Gluten-free cakes have had a bad wrap over the years but not anymore my friends. This Gluten-free Almond Sponge Cake is layered with whipped cream, fresh fruit, passionfruit and lemon zest. It is a super moist cake made with almond meal and whipped eggs with fresh pops of flavour all through it. For the final flourish, Swiss meringue covers the cake and is toasted to create extra drama. After the first bite of this keke (cake), I just know you will make it again and again.
Keke Kōpungapunga (sponge cake) is hands down my husband's favourite cake to eat. I love them too but he definitely wins in that department. I created this Gluten-free Almond Sponge Cake for my daughter, Hanaia's birthday. Everyone loved it so much so I made it again for our New Year's dinner for our whānau (family) and friends. The feedback was so good, I just had to share it with you all!
A breakdown of the Gluten-free Almond Sponge recipe:
Start the recipe by browning the pata (butter), which adds a savoury undertone to the keke (cake). Now seperate the hēki (eggs) and whip the tōhua hēki (egg yolks) with some huka (sugar). Then peru oneone (ground almonds) and puehu kānga (cornflour) are sifted in. Fold it until combined and then fold through a merenge (meringue), made from the kahu hēki (egg whites). Finally, divide the mixture between the two cakes and bake until golden and puffy. Cool and then use the keke (cakes) as you wish!
Decorating the keke (cake):
How you decorate this keke (cake) is completely up to you. I start with my simple Stable Whipped Cream recipe and then add layers of flavour. Use cherries if they are in season for their delicious texture and flavour. If they are out of season, replace with thin slices of your favourite fruit, canned plums or a store-bought fruit compote. Add ranu kōhia (passionfruit sauce) and grate over kiri rēmana (lemon zest) for brightness. Leave it like that and top it with your favourite fruit or add Swiss Meringue on top of the kirīmi (cream) to create a little flair.
Other cake recipes to try:
Do you want a keke tiakarete (chocolate cake) but need it to be gluten-free? I have you covered! Try my Gluten-free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, filled with rich hazelnuts, chocolate buttercream and boysenberries. Maybe you want to create a Forerro Rocher style keke tiakarete (chocolate cake)? Try my Chocolate Hazelnut Cake for flavours of hazelnuts and Nutella.
Maybe it is the flavour of ārani (orange) calling your name? Awesome, check out my Whole Orange Almond Cake or my Plum, Citrus and Almond Cake. Have fun with these recipes and flavours and make them your own. Me tunu keke tātou – let’s bake some cake!
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Gluten-free Almond Sponge Cake - Keke Kōpunga Aramona Kore-Wīti
Ingredients
Almond Sponge Cake - Keke Kōpungapunga Aramona
- 90 g pata (butter)
- 6 hēki (eggs, size 6 eggs)
- ⅔ C (150 g) huka one (caster sugar)
- ½ teaspoon tote
- 1 tablespoon wanira
- 2 C (240 g) peru oneone (ground almonds)
- ⅓ C (40 g) C puehu kānga (cornflour)
- ¾ teaspoon pēkana paura (baking powder)
- ⅓ C (75 g) huka one (caster sugar)
The Cream - Te Kirīmi (My Stable Whipped Cream recipe)
- 1 ⅔ C (400 ml) kirīmi (cream, chilled)
- ½ C (100 g) marscapone (chilled)
- ½ tablespoon ½ tbsp wanira (vanilla)
- ⅓ C (55 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
Condiments - Ngā Kīnaki
- 28 (300 g) tieri (cherries, fresh) If cherries are not in season you can used bottled cherries, fresh or canned fruit or store bought fruit compote.
- 6 tbsp ranu kōhia (passionfruit syrup, store-bought)
- Kiri rēmana (lemon zest, of 1 ½ lemons)
Swiss Meringue - Tāhungahunga Swiss (optional)
- 1 quantity Swiss Meringue
Instructions
Almond Sponge Cake - Keke Kōpungapunga Aramona
- Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees, fan bake.Grease two 20 cm sponge or cake tins with butter and line with baking paper on the base and up the sides.
