Well its’s Spring here in the UK and Easter as well, so seeing you got a Chocolate Tart for your ‘intolerance lot’ last week, I thought I best give you the Spring Bake that first came to my mind.
Lemon and Blueberry, the traditional combination . Now Blueberries are not in season here, but frozen are all year round, and in my humble opinion work just as well as fresh in this bake. I used frozen here and you just need to make sure you don’t go mad when folding in to avoid to many streaks and a grey mess ( yep we’ve all been there, but we are all capable of learning from our mistakes 🙈)
Its also time to talk Ermine Frosting !!!! If you’re anywhere but the US your going to say, I thought this was a Vegan dish, shes using a Stoat 😜😂 and yes I’ve been there too. ( As in what I thought not that I’ve used a stoat 😂)
Ermine frosting is actually the frosting that was traditionally used for Red Velvet Cake before the Cream Cheese revolution.
I cannot thank my International Baking Friend Anna enough for introducing me to it and the recipe that I’ve adapted. Finding the best ingredients have been a challenge for stabilising and taste, but I’ve got there in the end.
I use this recipe for adapting https://thetoughcookie.com/2017/03/10/less-sweet-flour-buttercream-aka-ermine-buttercream/
I haven’t invented it ,I’ve just Cauldron manipulated it 🙊
My key for taste is Rice Milk, No nut after taste and a lovely creamy taste, and that is always the way I now choose to make it, of course everyone’s tastes are different, but nut milks just leave a nut taste to me and Oat Milk is not always GF.
However with all my bakes they are transferable to non GF, just use regular AP/ Plain Flour, as most before development start from a standard recipe. Most bear no resemblance when I’ve finished though
Right Waffle done, Lets Bake A Cake !!!!
recipe
Lemon and Blueberry Sponge Cake with Lemon Ermine Frosting
Light Moist Lemon Sponge , Bursting with Blueberries and Soft and Velvety Ermine Frosting GF, DF V
********The Ermine Pudding base will need to be made in advance***********
Ingredients
- 400ml Dairy free milk ( I used Soya )
- 120ml Oil of choice ( sunflower oil or rapeseed are my first choices )
- 250g Granulated Sugar of choice ( not brown)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp of lemon zest
- 2 tbsp of agave syrup or golden syrup
- 400g Gluten Free plain Flour ( Dove Farms UK or Pilsbury US Cup for Cup )
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum ( omit if your blend contains it )
- 4 tsp of Baking powder
- 200g of blueberries, either fresh or frozen
- ? do you want extra for decoration think on 🙊
- 70g Gluten free Flour blend as used for your cake
- 220g Granulated sugar
- 280g Dairy free Milk, I advise Rice milk always but that’s up to you
- 220g Vegan Butter, I use Pure Dairy Free or Stork Block depending on what I have in . Earth Balance will be the US alternative
- 180g Shortening, I use Trex, Hi Ratio is the best US wise. You can use full Non dairy butter but you would need to stabilised it with xanthan gum and that can cause splitting, feel free to try, it needs to be added at the end of the process and whisked in thoroughly 400g of Non dairy in total
For the Ermine Frosting
Directions
- To Make the Ermine Pudding base
- Combine the flour, sugar, milk and lemon zest in a pan and whisk until combined
- On a low heat, dont rush it it will scorch, and whisking continually bring the pudding to a boil
- Once boiling using a spatula continue to stir the pudding round the sides and the bottom using a folding motion.
- Once the pudding starts to freely come away from the sides, about 2 minutes, transfer to a plate and cover clingfilm to prevent a skin and leave to cool at room temperature
- You can sieve onto a plate if you want to remove the zest or feel you have any lumps, but this needs to be done quickly Making the Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 C convection/ 180 C standard /350 F
- Grease and line your selected pans
- Combine the flour, bicarb, xanthan ( if using) sugar and baking powder into a large bowl with a whisk
- Combine the soy milk with the lemon zest and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or warmed through on the hob, do not boil
- Add the oil, golden syrup and vanilla to the lemon milk and whisk until combined
- Then sift the flour mixture into the bowl of fluids and fold in til smooth
- Add the blueberries and carefully fold in
- Pour the batter equally between your pans.
