gluten-free summer cake

A gluten-free cake base often has a reputation for being dense, dry or crumbly – but not this one. By balancing the flours in a completely new way, you get a base that's exactly as tall, light and springy as a classic sponge cake should be.

The secret is a hand-picked, naturally gluten-free flour combination of wholegrain oats, durra and millet. Instead of empty starch, we bake with pure, nutritious ingredients packed with natural protein, gut-friendly dietary fibre, iron and important B vitamins. This gives a wonderfully rich flavour and moist texture that keeps your tummy happy and your fullness steady. Together with a silky vanilla cream thickened with tapioca and a tangy strawberry and rhubarb compote, this becomes the absolute success cake of the summer – just as good for your taste buds as it is smart for your body!

Ingredients

Cake base:

• 120 g da Carla EKO oat flour
• 50 g da Carla EKO tapioca flour
• 50 g da Carla Eko durramjöl
• 25 g da Carla EKO millet flour (or more durramjöl)
• 180 g caster sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 65 g butter (or neutral rapeseed oil for an even less crumbly base)
• 75 g (3/4 dl) boiling water
• 2,5 tsk baking powder
• 1,5 tsk vanilla sugar
• Optional but recommended: 0,5 tsk xanthan gum (approx. 2 g) in the flour mixture for an extra stable structure that crumbles less.

Vanilla cream:

• 4 1/2 dl standard milk (or e.g. iKaffe)
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 dl caster sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1/2 dl (approx. 30–35 g) da Carla tapioca flour
• 1 real vanilla pod (or real vanilla powder)

Strawberry & Rhubarb Compote:

• 250 g strawberries and rhubarb, in pieces
• 1/2 dl caster sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 tsk fresh lemon juice
• 0,5 tsk da Carla tapioca flour + 1 msk cold water

Decoration:

• 3–4 dl whipping cream (plus possibly a dash of vanilla sugar)
• Fresh berries, fruit and mint

Method

• Preheat the oven to 175 °C with top and bottom heat and place the rack in the lower part of the oven. Prepare baking paper for the bottom of the springform tin and grease the sides thoroughly.
• Whisk the eggs and caster sugar with an electric whisk in a clean bowl for at least 8 minutes on high speed until it forms a completely white, thick and really fluffy foam.
• Weigh out the oat flour, tapioca starch, durramjöl, millet flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and any xanthan gum in a separate bowl and stir well with a fork. Sift the flour mixture into the egg foam through a fine-mesh sieve and fold the batter gently with big, airy movements using a spatula until all the flour has just been incorporated. (Don't use an electric whisk here as it will knock the air out of the eggs.)
• Melt the butter (or measure out the oil) and mix it directly with the boiling water in a heatproof glass. Pour the hot liquid into the batter, fold quickly but gently with the spatula until smooth, and then let the batter rest in the bowl for 3–5 minutes so the flour has time to absorb the liquid.
• Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 35–40 minutes. Don't open the oven door during the first 30 minutes. Test with a skewer in the centre of the cake to make sure it comes out completely dry before you remove it and let it cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. Then place the cake in the freezer for 30–45 minutes before cutting it into three layers, as this will make it crumble much less.
• Make the vanilla cream by splitting the vanilla pod, scraping out the seeds and bringing them and the pod (or the vanilla powder) to the boil together with the milk in a saucepan. Set aside and let it infuse for 5 minutes, then remove the pod. Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and tapioca starch smooth in a bowl. Pour the hot milk in a thin stream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly, pour everything back into the saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the cream thickens properly and the first heavy bubble appears. Remove immediately from the heat, whisk vigorously for a minute to remove any stringiness, pour into a clean bowl and let cool completely in the fridge with cling film pressed directly onto the surface of the cream.
• Make the compote by bringing the strawberries, rhubarb, caster sugar and lemon juice to the boil in a saucepan for approx. 5 minutes. Stir the tapioca starch into the cold water, drizzle the mixture into the simmering compote while stirring and let it cook for a further 30 seconds. Let it cool completely in the fridge.
• Assemble the cake by whisking the cold vanilla cream so it becomes smooth again. Place the bottom cake layer in the base of the clean springform tin (with the sides attached). Spread half the compote and half the vanilla cream over the base, add the next layer and repeat the filling, then finish with the last layer as a lid. Cover the tin with cling film and let the cake settle and become moist in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, run a thin knife along the inside of the springform tin before releasing the sides. Whip the cream until stiff. First spread a thin, almost transparent layer of cream around the whole cake to lock in any loose crumbs, and let the cake sit in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then simply spread the rest of the cream in a beautiful, thick layer and decorate with plenty of fresh summer berries, fruit and mint.