Mar 5, 2013
Whenever I used to see a Vanilla Cake recipe, I used to get a little jealous. I have always wanted to make my own Healthy Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cake, but it’s really hard to make that classic recipe reduced fat, refined sugar free, and 100% healthy. After numerous trial and error (and a ton of cake-eating), I healthified this traditional cake!
Yes, I said it: this is a HEALTHY Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cake!
Yup, no butter, no white sugar, and no bleached flour.
This cake is packed with vanilla. FOUR sources of vanilla — vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla-flavored yogurt, and vanilla paste — so you are sure to please any vanilla lovers out there.
This cake is so incredibly moist, sweet and fluffy, it’s hard to believe this is good for you!
Healthy Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Vanilla Bean Cake:
- 246g (1 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce
- ¾ cup + 2 tbs Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- ¾ cup Egg Whites
- 96g (½ cup) Homemade Vanilla Sugar
- 1 tbs Grapeseed Oil
- 1 tbs Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Flavor
- 130g (¾ cup + 1 tbs) Brown Rice Flour
- 120g (1 cup) Oat Flour
- 30g (3 tbs) Organic Corn Starch
- 1 tsp Double-Acting Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tbs White Vinegar
For the Cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray two 6″x3″ cake pans with cooking spray.
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In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment, add the applesauce, almond milk, egg whites, vanilla sugar, oil, vanilla extract, stevia extract and almond flavor. Mix on low speed.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, oat flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
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Add the vinegar to the stand mixer bowl, still on low speed.
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Slowly add the dry ingredients and well it is all incorporated, beat on medium/high speed for ~20 seconds.
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Pour the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for ~53 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and surface is firm when tapped.
For the Frosting:
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In a microwave-safe bowl, add ¼ cup of yogurt and the coconut oil and microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the oil is softened/melted, but NOT hot.
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Scoop mixture into a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment, and add the vanilla paste and butter extract.
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Add the erythritol and beat on high speed for a few minutes, or until fluffy and light (if you need more yogurt, add it 1 tablespoon at a time). Frost the cake. Slice and serve!
You can skip all the excess butter and sugar with my Healthy Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Cake recipe. Get to the good stuff, like whole grain oat flour, high protein egg whites, and unsweetened applesauce. You can’t even tell that my recipe is healthy, it tastes surprisingly authentic (aka, unhealthy) to the typical vanilla cakes out there! This cake is moist and springy and 100% vanilla-y. The frosting is sweet, creamy, and oh so very similar to the frosting you would taste at a bakery. I am now no longer jealous of the vanilla cake recipes I see online, because now I’ve got my own 🙂
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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