- Add the pata (butter) to a medium size pot and melt over medium heat. Continue heating until the pata (butter) is foamy and brown bits float to the top, stirring occasionally. Keep it on the heat (for an extra 30 seconds) until it smells nutty.
- Remove from the heat, pour in to a small bowl and leave to cool.
- Separate the hēki (eggs). Add the tōhua hēki (egg yolks) in to a large bowl and the kahu hēki (egg whites) in to a medium bowl.
- Add the first measure of huka one (caster sugar), wanira (vanilla) and tote (salt) in to the bowl of tōhua hēki (egg yolks). Whip it all on high for 3 minutes until thick, fluffy and pale in colour.
- Sift in the peru oneone (almond meal), puehu kānga (cornflour) and pēkana paura (baking powder). Fold it together. The mixture will be quite tight at this stage but trust me, it will be ok!
- Add the second measure of huka one (caster sugar) in to the kahu hēki (egg whites) that you prepared earlier. Whip it for 3 - 4 minutes on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
- Add a third of the tāhungahunga (meringue) in to the egg yolk mixture. Fold it in and watch as the mixture beings to loosen.
- Add another third of the tāhungahunga (meringue) and fold it in.
- Drizzle in half of the cooled pata parauri (brown butter) around the edge of the bowl, folding until it is incorporated. Add the second half of the pata parauri (brown butter) and fold it all together.
- Add the final third of the tāhungahunga (meringue) and fold it in.
- Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- As soon as you remove the sponges from the oven, pull the baking paper off the edge of the cakes before it cools. This helps the cakes keep their shape.
- Remove them from the tins after cooling for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool for 20 minutes. These can also be made a day ahead and kept in a sealed container in the cupboard until needed.
The Cream - Te Kirīmi (My Stable Whipped Cream recipe)
- Add the kirīmi (cream), marscapone, wanira (vanilla) and puehu huka (icing sugar) to a large bowl. Whip on medium speed until you get a stiff cream.
Assembly
- Note: This assembly is for the four layered cake. You can just do two layers and half of the filling ingredients inside. Kei a koe te tikanga - it is up to you!
- Take one of the keke (cakes) and place it on to a serving plate. Cut the cake horizontally. Remove the top piece and leave it to the side.
- Add around ⅔ cup of the kirīmi (cream) to the first layer.
- Remove the pips from the tieri (cherries), if you are using them. Keep 8 tieri (cherries) whole for the top of the cake. Slice the rest finely and place around 7 cherries worth of slices on to the keke (cake).
- Drizzle over 2 tablespoon of ranu kōhia (passionfruit syrup). Using a fine grater, grate over kiri rēmana (lemon zest) of half a lemon.
- Add the second layer of keke (cake) and repeat the process of the same amount of kirīmi (cream), kōhia (passionfruit) and kiri rēmana (lemon zest).
- Cut the second keke (cake) horizontally.
- Add the third piece of keke (cake) on top. Add the same amount of kirīmi (cream), kōhia (passionfruit) and kiri rēmana (lemon zest). Add the final piece of keke (cake) on top.
- Cover the whole cake with the remaining kirīmi (cream). You can top it with your favourite fresh fruit at this stage if you want to.
- It is ready to eat like this. It will keep in the fridge (uncut) for 24 hours before serving.
Swiss Meringue - Tāhungahunga Swiss (optional)
- If you want to create a slightly more dramatic cake like I did, follow the instructions to make one quantity of my Swiss Meringue recipe.
- Once it is made, add it directly on to the cream covered sponge cake. Refer to the video on how I created the simple textured pattern. If you want to, using a kitchen blow torch, toast the tāhungahunga (meringue) for even more drama.
- Finish it off with some fresh tieri (cherries) like I did or any of your favourite fruit.
- Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 24 hours before serving.
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