- Bake for 40 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, a check at 30 minutes is recommended.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes in pans, then place on wire rack ( I place mine on tea towels to save marking).
- Whisk the fats in a mixer with a paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer until fully combined and fluffy about 3 minutes
- Add the cooled pudding a tablespoon at a time making sure its combined before adding another
- Continue to mix until all the pudding is added
- If for any reason you find your mix splitting, put the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes then take it out and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, this is usually caused by difference in ingredient temperatures
- If using all butter add a teaspoon of xanthan gum and whisk for at least 2 minutes until fully combined
- Decorate as desired
- Enjoy
Finishing the Ermine
Well there you go, Lemon and Blueberry Cake with Lemon Ermine Frosting.
Now to name and shame, yes you Cindy 😜 of the glorious rope cakes on Insta and a like , I keep seeing. Look what you made me do, with my poor hands. Hope I’ve done you proud and thank you so much for the inspiration 😘
Best give you some pretty pictures now, oh and don’t forget to save some blueberries if your using them for decoration, we’ve all fallen foul of that mistake
Please leave me a comment or a like, it does the world of good to keep me going and hopefully expand your knowledge.
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Feel free to let your fingers do the talking and share this amongst your family, and awkward ones😂😂
Please Share
Clares Cauldron 
A stunning cake! Lemon and Blueberry is classic, and I love the combination! That gorgeous piped rope work and flowers…so lovely! Thank you for the excellent photos and direction for the ermine…certainly makes a new-to-me recipe approachable and possible!
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Thank you Kim thats very kind. I hope the intolerant ermine is taken to the max. Its the best there is to offer and devine too 💜💜
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I am swooning!!! Another shoutout! I’m honored 💜💜. The cake looks amazing and I am blown away by the piped rope! I haven’t attempted that yet, and I think I need to!
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Thank you Anna, credit where credit is due. Lemon and Blueberry needed to be done and Easter is the time for it.
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Clare, Happy Easter!! Your cake would be a perfect dessert for a spring meal💜 I love your pictures, especially those taking us through the ermine process. Gorgeous cake!!!
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Lynne thank you. Happy Easter to you too. Experienced bakers may yawn but Im trying to aim the blog for everyone no matter what level. Just provide straight forward and achievable recipes 💜💜
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Thank you for making the directions for Ermine so easy to understand!
The recipes I have seen for Ermine are intimidating.
Your blueberry lemon cake looks stunning!
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Thank you. Its exactly the same principles regarding of dietary needs. Hopefully it may give you the courage to try. As this is the aim of the blog 💜💜
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Happy Easter, Clare! This was a fun read, and the cake is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the Ermine frosting recipe. I’m going to see if I can adapt it to be low carb. lol
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Same to you. I cant see it being a problem but you may need extra flavouring for the ‘ sugar ‘ component so would double up anything you use 💜💜
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Thanks for the tip! I’m trying out a new liquid sweetener so we’ll see how it goes!
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Thanks Clare! A little rustic- I can’t pipe!! But looking forward to sharing this with my friend who is gf and df.
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Thank you for trying the recipe. Hopefully she will enjoy it 💜💜
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Hi Clare, fabulous recipes. Thank you for your hard work. I need to make a nut free, vegan cake for my grandson but not gluten free. Would I still need to use xanthan gum ? Many thanks
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Hi. No the xanthan is only for Gluten Free omit it it any of the recipes if you are using wheat. Bake times maybe an extra few minutes but you seem experienced to know how check a cake is done 💜💜
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Hi, Clare. My cake is in the oven as i write this. I am going to freeze the layers as I need it for the end of the week. How do the intolerant cakes hold up in the freezer?
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Lisa I regularly freeze my cakes unfrosted due to day job commitments. Double wrapped im cling film and then foil with no adverse effect. Personally i feel it makes them even moister which is great for intolerance bakes with no need for sugar syrup 💜
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