Gluten Free Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
This is the ultimate strawberry shortcake layer cake! Strawberry cake filled with strawberries and cream, topped with cream cheese buttercream!
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 500kcal
Equipment
- Four 6-inch round cake pans
- Electric mixer
- Piping bags and tips
- Cake scraper
Ingredients
For the cake layers:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 3/4 Cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Cup white sugar
- 1 Cup pureed fresh strawberries
- pink food coloring optional
- 1 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum)
- 1/2 Cup sweet rice flour
- 1/2 Cup arrowroot starch
- 1/2 Cup packed blanched almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup sifted powdered freeze dried strawberries
For the cake filling:
- 1 Cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- fresh sliced strawberries
- 1/2 Cup pureed fresh strawberries
For the frosting:
- 1 1/2 Cups salted butter room temperature
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese
- 3-4 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1/3 Cup heavy cream
- 1 Cup white chocolate chips
- pink food coloring
- 10-11 fresh strawberries
- 1/2 Cup white chocolate chips for dipping
Instructions
To make the cake layers:
- First, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease four 6-inch round cake pans with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sour cream, vanilla, sugar, pureed strawberries, and food coloring. Add in the flours, starches, baking powder and soda, salt, and sifted, powdered freeze dried strawberries. Whisk everything until smooth, then scoop batter into each of the four pans to ensure each pan has an equal amount. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely before turning out and slicing off any round tops of the cake (cakes should be flat).
To make the filling:
- Beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl until thicker, then add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until medium peaks form. Set aside for filling. Then slice 4-5 strawberries for layering in between each cake layer. Puree remaining strawberries and set aside.
- Then make the cream cheese buttercream. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter for 4-5 minutes until whiter and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth, then scoop frosting into a piping bag and prep your cake decorating materials.
To construct the cake:
- Place one cake layer on a cake board or tray, and start by piping a ring of cream cheese buttercream and spread to cover the layer. Place a layer of sliced strawberries on layer, topped by a spoonful of pureed strawberries, and 2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream. Add the second cake layer and repeat until stack is complete. Then crumb coat the cake with more cream cheese buttercream. Freeze entire cake for 1-2 hours before removing and frosting the cake with the final layer of cream cheese buttercream. Freeze entire cake again while you prep the topping.
- To make the drip: in a heat proof bowl, heat the 1/3 cup of cream until hot, then add the 1 cup of white chocolate chips and let sit for 2-3 minutes until melted. Stir together until ganache forms, and add food coloring until desired color is reached. Pour into a piping bag and chill for 5-10 minutes before piping on the cake as a drip.
- Once the drip has been piped onto the top of the frozen cake, return to freezer for 30 minutes. Finally, melt remaining white chocolate chips in a mug, stir until completely melted, and dip the 10-11 final strawberries in the chocolate and place on waxed paper and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Remove cake from the freezer and pipe dollops of cream cheese buttercream in a ring around the top of the cake, then place a white chocolate covered strawberry on each dollop. Then serve!