My favorite birthday cake has always been vanilla cake with strawberry banana filling and whipped cream frosting. When a gluten free bakery opened in town several years ago, I was very excited to get my birthday cake there. It looked beautiful but the cake was very disappointing, dry and dense.
This year I decided to bake my own. With the "1 to 1" gluten free baking flourblends available, baking gluten free is much easier now. You don't have to buy all the different flours and mix them, it's already done for you. I have used Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1and Pillsbury 1 to 1, with great results. My husband never went back for seconds when I baked gluten free in the past, now he can't tell the difference and politely leaves me the last piece.
Since I prefer vanilla over chocolate any time, I made a basic yellow cake,(simple layer cake from Martha Stewart), filled it with fresh strawberries, bananas and whipped cream. It tasted just like I remember cake should taste :)
Vanilla Cake Printable Recipe
(Makes 2-8" round layers)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups gluten free flour 1 to 1 blend (Bob's Red Mill or Pillsbury)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
Filling
Fresh strawberries, sliced
1 Banana, sliced
Frosting
1 pint Heavy cream
2 tbsps powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 -8 inch round cake pans. Whisk together four, baking powder, salt. Beat butter and sugar with mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs and beat well. Reduce speed and gradually add flour until combined. Add milk and vanilla and beat until combined. Divide batter between 2 pans. Bake until golden 33 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until thickened and forms soft peaks.
Assembly:
Mix sliced strawberries and bananas into 1 cup of whipped cream, spread on 1 cake layer. Place 2nd cake layer on top. Frost top and sides with remaining whipped cream.
