gluten-free summer cake

A gluten-free cake base often has a reputation for turning out compact, dry or crumbly – but not this one. By balancing the flour types 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, sorghum and millet. Instead of empty starch, we bake with pure, nutrient-rich ingredients that are 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 stomach happy and your fullness stable. Together with a silky vanilla cream thickened with tapioca and a tangy strawberry and rhubarb compote, this becomes the ultimate success cake of the summer – just as good for your taste buds as it is smart for your body!

Ingredients

Cake base:

• 120 gda Carla EKO Havremjöl
• 50 gda Carla EKO Tapiokamjöl
• 50 gda Carla Eko Durramjöl
• 25 gda Carla EKO Hirsmjöl (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 Tapiokamjöl
• 1 real vanilla pod (or real vanilla powder)

Strawberry & Rhubarb Compote:

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

Decoration:

• 3–4 dl whipping cream (plus a splash of vanilla sugar, if you like)
• Fresh berries, fruit and mint

Method

• Set 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 base 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 you get a completely white, thick and really fluffy foam.
• Weigh out the oat flour, tapioca starch, durramjöl, millet flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and, if using, 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 gently fold the batter with large, 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, quickly but gently fold with the spatula until smooth, 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. Check with a skewer in the centre of the cake to make sure it comes out completely dry before you take it out 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, so it crumbles much less.
• Make the vanilla cream by splitting the vanilla pod, scraping out the seeds and bringing them and the pod (or vanilla powder) to the boil together with the milk in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and let it infuse for 5 minutes, then remove the pod. Whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and tapioca starch until smooth in a bowl. Pour the warm 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 get rid of any stringiness, pour into a clean bowl and let cool completely in the fridge with cling film pressed directly against 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 to make it smooth again. Place the bottom cake layer in the base of the clean springform tin (with the ring attached). Spread half the compote and half the vanilla cream over the layer, add the next layer and repeat the filling, finishing 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 ring. 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 stand 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.