Gluten-free cakes have had a bad wrap over the years for being dry but not anymore my friends! This moist Gluten-free Almond Sponge is layered with whipped cream, fresh fruit, passionfruit and lemon zest. For the final flourish, it is covered with toasted Swiss meringue. So let's make it together and wow your friends and whānau!
I created this Gluten-free Almond Sponge Cake for my daughter, Hanaia's birthday last year. The feedback was so good, I just had to share it with you all! Let me know if you make it because I love hearing about your creations.
Other gluten-free cakes:
Try my Gluten-free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake, filled with rich hazelnuts, chocolate buttercream and boysenberries. Or maybe it is the flavour of ārani (orange) calling your name. Then check out my Whole Orange Almond Cake because it is naturally dairy and gluten free too!
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR THE GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND SPONGE:
- Butter: I prefer salted pata (butter) because of the deep flavour but unsalted works.
- Eggs: I prefer free-range hēki (eggs) but use what you have.
- Ground Almonds: The peru oneone (ground almonds) replaces the puehu parāoa (flour) in this recipe and also helps retain a beautiful moisture in this keke (cake).
- Vanilla: Vanilla is the main flavour in these keke (cake) so a good quality vanilla essence is recommended.
- Fresh Cherries: Use cherries if they are in season for their delicious texture and flavour. If they are out of season, replace them with thin slices of your favourite fresh fruit, canned plums or a store-bought fruit compote.
- Passionfruit syrup: This syrup add an extra layer of flavour to the keke (cake) and I highly recommend using it.
Expert Tips:
Whip the hēki (eggs) for long enough when making a keke kōpungapuna (sponge cake). The whipping process gives the finished product a light and airy texture to the cakes so follow the timings precisely.
When the sifted ingredients are added to the whipped egg yolk mixture, the mixture will be quite tight but do not fear, once the merenge (meringue) is folded through the mixture will transform again. Trust me.
As soon as you remove the baked sponges from the oven, pull the baking paper away from the edges of the cakes. This stops the cakes from losing their shape as they cool.
I create a four layered keke (cake) from this recipe but you can just do two layers if you want to. Decorate it with half of the filling ingredients or just keep the ratios the same and make them thick layers. Kei a koe te tikanga - it is up to you!
I make my Stable Whipped Cream in this recipe to add between the layers and to cover the keke kōpungapunga (sponge cakes). I do this because it gives a longer hold to the kirīmi (cream). However, you can just whip 500 ml of cream with the same amount of vanilla and icing sugar and omit the mascarpone if you want.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND SPONGE:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat the oven to 160 °C, fan bake setting or 170 °C bake setting.
Grease two 19 cm or 20 cm sponge or cake tins with butter. Line them with baking paper on the base and up the sides.
2. Brown the Butter:
Add the chopped pata (butter) in to a medium sized pot or pan. Set over medium heat. First, melt the butter, stirring occasionally. As the heat continues the milk fats will start to separate (these are the white, floaty bits). Keep it on the heat until the butter starts to foam. Stir it a little bit until the brown bits float to the top. It should smell nutty. Stir for another 30 seconds or so, so the butter browns further.
Then remove from the heat, pour in to a small bowl and leave to the side to cool.
3. Seperate the Eggs:
Separate the hēki (eggs).
Add the tōhua hēki (egg yolks) in to a large bowl and add the kahu hēki (egg whites) in to a medium bowl.
4. Whip the Egg Yolks:
Add the first measure of huka one (caster sugar), wanira (vanilla) and tote (salt) in to the bowl of tōhua hēki (egg yolks).
Then whip it all on high for 3 minutes until thick, fluffy and pale in colour.
5. Sift in the Dry Ingredients:
Sift in the peru oneone (almond meal), puehu kānga (cornflour) and pēkana paura (baking powder).
Whētuihia (fold it together) until combined.
The mixture will be quite tight at this stage but trust me, it will be ok!
6. Whip the Egg Whites:
Add the second measure of huka one (caster sugar) in to the kahu hēki (egg whites) that you prepared earlier.
Then whip it for 3 - 4 minutes on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold in two thirds of the Meringue:
Add a third of the merenge (meringue) in to the egg yolk mixture. Fold it in and watch as the mixture beings to loosen.
Add another third of the merenge (meringue) and fold it in.
8. Add the Brown Butter:
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 until just combined.
9. Fold in the final third of the Meringue:
Add the final third of the merenge (meringue) and fold it in.
10. Bake the Gluten-free Almond Sponge:
Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes.
11. Cool the Cakes:
As soon as you remove the sponges from the oven, pull the baking paper away from the edges of the cakes before they cool. 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.
