Jennifer Esposito’s Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze
MAKES 1 (8-INCH) LAYER CAKE Pancake-moist and fluffy, this cake by Jennifer Esposito of allergen-free Jennifer’s Way Bakery in NYC is not particularly sweet, which is great because everything on it is. Trust us: a little goes a long way with the ultrasweet, rich frosting. Note:Jennifer prefers to use her flour mix for this recipe; if the flour you use doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum with the flour.) If you want more of Jennifer’s clean indulgences, you can find them in our summer 2015 issue!
2 cups Jennifer’s Way Bakery GF All-Purpose Flour Mix or gluten-free flour mix of choice
3/4 cup sugar, preferably organic evaporated cane juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt or kosher salt
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup coconut milk or milk of choice
FROSTING:
1/2 cup palm shortening or butter substitute
1 cup organic powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground vanilla bean or gluten-free vanilla extract
GLAZE:
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
20 strawberries, hulled and sliced
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch pans and lightly dust with gluten-free flour mix.
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to eliminate clumps.
In a standing mixer, combine the applesauce, oil, and lemon zest and juice. At slow speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the coconut milk a little at a time, ending with the flour mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool.
Make the frosting: Combine all of the frosting ingredients in a standing mixer and whip on high speed until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
Make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine all of the glaze ingredients and whisk by hand until combined.
To assemble, place one cake on a cake plate. Gently and generously cover the top with frosting. Top the frosting with all but one of the strawberries in one layer. Gently place the remaining cake on top. Glaze the top of the cake and finish with a sliced strawberry centerpiece.
Photo credit: Photography Shay Harrington / Styling Monica Pierini
