The days are getting shorter and the nights chillier, fall is definitely upon us in Ontario; you can feel it, see it and even smell it. We had a fire last night in our wood burning fire place! I even put closed toe shoes on today. I say it every year: I’M NOT READY!!! Is it just me or do you also feel that time is even a bit faster these days — where did the summer go?
Several friends and family have now gone gluten free, some by choice and some by necessity. Even at our house we try to limit our Gluten intake, so I’m always on the lookout for new gluten free, beautiful and tasty dessert recipes.
My friend Charlie at Hotly Spiced made this wonderful Gluten Free Sour Cherry Cake a while back and I knew I had to make it as soon as I saw her post! Thanks Charlie! The cake is moist, and the texture is perfect. It reminded me a little of a semolina cake, but with a finer texture. I usually have a dislike to the flavour of gluten free flours, so I made a few alterations which worked out famously; I added lemon rind, lemon essence and because I was short on butter, substituted cream cheese for the missing weight — I hope you don’t mind Charlie! It was absolutely wonderful and it’s going on my list of ‘Go-To’ Gluten Free desserts!
Gluten Free Cherry Cake
Serves 6-8 from an 20 cm or 8″ spring form pan
Ingredients:
- 75 g softened butter
- 25 g softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup castor sugar (super fine sugar, but not icing sugar)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 lemon rind
- 1/2 tsp lemon essence
- 2 free-range eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup GF flour
- 3/4 tsp GF baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 37 g almond meal
- 1 tbsp buttermilk (or cow’s milk)
- 1 cup cherries
Directions:
- Pre-heat your oven to 180° C (375° F).
- Prepare a 20 cm (8 inch) spring form pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until they are as white and fluffy as can be (this takes several minutes). Once you’ve reach the light fluffy consistency, gradually add sugar. then add the vanilla and continue to beat until incorporated. Add the egg and beat in until well combined.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and using a wooden spoon, mix into the butter fluff. Then fold in the almond meal and buttermilk.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
- Drain the cherries then scatter across the top of the cake. (No need to be decorative as they will sink during the cooking process).
- Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes or when your cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
- Serve with dusted icing sugar and cherry sauce (or ice cream, whipped cream etc.
Where were you Eva when I was baking gluten free? One of my kids was allergic to gluten — or so we thought and back in the days there were no scrumptious recipes like this. I wish I would have thought of almond meal…
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Hi Zsuzsa, gluten free has come a long way, the options are endless. I prefer almond meal to any gluten free alternative flour, I just don’t care for the smell of the GF flours.
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I am definitely making this for my friends when they come for dinner. She often complains about the lack of excitement in GF desserts. This should wow her! 🙂
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I was rather impressed with the dessert Kristy, and I am of the mind that I will not make separate things for my guests to help make them feel included. The cake was really delicious enough to serve to everyone! I was very pleased that her hubby loved it enough to have seconds!
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Looks like a wonderful,fluffy and guilt free treat!
Thanks for the inspiration Eva, now I know what to serve to my friends who have to stick to a Gluten free diet.
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Thank you kindly Daniella. My friend’s hubby (who is not GF) loved it so much he had seconds!
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What a lovely looking cake! I’m also curious about the specific grains used (there are so many types of gf grains and they all behave differently in baking this one looks so moist!) I know you used a mix but was it Bob’s Red Mill or something else? The cherry must taste delightful and so pretty looking too. I don’t know, seems to me that you guys have been getting pretty beautiful fall weather of late — sunny and mid-twenties, sounds like California! 🙂
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Hi Kelly, I did indeed use Bob’s Red Mill, I’ve had such good success with many of their products and they don’t entirely break the bank.
We sat out on the porch with a glass of wine last night, it was beautiful weather. Mid February I’ll be very envious of you.
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What a gorgeous slice! It’s nice to have another wonderful gluten free dessert option…all I can ever come up with is a flourless chocolate cake. Your cherry cake looks so tasty 🙂
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Thank you kindly Liz, I’d take your flourless chocolate cake any day of the week!
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Hi Eva, did you find that the cake goes dry quite quickly? (or maybe it didn’t last that long? :D). The GF cake I made a few weeks ago was so dry by even the next day… had to use it for trifle then (which was also delicious though, so no loss! :D).
This looks like a great cake – anything with cherries gets a big thumbs-up from me! Which gluten free flour did you use… or is it just one which is sold as “gf flour”? I have a hard time even finding something like rye flour in France, so not sure if I could see something like gluten free flour!
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Hi Charles, thank you for your comment. The cake was not at all dry and to be honest, we actually did not eat it until about 4 days after I made it. We were supposed to have it the next day but I came down with a menacing migraine and had to cancel. I think the almond flour is what kept it moist. But using it for trifle is a very clever idea, I shall bank it for when something like that happens to me.
I would send you a bag of the flour if it wasn’t so darn heavy! I just mailed a little something to a friend that literally cost me $1.25 and it was about 20 g and was almost $10 to mail! Ridiculous! There are several blogs that talk about making your own GF flour, but unless you have someone who is gluten intolerant, I wouldn’t bother.
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That’s one wonderful looking cake. When I bake something gluten free, I tend to go with almond flour only, and it works really nicely.
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Thank you kindly Gourmantine, 100% almond meal may make the cake too dense in my opinion.
