Gluten-free Cake | Renee Loves DIY

If you have been checking my latest posts, you would have found a delicious, easy to make and super quick chocolate ganache cake. Today’s post is that same cake in a tasty lemon version. The cake itself is made in the microwave and it is enough for 4 people to have the perfect size piece of cake or for one person to eat it all!

This cake is made, once again, from my favorite baking mix – Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix. This is such a versatile mix! I use it for pancakes, muffins, bread, cookies and cakes!

Here is the recipe so you can make your own!

Gluten-free Lemon Cake

1 egg
1 tsp oil (I use coconut oil!)
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 &1/2 tablespoons of sugar
Mix the above ingredients until well blended.

Ingredients for a gluten-free lemon cake!

In a small bowl, mix the following dry ingredients:
1/3 cup Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
1 teaspoon baking powder

Blend the dry ingredients with the egg mixture and using a spatula, transfer the batter to a microwavable bowl. I used a 2 cup ramekin, which worked really well, since the sides are straight and that allowed me to easily slice the cake to create a layered cake! Place in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.

Remove the ramekin from the microwave. It will be very hot! Loosen the sides of the cake and turn it over onto a cooling rack. If it looks like the bottom of the cake is not quite done, just place it back in the ramekin and microwave a little longer! It sounds crazy, but it works!

After the cake has cooled, slice it into three layers.

Slice the gluten-free lemon cake into thirds!

Now for the good stuff! I layered my cake with lemon filling that I prepared using the following recipe. If you don’t wish to take the time to make your own lemon filling, pick up a jar of lemon curd at the grocery store. The lemon curd from a jar is rather stiff therefore, I would warm it slightly in the microwave before using.

Lemon filling – this recipe comes from a Betty Crocker Cookbook my roommate gave me many years ago! On the front flap she left a message about using it when I am “feeling domestic”! As you can see from my blog, I have been feeling very domestic lately!

Clear Lemon Filling
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup lemon juice

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Slowly add the water and cook over medium heat; stir constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest, butter and lemon juice. Let cool in the refrigerator.

After your lemon filling has cooled, spread it between your layers of cake. Stack the cake layers then cover the entire cake with the lemon filling. Enjoy!

Last week, we had a family birthday to celebrate and I needed a small, gluten-free cake that I could make in an hour without using the oven. It was 90 plus degrees out and turning on an oven was the last thing I wanted to do. Amazingly enough, after a quick internet search, I was able to make it happen!

Coming to my rescue was none other than my favorite baking mix – Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix . I have said it before and I’ll say it again – I love this mix. I use it for pancakes, muffins, cookies and now cake!

On Pamela’s website, I found a recipe for bread that was prepared in the microwave! I tried the recipe and it worked fabulously! I was shocked, excited, and absolutely thrilled. I knew if I could make bread in the microwave, I could make cake.

Using the Amazing Bread in about a Minute recipe as a starting point, I added a few additional ingredients and created a recipe for the beautiful cake you see before you!

Chocolate Ganache Gluten-free Cake

1 egg
1 tsp oil (I use coconut oil!)
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 &1/2 tablespoons of sugar
Using a fork, mix the above ingredients until well blended.

In a small bowl mix, the following dry ingredients:
1/3 cup Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Blend the dry ingredients with the egg mixture and using a spatula transfer the batter to a microwavable bowl. I used a 2 cup ramekin, which worked really well, since the sides are straight and that allowed me to easily slice the cake to create a layered cake! Place in the microwave for 2 minutes on high.

Pour cake batter into microwaveable dish

After the cake has cooled, slice it into three layers.

Prepare the ganache. Heat one cup of cream and 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Allow the cream & chocolate chips to gently heat then stir until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla and allow the ganache to cool.

To create an extra glossy ganache add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup with the vanilla.