12. Make the Stable Cream:
Make one quantity of my Stable Whipped Cream recipe according to the instructions.
13. Layer the first Cake:
Take one of the keke (cakes) and place it on to a serving plate or cake stand.
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 keke (cake).
14. Add the Cherries and Passionfruit:
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 in to thin slices and then 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 a third to half a lemon.
15. Add the Second Layer of Sponge:
Add the second layer of keke (cake) and repeat the process with the same amount of kirīmi (cream), kōhia (passionfruit) and kiri rēmana (lemon zest).
Cut the second keke (cake) horizontally.
16. Layer the Second half of the Cake:
Place 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.
17. Serve:
It is ready to eat like this if you want to.
18. Decorate with Swiss Meringue:
If you want to create a slightly more dramatic cake like I did, whai mai i ahau (follow me)!
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 merenge (meringue) for even more drama.
Finish it off with the reserved fresh tieri (cherries) like I did or any of your favourite fruit.
19. Chill the Cake:
Chill in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the flavours to develop and the meringue to set. This can also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving. Anything beyond that and the merenge (meringue) will start to loose its hold.
Due to the cream and fresh fruit in the cake, eat it within two days of making and store it in the fridge.
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DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
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I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Gluten-free Almond Sponge Cake - Keke Kōpunga Aramona Kore-Wīti
Equipment
- 2 x 19 cm or 20 cm loose base cake tins
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)
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) 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
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C, fan bake setting or 170 °C bake setting.
- Grease two 19 cm or 20 cm sponge or cake tins with butter. Line them with baking paper on the base and up the sides.
Brown the Butter:
- Add the chopped pata (butter) in to a medium sized pot or pan. Set over medium heat. First, melt the butter, stirring occasionally.
- As the heat continues the milk fats will start to separate (these are the white, floaty bits). Stir occasionally here so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Keep it on the heat until the butter starts to foam. Stir it a little bit until the brown bits float to the top. It should smell nutty. (Use the pictures and video as a guide). From here, stir it a little for another 30 seconds or so, so the butter browns further.
- Remove from the heat, pour in to a small bowl and leave to the side to cool.
Seperate the Eggs:
- Separate the hēki (eggs). Add the tōhua hēki (egg yolks) in to a large bowl and add the kahu hēki (egg whites) in to a medium bowl.
Whip the Egg Yolks:
- 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 Dry Ingredients:
- Sift in the peru oneone (almond meal), puehu kānga (cornflour) and pēkana paura (baking powder). Whētuihia (fold it together). The mixture will be quite tight at this stage but trust me, it will be ok!
Whip the Egg Whites:
- 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.
Fold in two thirds of the Meringue:
- Add a third of the merenge (meringue) in to the egg yolk mixture. Fold it in and watch as the mixture beings to loosen.
- Add another third of the merenge (meringue) and fold it in.
Add the Brown Butter:
- 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.
Fold in the final third of the Meringue:
- Add the final third of the merenge (meringue) and fold it in.
Bake the Sponge Cakes:
- Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool the Cakes:
- As soon as you remove the sponges from the oven, pull the baking paper away from the edges of the cakes before they cool. 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.
Make the Stable Cream:
- Make one quantity of my Stable Whipped Cream recipe according to the instructions.
Assemble the Cakes:
- Note: This assembly is for the four layered cake. You can just do two layers and half of the filling ingredients inside or just keep the ratios the same and make them thick layers. Kei a koe te tikanga - it is up to you!
Layer the first Cake:
- Take one of the keke (cakes) and place it on to a serving plate or cake stand.
- 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 keke (cake).
Add the Cherries and Passionfruit:
- 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 in to thin slices 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 a third to half a lemon.
Add the Second Layer of Sponge:
- Add the second layer of keke (cake) and repeat the process with the same amount of kirīmi (cream), kōhia (passionfruit) and kiri rēmana (lemon zest).
- Cut the second keke (cake) horizontally.
Layer the Second half of the Cake:
- Place 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.
Serve:
- It is ready to eat like this if you want to. It will keep well in the fridge (uncut) for 24 hours before serving.
Decorate with Swiss Meringue:
- If you want to create a slightly more dramatic cake like I did, whai mai i ahau (follow me)!
- 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 merenge (meringue) for even more drama.
- Finish it off with the reserved fresh tieri (cherries) like I did or any of your favourite fruit.
Chill the Cake:
- Chill in the fridge for 2 hours to allow the flavours to develop and the meringue to set. This can also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving. Anything beyond that and the merenge (meringue) will start to loose its hold.
- Due to the cream and fresh fruit in the cake, eat it within two days of making and store it in the fridge.
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