Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Red Pear, Fennel, & Honey
Gluten free lemon olive oil cake, brushed with a lemon cake soak, filled with red pear and fennel compote and frosted in burnt honey Italian meringue buttercream. The Virgo cake.
This was a cake I developed back in September as a commission for a gluten-free Virgo birthday cake. As for all of my astrology cakes, I look at the traditional correspondences in terms of colors, vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc, as the foundation. For Virgo, I utilized fennel, green, and general autumnal offerings.
I typically do not engage in gluten-free baking and have developed an insurmountable amount of respect for those who do after the multiple trials executed for this cake. I landed on adapting an existing recipe by Eat With Clarity. Her lemon cake was the best I had tested. I made a few small ingredient swaps but, overall, the recipe remains the same. I’ve written it out below for simplicity’s sake.
The compote for this cake is a very wholesome red pear and fennel compote. When processing the fennel bulb, be sure to remove the core and outer layers, as they are very tough and will not break down effectively. This compote takes a bit longer to cook due to the fibrous nature of its ingredients, but it is well worth the wait! If desired, some warming spices could be added to the compote for some added depth. I suggest cinnamon.
The buttercream for this cake is a burnt honey Italian meringue buttercream. Honey is used in place of the sugar syrup, adding a rich, ambrosial depth to the final product. You can use whatever honey you prefer here but know that the flavor of the honey will be the flavor of your buttercreams so select one you enjoy. I went for a Grade A dark amber.
To decorate this cake, I used a halved red pear (brush with lemon juice to prevent oxidation!) and some foraged greens but feel free to do whatever you’d like!
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Red Pear, Fennel, & Honey
Makes one 6-inch triple tier cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
3 eggs, room temperature
350g granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon zest
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cup whole milk (or dairy free milk alternative)
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup lemon juice
410g gluten-free all purpose baking flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
95g almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
For the cake soak:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
For the compote:
1 red pear, peeled and chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar, more if desired
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Pinch of salt
For the buttercream:
1 batch of Honey Italian Meringue Buttercream
Method:
For the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Grease and line 3 6-inch cake tins with extra virgin olive oil and parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the lemon zest and granulated sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your hands.
Add the eggs, olive oil, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until fully combined. You don’t need to worry much about over-mixing here as there is no gluten.
Once mixed, pour the batter into your prepared baking pans.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, invert the cakes from the tins, remove the parchment, and allow to cool completely before decorating.
For the cake soak:
Combine all ingredients in a heatproof bowl or mug.
Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until sugar has completely dissolved.
Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. (You can also make this in a small saucepan on the stovetop but I’ve found this method to be faster and easier with an identical result.)
For the compote:
In a small saucepan over high heat, add the chopped fennel, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer.
Simmer for 15 minutes until the fennel begins to soften.
Add the pear, turn up the heat, and bring the mixture back up to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 20 minutes until the fruit has broken down. You can adjust this cooking time depending on how intact you wish the compote to be (less time = more intact).
Once you are happy with the consistency of your compote, place in a heatproof bowl and cool until ready to use. Be sure the compote is fully cooled before assembling.
For the buttercream:
Follow the recipe as written. Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly:
On a cake board or serving platter, place your first layer of cake.
Brush the sponge liberally with the lemon cake soak.
Add a scoop of your buttercream and spread evenly across your layer of cake.
Create a dam around the outside rim of the cake layer by either piping or indenting the buttercream with an offset spatula. The dam is essential to keep the filling from spilling out the sides (unless that is what you are looking for aesthetically).
Add a spoonful of your compote into the center of the cake, spreading with a spoon to create an even layer.
Place your next layer of cake. Press down gently.
Repeat steps 21-25.
Place your last layer of cake on top.
Add a large scoop of buttercream to the top of the cake. Spread the buttercream across the entire top and sides of the cake in a thin, even layer to create a crumb coat.
Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes so the crumb coat can harden.
Add another scoop of buttercream and proceed to decorate as your heart desires. Enjoy!
