Gluten-Free Buttermilk Cake (Whole Grain, Low Sugar)

This gluten-free buttermilk cake is moist and flavorful. It is low in sugar, made with whole grain gluten-free flour, and delicious. Perfect for your favorite cake flavors. See the section above the recipe card for suggestions.

I originally wrote this recipe to celebrate the first year of Fermenting For Foodies, and my family’s first year of eating ferments.  It was quite a year!  There were many, many benefits to adding fermented foods to our diet.  Here were two of the BIGGEST benefits:

1. With my weird concoctions and bubbling brews, I slowly transformed into a fairytale witch.  I started stashing ferments in every corner of my house.  I even mastered the art of growing mold!
2. Our digestion magically improved.  (See… I am a witch!)  Max went from having a sulfite allergy (as diagnosed by an allergist) to being able to eat what he wanted without any of that pesky eczema cropping up. And Una got over her egg allergy.

I realize that it could be luck… maybe it just took time for their digestive systems to kick into full gear?  But I can’t help but feel that a daily dose of probiotic foods may have been at play.

Adding Flavor and Fun to your Cake

This gluten-free buttermilk cake is based on a basic white cake recipe. Letting the whole grain gluten-free flour soak for at least 15 minutes hydrates the flour, improving the moisture and texture of this cake.

Here are a few ways to flavor this very simple cake.

• Very Vanilla Cake: Add 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract, or vanilla beans scraped from one pod.
• Confetti Cake: Toss 1/2 cup of sprinkles with 1 Tbsp of starch, then stir into the batter right before pouring into the prepared cake pan.
• Simplest Chocolate Cake: Swap the starch for cocoa powder, and use the full amount of sugar to ensure it has a balanced sweetness.
• Citrus Zest Cake: Add the zest from a lemon or an orange. It adds a hint of flavor without overwhelming the cake. (Orange zest with vanilla extract is my favorite flavor. It reminds me of my childhood cakes).
• Old-fashioned Seed Cake: Add 2 tsp of caraway. It sounds strange, but it’s actually quite tasty!
• Spice Cake: Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg.

Fun with Frosting

Over the years, I’ve made this cake with several different frostings. I am not a buttercream, fancy frosting sort of person. I like frostings that add flavor, even if they aren’t good for making roses or piping onto a cake.

• My go-to cake frosting these days is my date-sweetened caramel sauce. To turn it into a frosting, I simply add more whipping cream until I get to the desired consistency. It’s really firm and reliable.
• I also love my jam-sweetened cream cheese frosting.
• This chocolate ganache frosting only has two ingredients and is also a favorite!