Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cake

       So I originally came up with this creation for a custom order.  My boss wanted to have a special birthday cake made for her husband, who happens to be sensitive to gluten.  So, with just a few suggestions from her, I came up with a new cake which I hope will be an instant classic!  Who doesn’t like the combination of vanilla and caramel?  It got great reviews from their family so I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as they did!

       You'll need:

1 cup salted butter, softened

2 cup sugar

5 tsp vanilla extract

4 tsp butter flavor

1 tsp almond extract

4 eggs

3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

 

 2 Vanilla Beans

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two round 9” pans by greasing and flouring with gluten-free flour.

       

      In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in the sugar and extracts then continue whipping until fully creamed. Gradually add the eggs one at a time and mix well between each addition.

    

     On a small plate slice open two vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds. Whip into Batter and continue to stir until fully combine.

 

       In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Then stir into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the milk.

       Pour batter into prepared pans then bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center and the tops are a light golden brown.  Allow to cool fully before frosting.

 

 Caramel Crème Brulee Frosting

 1 cup heavy whipping cream

 2 tbsp powdered sugar

 1 4oz container mascarpone cheese

 1 tsp vanilla extract

  ½ tbsp caramel syrup

       In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, and about a third of the mascarpone cheese then whip on high until fully mixed.  Add in the caramel syrup and another third of the cheese then whip some more. Add in the remaining cheese and whip all the ingredients until fluffy and smooth.

       To assemble, spread a generous amount of cream onto the top of one of the cakes then drizzle lightly with additional caramel sauce.  Stack the next cake on top of the cream filling.  

     Then finish frosting the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the icing.  As a final touch, drizzle the top with a bit more caramel syrup and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Serve and enjoy!

     The nice thing about a classic recipe like this is you can decorate it however you would like.  This would make a great birthday or special occasion cake, whether or not you are trying to eliminate gluten from your diet.  If you try this cake and decide to decorate it, send us your pics so we can feature your creativity on the blog!