Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake with Fruits

This gluten-free vanilla cake is a light, fluffy sponge layered with a fresh banana-cashew cream and topped with seasonal fruit. It is naturally gluten-free, made with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, and finished with a simple honey syrup that keeps every bite moist. If you want a celebration cake that does not rely on wheat flour or heavy buttercream, this is the one to make.

Can you believe this was my first baked cake…ever?! Until then I only made raw vegan cakes, so a proper baked sponge was new territory for me. I am new to baking and especially gluten-free baking, so I did not want it to turn into a huge mess. I made this amazing gluten-free vanilla cake for my mother’s birthday last week and it was a huge success. I am not going to be modest at all, this was delicious, and it is now one of my favorite gluten-free cakes by far.

What goes into this cake

The cake has three parts: a vanilla sponge, a banana-cashew cream, and a fruit topping. For the crust I used my gluten-free sweet bread method, the same airy base you will find in my gluten-free sponge cake. Here is what each ingredient does so you can shop and substitute with confidence.

• Schar gluten-free flour — a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free blend. Blends already balanced with starches and a binder give the most reliable rise, so reach for an all-purpose mix rather than a single flour.
• Eggs — separated. The whipped whites are what make this sponge tall and tender, since gluten-free batters cannot trap air the way wheat gluten does.
• Grapeseed oil — a neutral oil that keeps the crumb soft without adding flavor. Any mild oil works.
• Sugar and vanilla extract — for sweetness and that classic vanilla aroma.
• Raw cashews, soaked — the base of the cream. Soaking softens them so they blend completely smooth.
• Ripe bananas — they sweeten and thicken the cashew cream naturally. The riper, the better.
• Lemon zest and juice — brighten the cream and keep the banana from tasting flat.
• Honey — sweetens both the cream and the soaking syrup. (Note: honey makes this recipe vegetarian, not vegan.)
• Kiwis, tangerine, strawberries and almond flakes — for the topping and the sides.

How to bake the sponge

Pre-heat the oven to 180C (356F) and grease your loaf tray. Separate the yolks from the whites first. Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until foamy, then in a separate bowl whisk the yolks with the sugar, oil, vanilla and baking powder. Add the flour slowly and fold in the foamy whites with a spatula so you keep the air in. Pour into the tray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when the top springs back to a light touch and a skewer comes out clean.

Why this method works

Gluten-free flour has no gluten network to give structure and lift, so the whipped egg whites do that job instead. Folding them in gently, rather than stirring, traps tiny air pockets that expand in the heat and keep the sponge from baking dense. The cashew cream works on the same principle of patience: blending fully soaked cashews is what turns them from gritty to silky, which is why the soak is not optional.

Making the banana-cashew cream

Add the soaked cashews, sliced bananas, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and honey to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. If your processor is not very powerful, blend the cashews on their own first until smooth, then add the rest. The cream should hold its shape enough to spread but still feel light. Taste and add a touch more honey or lemon if you like.

Assembling and decorating

Stir the honey with the water to make a light syrup. Slice the cooled cake in two and trim any bump on top so the layers sit flat. Place the bottom layer on a platter, brush over half the syrup, spread a layer of cream and scatter on some sliced fruit. Add the top layer, brush over the rest of the syrup, then cover the whole cake with cream using a blunt knife to smooth the top and sides. Finish with fruit on top and press almond flakes onto the sides.

Tips for the best results

• Let the sponge cool completely before slicing, or it will tear and the cream will melt into it.
• Soak the cashews at least an hour, overnight if you can. Under-soaked cashews leave a grainy cream.
• Do not overmix once the whites go in. Fold just until no streaks remain.
• Use ripe, spotty bananas for the cream. They are sweeter and blend more easily.
• Decorate close to serving so the fruit stays fresh and bright.

Storage and make-ahead

This is a fresh-fruit cake with a cashew cream, so keep it in the fridge in a covered container and enjoy it within two to three days. The banana in the cream will slowly darken, which is normal. You can bake the sponge a day ahead and store it wrapped at room temperature, then assemble on the day you plan to serve. If you love baking gluten-free, you might also enjoy my gluten-free chocolate cake with berries, and for something completely no-bake there is my raw vegan birthday cake from my raw cake days. I will make another gluten-free, dairy-free cake for Costin’s name day soon, and this time I want to try something with chocolate, maybe along the lines of my vegan chocolate cake.

If you bake this for someone’s birthday the way I did for my mother, I would love to know how the banana-cashew cream turned out for you. Leave a star rating and a comment below with your fruit combo or any tweaks you tried — it always makes my day to read them.

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake with Fruits

This is an amazing gluten-free vanilla cake recipe, topped with fresh fruits and covered in a delicious, sweet banana-cashew cream!

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 12

Ingredients 

MetricUS (Imperial)

Cake layers

• 1 ½ cup Schar gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup grapeseed oil + more for greasing the tray
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch sea salt

Frosting

• 2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight or for at least 1 hour
• 3 ripe bananas sliced
• 2 lemons zest only
• 1 lemon's juice
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsps honey or other healthy sweetener of choice

Syrup and other ingredients

• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ glass water
• 2 kiwis
• 1 tangerine
• 10 strawberries
• ½ cup almond flakes

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven at 356F/180C.
• Grease the sweet bread tray with some oil. The sizes of my tray are approx. 10cm x 30cm.
• Separate egg yolks from the egg whites.
• Whisk egg whites until foamy. Add sea salt.
• Whisk egg yolks with sugar, oil, vanilla extract and baking powder. Slowly add flour and incorporate. Add foamy egg white. Mix using a spatula.
• Pour the composition in the greased tray.
• Put it in the oven and let it bake for 45-50 minutes.

Frosting:

• Add all ingredients in your food processor and process until smooth and creamy. If you don’t have a very powerful food processor, add cashews first and process until smooth, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Syrup:

• Combine honey with water.

Assembly:

• Slice cake crust in two. It may have a small bump on the top, so slice that too. The layers should be smooth and straight.
• Put one cake layer on a cake platter. Slowly pour syrup evenly on top of it. Use half the quantity.
• Add some frosting. Spread evenly. Add some sliced fruits.
• Cover with the other cake layer. Add syrup all over it, like you did before.
• Spread the frosting all over the cake, on top and on sides. Use a blunt knife to spread it evenly.
• Decorate with fruits on top and almond flakes on the sides.

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