake

Ingredients To Coconut Cake

• 300g dairy-free sunflower spread
• Finely grated zest and juice (about 5 tbsp) of 2 oranges
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 150 g ground almonds
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 150g caster sugar
• 150 g gluten-free plain flour blend
• 100 g desiccated coconut, optional to ice

Ingredients For Icing The Coconut Cake

1. 80 g caster sugar
2. 2 tsp cream of tartar
3. 2 tbsp egg whites
4. A few drops vanilla extract
5. Toasted coconut flakes (optional), to decorate

Method To Prepare The Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 180°C mark and grease and line an 18cm round cake tin with baking parchment

• To make the cake, put all the cake ingredients into a food processor and pulse to combine
• Scrape the mixture into the lined cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack
• For the icing, put sugar and cream of tartar into a small bowl and add 4tbsp boiling water
• Stir to dissolve
• Put egg white into a separate medium bowl and start whisking with handheld electric beaters
• You can gradually add sugar to the mixture
• Continue beating until icing holds stiff peaks for about 10min
• Beat in vanilla
• Spread meringue icing on top of the cooled cake and decorate with coconut flakes, if you like
• Serve in slices

Did you like the gluten-free cake recipes? Share your views and feedback with us in the comments section below.