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Signs of Fall are starting to appear here, too, Eva, and I’m no more prepared for it than you are. I don’t mind Autumn it’s what comes next that I could do without. Gluten-free or not, this is one gorgeous cake that you baked and if it has sour cherries, I’m sure to love it!
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Thank you John your words are always so flattering and lovely. I know what you mean about the weather, even though it’s been sunny in our parts you can smell Autumn in the air, there is just a hint of chill in the wind. And the squirrels are going nuts gathering themselves for the winter.
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gluten free wouldn;t be so hard if you could eat this everyday! I LOVE IT
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Thanks Jessica, it’s got a great texture.
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What a pretty cake, I am not eating exclusively gluten-free but trying to cut back as well. I noticed Robin Hood even makes a gluten-free flour now, have you tried it yet? It’ll be way more affordable than that Cup4Cup that I saw at W Sonoma! It’s cold as you know what here too, summer did blow right away, didn’t it!?
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Hi Barbara, I hadn’t seen the Robin Hood variety yet, I’ll keep my eyes open. I have seen various organic gluten free flours and you’re right, they are absurdly expensive, probably even more so at WS! Although I do love to go into that store just to ogle the lovely things.
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Oh how I love this recipe…. cherry cake is a favourite! You gals are the best!
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Thank you kindly Lizzy, the Hungarian Cherry Squares are my brother’s all time favourite cake, so when he started to eat gluten free, I thought he would have to give up a favourite. With this tasty recipe, he can have his cake and eat it too!
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Charlie makes wonderful gluten free cakes! She made a fabulous hummingbird cake that was also dairy free-she used Swiss meringue for the top 😀
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I remember her hummingbird cake Lorraine, I love anything with meringue and toasted coconut. I may have to try making that cake one of these days too.
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I’m so glad you made this cake, Eva. I was so happy with it and it was certainly gobbled up quickly around here. The best thing is, you’re really not aware you’re eating a GF cake – it just tastes like any other cake which is fabulous. I don’t mind a bit that you tinkered with the recipe! xx
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Thank you kindly Charlie, I have yet to find a gluten free flour that doesn’t have a very stinky smell. I agree that it totally tastes like a ‘normal’ cake. I know this recipe will become a family favourite from now on.
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Mmm….I would like a piece right now with some coffee 🙂
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Thank you kindly Lilly Sue.
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I once tried Nigella’s gluten free-cake using oranges and almond meal and it was quite yummy! I am yet to try other GF flours though. This looks great 🙂 Almond and cherries are delicious together 😛
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I’ve made almond meal based cakes before and they can be a bit heavy, the GF flour lightens up the batter a little. Thanks for your comment, I’m going to try to find Nigella’s recipe.
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This is such a beautiful cake, gluten free too. I have a neighbor who has been looking for gluten free recipes, I will forward it to her.
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Looks like a beautiful cake, Eva! I try to avoid gluten when I can so this will be a nice addition to our dessert menu the next time we’re craving cake – and cherries (a winning combination any day)!
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Thank you Michela, my BF’s husband had seconds, and he is a VERY selective eater. I’m going to make it again for Thanksgiving with more cherries.
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Eva, your cake looks so soft, moist and delicious, I cannot believe it’s anything-free 😉 I have a friend who is no on gluten-free diet and it is a big problem to go out for a dinner, especially since she doesn’t like Asian food (good Asian restaurants are however the only places where most dishes are gluten-free) but rather pizza, pasta or hamburgers (can you hear my big, big sigh? 😉 ).
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Hi Sissi, thank you for your lovely compliment. Gluten Free diets are so common that even pizza and pasta restaurants offer gluten free options here (for mor money, of course). But it’s difficult to find good substitutes, gluten free pizza often tastes like cardboard. I limit my processed flour intake so that means I usually don’t order pasta or bread dishes when I go out. Even though I am not gluten intolerant, I find limiting or omitting is easier to digest. And, I adore rice noodles so if I have a pasta craving I just make a rice noodle soup.
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I agree here, your lovely cake needs more cherries,…Cherry season is already over here in Belgium,…deep sigh! 😦
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Hi Sophie, I used cherries preserved in a light syrup but next time I will add more if them for sure.
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ooh yeah, so I can make this tasty looking cake! Yum Yum Yum!
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Who could tell that’s gluten free!! The texture is perfect.
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Thank you Angie, it was quite tasty indeed.
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The cake doesn’t look like the sort of flat, dry creation that I thought it would being GF. I didn’t know there was gluten in baking powder.
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Hi Maria, apparently there is so I usually buy it from our health food store in the village. I don’t even keep regular baking powder around anymore.
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i was hoping this subbed in almond meal. Sounds delish even though i typically love my gluten 🙂
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There is a little almond meal in the recipe which I’m sure adds to its delicate texture. Too much would surely make a heavy and possibly greasy cake.
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You are not alone. I too am not ready for summer to end and not sure where the year went. Two questions:
1. Why not sift the almond meal together with the flour?
2. What kind of cherries – fresh, frozen or canned?
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Hi Norma, I’m not sure why the recipe added the almond meal like that, perhaps folding incorporates more air?
I used preserved cherries in a light syrup, sometimes they are a from Poland but I think this jar was from Hungary. Fresh or frozen would probably work too.
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It definitely looks and feels like fall here in New Hampshire and yes, time seems to be flying by. Your cake looks lovely and I’m sure your friends will appreciate your effort to serve them a gluten free dessert.
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