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–+ servings

Gluten Free Unicorn Cake

Sandi Gaertner
A delicious gluten free strawberry cake that is decorated as a unicorn. Unicorn birthday cake.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 18 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cake Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 16
Calories 429 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
  • ¾ cup cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum-free
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⅓ cups strawberry puree
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk

Frosting:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-6 tablespoons water add 4 and then add the other two as needed

For the Ears

  • 2 Peeps for ears - do not melt

For the Horn

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 6 Peeps for horn - melted

Instructions
 

For the Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
  • Wash the strawberries and remove the stems. In a mini food processor or blender, puree the strawberries.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, add the wet ingredients and the strawberry puree and mix.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until they are just barely mixed. Be careful not to overmix the cake batter, or you will end up with a denser cake.
  • Spray the layer pans with gluten free baking spray.
  • Pour the cake batter into the layer pans and bake for 20-22 minutes until done. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are finished baking; if you see batter or crumbs, the cakes need to bake longer.
  • Allow the cake to cool on a wire cooking rack while you make the frosting.

Frosting:

  • Add the frosting ingredients to a standing mixer. Add a whisk attachment.
  • Mix the frosting ingredients until the frosting is creamy. (Start the speed low then slowly increase the speed.)
  • When the cake is cool, add a layer to a plate and frost the top, add the next layer and frost the top. Once all layers are frosted, frost the top and sides and use a frosting scraper to smooth.
  • Divide the remaining frosting into several bowls.
  • Add food coloring to each and stir.
  • Add frosting from each bowl to the bag, careful not to mix them.
  • Use the frosting bag to swirl circles on the top of the cake, going down the back. This is the "mane" section so include a little on the forehead area for the forelock.
  • Take two Peeps and cut them in half. These are the Unicorn's ears.
  • Grab the rest of the Peeps and add to a bowl. Melt the Peeps at 20 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval.
  • When the Peeps are melted, add the powdered sugar gradually, a little at a time to mix it in. As the mixture thickens, it becomes like fondant. When the mixture is stiffer, shape it into a Unicorn horn.
  • Use food coloring or an edible marker to draw the eyes and mouth.

Notes

  1. I tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour blend. That doesn't mean other brands won't work; it just means I haven't tested other gluten free flour blends.
  2. Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 3/4 teaspoon.
  3. I used almond milk, but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work. I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
  4. Using peeps and powdered sugar is a great way to make a homemade fondant for shaping the unicorn horn!
  5. This cake will keep fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 201mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 2gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 564IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.