Grain-free Vanilla Winter Cake

Finally! A grain-free vanilla cake that looks and tastes like cake! Cake is a special treat for me because I don’t make one very often (usually it’s pie). However, when I do make a cake, I want it to have the classic taste and texture of a cake. This grain-free vanilla winter cake fits the bill perfectly! Also, since I don’t make cake very often, I have a blast decorating the cakes I do make! 

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The Tradition

Vanilla cake has been a long time favorite in my family. Anna always requests the Pamela’s vanilla cake mix for her birthday, which is one of the only times we have cake. One reason we don’t have cake very often is because we didn’t use to have a grain-free version that would be healthier to have a more frequent occasions. Now that dilemma is fixed! And….. since today is our birthday, I figured this cake recipe would be perfect to share with everyone! I love this grain-free vanilla winter cake because it has almost the same texture and taste as the gluten-free cake mix we use!

I can also make it more often because it is:

• Gluten-free
• Grain-free
• Tree nut free
• Corn free
• Low-inflammation
• Low sugar
• Dairy free option

Allergy friendly and delicious, this cake can’t get much better!

Winter Cake

Have you been on Pinterest and looked up fancy cakes? There are so many cool ways to decorate a cake! Albeit, most of them look pretty non-edible and I can almost guarantee they are not allergy friendly. However, looking at all those pretty cakes made me want to decorate a healthy cake! So, after I nailed down the perfect grain-free vanilla cake recipe, I got busy brewing up some decorating ideas. Since it is near Christmas (and my birthday), I decided to go with a winter theme. Here is what I came up with for decorating: 

• Simple Mills vanilla frosting- this is literally the best dairy-free and gluten free frosting I have ever had! To get it really creamy, you have to stir it, but then it applies perfectly to the cake!
• White chocolate chips- I am able to find gluten-free white chocolate chips at Meijer. I melt them to make the white trees out of.
• Quinn pretzel sticks- these pretzels are one of the best gluten-free finds of the year because they are also corn free! The sticks make perfect tree trunks for the white chocolate trees.
• Kinnikinnick vanilla sandwich cookies- another great find, these gluten-free sandwich cookies are also corn free and allergy friendly.
• Candy canes– these are the gluten-free candy canes that my family eats during the holidays. They add a little sparkle to the cake!
• Dandies mini marshmallows- these little marshmallows are gluten-free and corn free. You could also use homemade marshmallows to make the decorations even healthier!
• Shredded coconut- shredded coconut adds a little texture to the cake decorations.
• Beet powder- beet powder is the perfect all-natural red food coloring to make candy cane colored frosting for the cake!

Despite these being healthier cake decoration options, quit a few of them still contain cane sugar. I try to limit my can sugar consumption and stick to the healthier sugar alternatives like coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey. However, for special occasions (like my birthday) I splurge on the cake decorations. After all, the actual cake recipe is healthy enough right!?

Recipe Tips

I think this vanilla cake is super easy to make, and every time I make it, it turns out perfectly. So, it’s pretty steady recipe, but to eliminate any margins of error, I’ll give you a few recipe tips. You should be able to whip up this cake in no time at all for whatever occasion it’s needed for!

• Whisk the dry ingredients together. Whisking the dry ingredients separately will ensure that everything’s evenly mixed and no flour clumps remain.
• Melt the butter or coconut oil. Make sure the butter or coconut oil (whichever you use) is all the way melted because it plays a role in the consistency of the batter.
• Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs will mix into the batter better and will actually help the cake rise.
• Add a vanilla bean. If you want an even more classic tasting vanilla cake, scrap the seeds from an organic vanilla pod and add it to the batter.
• Don’t forget the ACV! Apple cider vinegar helps the cake rise.
• Use corn free baking powder. While I don’t use baking powder very often, when I do use it I prefer this corn free brand.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Stir in the wet ingredients using a folding motion until everything is combined, then spread it into the cake pans.
• Line the bottom of your cake pans. Cut circles of parchment paper to fit into the bottoms of your cake pans. That way you don’t have to worry about the bottoms of the cakes sticking.

Decorating Tips

Cakes that are decorated with the really fake but edible decorations and fondu never looked that appealing to me. When I decorate my cakes, I like to use good old fashioned ingredients that look both cool and delicious. However, this does come with some difficulties. Here are some tips for successfully decorating a healthy cake with healthy toppings!

• Use room temperature frosting. I always make sure my frosting is at room temperature so that it spreads easier.
• Stir your frosting. I have found that when you give the coconut oil based frostings a good stir that it makes them smoother and creamier than if you just apply them from right out of the jar.
• Use a spoon or a scraper. Spoons can make some pretty neat swirls and swells while a drywall or grout scraper (make sure it’s super clean!) can be used to create a smooth, even coating of frosting.
• Do a crumb coat. Put a very thin, messy layer of frosting on the cake first to cover and collect any crumbs, then add the actual layer of frosting.
• Get a cold cookie sheet. When making chocolate trees, freeze a cookie tray while you melt the chocolate. That way the tray will already be cold by the time you have to drizzle and draw the trees on the sheet.
• Use a hammer or meat tenderizer to crush the candy canes.
• Less is more. I have found that you have to use a lot of red natural food coloring (like beet powder) to get a true red color. However, when mixing in the food coloring, start in small increments and keep adding more until the desired color is reached.
• Cut the top off one of your cakes. To make an even layered cake, cut off the rounded top of one of the cake layers so that the other layer sets evenly on top.
• Don’t store or set the cake under warm lights! The coconut oil in the frosting can melt pretty easily!
• Slide scraps of parchment paper under the edges of the cake when you are frosting it. That way you can easily remove any frosting smear from the cake stand.
• Glue the bottom layer of your cake to the cake stand with a smudge of frosting, this will help keep your cake from sliding around in its stand.

Have fun making this grain-free vanilla winter cake and decorating it too! I had a blast creating my cake, and, of course it tasted fantastic as well. This gluten-free cake is easy to make and perfect for holidays or birthday celebrations! 

Where to Find the Ingredients 

• Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• Nutiva coconut flour
• Thrive Market cassava flour 
• Navitas coconut sugar
• Simple Mills vanilla frosting
• Supplies: parchment paper

Grain-free vanilla winter cake is simple, delicious, allergy friendly, and fun to decorate! I love the soft and fluffy texture of this cake, it’s just the way a gluten-free cake should be. The taste is amazing too, especially when you add some healthier toppings! Enjoy the holiday season and celebrations with this guilt free dessert!

If you like this vanilla cake, try my chocolate cake or carrot cake next! What’s your favorite cake flavor?

By Alexa