Gluten Free Blackberry Cake

My general philosophy is, in summer, eat fruit and lots of it. Come winter, the memory (and perhaps preserves?) will keep us going when the blueberries are lackluster and the nectarines expensive. In-season fruit is the sweetest thing, literally. This easy gluten free blackberry cake takes the best of late August blackberries and swirls them into a tender cake that's topped with sliced almonds.

The original iteration of this recipe called for buckwheat as the only gluten-free flour, but in subsequent tests, I decided to use an all-purpose flour (my simple homemade gluten free flour blend or any gf flour blend works beautifully). Buckwheat is lovely, but can be a tad strong in flavor if you're not used to it.

But it's the juicy, vibrant blackberries that make this a lovely cake for late summer -- or use frozen berries to make it all year round. This is a family favorite that I make each season, along with gluten free blackberry crisp and no-pectin blackberry jam. Yes, we love blackberries!

Ingredients Needed

Here's a look at what goes into this sweet cake. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Gluten free flour - I used my homemade blend, and any 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour will work.
• Baking powder - Always check to make sure your leavening agent is fresh!
• Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt.
• Butter - I use unsalted butter, softened to room temperature so that it blends easily into the batter.
• Granulated sugar - I originally developed this recipe to include honey. If you want to try using honey, a lovely complement to the blackberries, swap it 1:1 for the sugar, or use ½ cup honey and ½ cup granulated sugar.
• Eggs - Large or medium-sized eggs work.
• Milk - Whole milk or 2% milk (or use non-dairy milk) is great.
• Blackberries - Use fresh or frozen blackberries, or freeze fresh blackberries briefly before adding them to the batter (see note lower down).
• Almonds - I love scattering sliced almonds over the top of this cake for flavor and a bit of crunch. You can absolutely leave them off if you don't eat nuts or prefer a simpler cake.

Tips & Other Notes

• Rest the batter. After you gently mix in the flour, let the batter rest while the oven heats so that the flour can hydrate, which create that lovely fluffy crumb.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Bring your ingredients to room temperature for about 15 minutes before using them, so they can better incorporate into the batter.
• Buckwheat flour. Let's take it back to my original rendition of this cake! Buckwheat flour is a whole grain flour (if you're wondering, is buckwheat gluten free?, yes, it is!) that holds up well to chocolate and berries. Try ½ buckwheat flour and ½ gluten free all-purpose flour to add extra whole grains.
• To make dairy-free - Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter for the butter and use non-dairy milk in place of the milk.
• Substitute another fruit. I know, I know, this is a blackberry cake. But it's also wonderful made with blueberries or raspberries.
• To serve: Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or salted caramel sauce.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Cover the cake with foil or place it in an airtight container and store it on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Fridge - Keep it longer in the fridge for up to 5 days covered or in an airtight container! I also recommend popping the cake in the fridge if it's especially warm in the house.
• Freezer - Wrap the cake in plastic, then foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the fridge before serving.