It was my birthday this week, and I am a self-professed cake addict! So what is a girl gone grain free to do when she misses her traditional spice cake, comes from an artisanal baking background, and wants something fancy for her birthday dessert? Well it’s been on my to do list to make a celebration cake recipe of my own for a few years now, and I finally did, with some inspiration from some of my favorite traditional baking books and my love of blackberries!

I made this cake with three layers. The recipe is written for individual layers so that you have the option to make two or three layers for your cake depending on how many servings you need. Three layers makes the cake look more impressive and serves twelve people, two layers will serve eight.

Grain Free Spice Cake with Dairy Free Maple Buttercream and Blackberry Swirl

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350º degrees F.

Grease 8″ cake pans with organic shortening, and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut into a circle to fit the pan. I do this by setting the pan on top of the parchment and drawing a circle around the outside of the pan with a pencil and then cutting out the circle.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup of Coconut Flour

3 Pastured Eggs

1/3 Cup of Coconut Milk

1/4 Cup of Applesauce (no sugar added)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup

1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of fine Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Cloves

1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon of Fresh Lemon Juice (this is added at the end to activate the baking soda)

Directions:

Add the eggs and coconut milk to a mixing bowl. Beat with a hand held electric mixer. Add the remaining wet ingredients except the lemon juice, and mix with for one minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients in two batches to the wet ingredients, mixing for one minute after each addition. Finally, add the fresh lemon juice and mix for approximately 30 seconds. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Cool on a wire rack for five minutes before removing the cake from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Blackberry Syrup

You can make the syrup up to three days in advance. But you can also make it on the day you bake the cake. It is straightforward and cools quickly.

Ingredients:

1 pint of fresh blackberries

1/4 cup of honey

pinch of salt

Directions:

Reserve seven blackberries for the top of the cake. Place the remaining blackberries, honey and pinch of salt into a small saucepan, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the blackberries, honey and salt for ten minutes on the stove. Using a fine mesh sieve and a bowl, pour the blackberries into the sieve over the bowl, and gently press the juices into the bowl. Discard the pulp and seeds. Cool in the refrigerator or let cool at room temperature. Set aside for when you are ready to decorate the top of the cake. You will want to make sure it is completely cool before swirling in on the top of your frosting.

Dairy Free Maple Buttercream

The inspiration for this buttercream comes from Joanne Chang owner of Boston’s Flour Bakery!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Maple Sugar

6 Egg Whites

1 1/2 Cups of Organic Shortening

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions:

In a medium metal mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and maple sugar. Place the pan on top of a simmering pot of water to create a double boiler. The water should be about 4 inches deep and not able to touch the bowl with the egg slurry in it. Whisk the egg and sugar occasionally for about 6 to 8 minutes until it is hot to the touch. It should be 160º degrees. I used a thermometer to test.

Pour the egg and sugar into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, or you can use a hand-held mixer. Whip on medium-high until you get a beautiful white fluffy meringue. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the shortening to the meringue one dollop at a time (about a tablespoon) until all the shortening is incorporated into the meringue. Increase the speed back to medium, and beat for 2 to 3 additional minutes. The buttercream should be smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes.

It you are not using the buttercream within 30 minutes, refrigerate until you are ready to do so, and then fluff it with the mixer before spreading onto the cake.

Now, get your blackberry syrup and lets frost! Your cake is cooled right?

To frost the cake. Place a dollop of frosting on your cake stand, and place the first cake round on top of it. This helps keep the cake in place. Spread frosting on the first layer out to the edges. Place the second layer on top, and repeat if you are using a third layer. Place the last layer on the cake and then with an offset spatula frost the sides of the cake as you turn the stand. Now, frost the top of the cake. After the cake is frosted the way you like it, place small spoonfuls of the blackberry syrup artfully around the cake. Make the marbled design by drawing the sharp tip of a knife through the syrup repeatedly from one side to the other and through your syrup dollops to create a marbling effect. Let your inner artist shine! 🙂 Top with the reserved blackberries. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve it.

It’s time to celebrate!!!