Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free Spice Cake With Vanilla Frosting
Full of wintry spices and topped with creamy vanilla frosting and sugared fruit, this gluten, dairy, and egg free spice cake is a treat for the eyes and mouth!
Ingredients
Sugared Cranberries
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for tossing
- 1 cup water
Candied Orange Peels
- 2 oranges
- water for boiling
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, plus more for tossing
Spice Cake
- 3 cups gluten free flour blend (with xanthan gum) I prefer King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 1¾ cups brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk Use canned coconut milk, not coconut beverage.
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup coconut oil, melted I use virgin (unrefined) coconut oil.
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup shredded carrots
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 cup non-dairy butter I use Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ - ¼ cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk Use the canned coconut milk, not a coconut beverage.
Instructions
Sugared Cranberries
- If using, do this step at least 1 day in advance of your cake!
- In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Remove pan from heat.
- Place cranberries in a heat-proof bowl and pour hot sugar syrup over the berries. Let rest at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain the cranberries and toss with more sugar to coat. Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow them to dry for several hours. The sugared cranberries may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several days.
Candied Orange Peels
- If using, do this at least one day in advance of your cake!
- Cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges. Score the peel of the oranges in quarters with a knife and remove. Set the delicious oranges aside in the refrigerator for a snack or other use. Slice the orange peels into ¼-inch strips.
- Place the strips in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the peels. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, drain the peels. Cover with more water and repeat the process. This removes the bitterness from the peels. Repeat this process a total of 4-5 times.
- After the final drain, set peels aside. In the empty pot, whisk together 1½ cups water and 1½ cups sugar. Return to the stovetop over medium-low heat and simmer gently until syrup reaches approximately 230-235°.
- Add orange peels to the syrup. Simmer gently (don't boil) until the pith (white part) is somewhat translucent, checking every 10 minutes or so and swirling the pan as needed to make sure all the peels are covered. Don't stir the syrup as this may cause it to crystallize. This may take 45-60 minutes.
- Place extra sugar in a large bowl. Remove the peels from the hot sugar syrup and toss them in the bowl of sugar to coat. Place sugared peels on a parchment-lined baking sheet or wire rack to dry completely overnight.
Spice Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Grease the bottom of your cake pans with coconut oil or line with greased parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- In a second bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together coconut milk, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour mixture into the dry mixture and stir thoroughly to combine. Stir in carrots.
- Pour batter into the prepared pans. Use a food scale to evenly divide the batter between the two pans.
- Bake until cakes are just done, about 50-60 minutes for two 6-inch pans, 33-36 minutes for two 9-inch pans, or 18-20 minutes for standard size cupcakes. Cake should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Don't over-bake!
- Let cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the sides of the pans to make sure cakes are loose. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
Vanilla Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together the non-dairy butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined.
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, adding one cup at a time and mixing thoroughly before adding more. The mixture will be quite thick by the end.
- Beat in the coconut milk a little at a time until desired consistency is reached. You may not need the full amount of coconut milk. I prefer a thicker frosting, so I don't add the full amount. If icing gets too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. You can also place the icing in the refrigerator for a little while if it starts to get runny.
Assembling the Cake
- Once the cakes are completely cool, use a serrated knife (bread knife) to slice each cake in half horizontally.
- Assemble cake in layers, spreading or piping frosting between each layer. Frost the outside of the cake and decorate with sugared cranberries and candied orange peels, if desired.
Storing the Cake
- If your frosting contains non-dairy butter that requires refrigeration, then your cake will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The cake is best served as close to room temperature as possible, so be sure to remove it from the refrigerator in plenty of time before serving. Cover any exposed (cut) parts of the cake before refrigerating to keep it from going stale.
- Extra frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sugared cranberries may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. Candied oranges may be kept in a cool, dry place for up to 4 weeks.
- Unfrosted cake may be frozen. Wrap it tightly and placed in an airtight freezer-proof container or bag. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator, without opening the bag, to prevent it from becoming soggy.