It’s my birthday tomorrow!! What better way to celebrate turning another year older than to my make myself a delicious gluten free celebration cake – yum!

Perfect for autumn, this birthday cake has a fluffy almond sponge, homemade blackberry chia jam and coconut frosting. The cake is then finished with fresh figs, blackberries and toasted almonds for extra autumnal vibes!

I’ve planned a couple of exciting things over my birthday week (who says turning 26 means no self-indulgent birthday celebrations?) Yesterday I went to London to see Harry Potter in concert – AKA the 1st HP film with a live orchestra. Yep, I’m a Harry Potter geek and proud! The concert was incredible and I don’t think I’ll be able to watch the films without an orchestra ever again!

Birthday celebrations

For my actual birthday tomorrow, I have a very chilled day planned. I’m going to make myself a huge stack of pancakes and potentially some brownies, watch Disney and have a lovely massage which I’ve booked in the afternoon. Bring on the pamper day!

Saturday is going to be another chilled out day as my parents are coming over for more celebrations. We’re going to head into Cambridge in the afternoon for a gluten free Honest Burger, which is my all time favourite burger place! My stomach may explode from too much food, but I think I’m ok with that!

Gluten Free Celebration Cake

Now, let’s get onto this delicious GF cake. Ideal for a birthday, dinner party or Macmillan coffee morning – it’s the go-to cake to make for any autumn celebration! The main components are;

Almond Sponge – this fluffy sponge is made predominately from ground almonds, which has a light nutty flavour. Coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract are other ingredients used in the sponge. Together they create a sweet and delicious base for this cake.

Blackberry Chia Jam – my personal favourite component in this recipe, I have wanted to create blackberry jam for so long and this seemed like the ideal time to make it! Chia jam is a healthier way to make jam, as it doesn’t have the high levels of sugar that a traditional recipe uses. I love the texture that chia seeds bring to the recipe, plus they help speed up the process!

Coconut Frosting – A super easy frosting to finish off any cake. Made using full fat coconut cream, the trick to this frosting is placing the cans in the fridge overnight. This causes the thick cream to separate from the liquid. This thick creamy part is the perfect base for frosting and ideal for whipping. However, I would recommend using an electric whisk as whipping by hand can be tedious (unless you’re a gym bunny of course!)

Adios whilst I go and celebrate my birthday – I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Looking to make a gluten free and vegan cake? My Lemon & Blueberry Almond Cake is delicious!

INGREDIENTS

Cake
450g ground almonds
150g plain gluten free flour
pinch salt
2 tsp baking powder
150g coconut oil
180ml honey/maple syrup
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

Coconut Frosting
2 x 400g tin of full-fat coconut milk (left in the fridge overnight)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp honey/maple syrup

Blackberry Chia Jam
250g blackberries, fresh or thawed frozen
3 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp honey/maple syrup

Toppings
Figs
Blackberries
Toasted flaked almonds
Rose petals

RECIPE

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160 fan and line two 20cm cake tins with greaseproof paper.
2. Combine the ground almonds, gluten free flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in a saucepan on very low heat until melted, then add the vanilla extract.
4. Transfer the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and add in the eggs. Once this is all combined you can transfer the mixture into your greased cake tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, covering with kitchen foil for the last 5-10 minutes so the top doesn’t burn.
5. Once out the oven, leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
6. To make the blackberry jam, add the blackberries and honey to a small pan and heat on a medium temperature until the berries start to break down – then add 1 tbsp water.
7. As you stir, mash the blackberries with a fork to completely break them up.
8. Stir in the chia seeds + the last tbsp of water and heat for another 5 mins until it starts to thicken.
9. Pour into a jar but leave the top off so it can fully cool – the mixture will thicken as it completely cools.
10. To make the coconut frosting, make sure you keep your coconut milk tins in the fridge overnight – this will cause the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery liquid at the bottom.
11. Open the tins upside down and pour out the coconut water (save this for porridge or smoothies – yum)
12. Scoop out the thick, creamy coconut mixture into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and maple syrup.
13. Use an electric whisk to whip up the coconut milk until light and fluffy.
14. Once the cakes are completely cool, spread a thick layer of blackberry chia jam on one cake, then top with half of the coconut frosting.
15. Place the other cake on top and finish with with rest of the coconut frosting.
16. I then topped with cake with fresh figs, blackberries, toasted flaked almonds and dried rose petals – enjoy!

Sophie x