A grain-free strawberry jam cake with layers of fluffy vanilla bean frosting, sweet strawberries and toasted coconut!

Something about layer cakes just forever have my heart…and fascination! I could honestly browse layer cakes for hours on Pinterest and other blogs!  When you eliminate the refined sugars like powdered sugar, frosting becomes a bit difficult because it just doesn’t hold together.  I am still attempting to figure out a good version of “frosting” but for now I just adore a whipped cream type of frosting.  Plus it eliminates a lot of extra sugar, which is always a good thing!

The strawberries here in Spain have been nothing short of fabulous!  And so have the hydrangeas! I have to resist the urge of scooping up all the hydrangea trees at our local nursery because honestly if it was up to me I would fill a room full! I can’t wait to have a garden one day, and a gardener because let’s be real, I do not have a green thumb!

I decided Easter would be the perfect time to make another layer cake for you all! My grain-free lemon curd wedding cake is one of your all time favorites, but this strawberries and cream version is just a little lighter and fluffier with layers of fresh entirely fruit sweetened strawberry jam nestled in between clouds of whipped cream. I also adore my orange and rosemary layer cake and my mini berry stuffed dairy free cheesecakes would also make a perfect Easter treat!

This grain-free strawberry jam cake is also nut-free so perfect for anyone with allergies! The combination of grain-free flours, maple sugar and whipped egg whites make this cake light and fluffy with the perfect hint of sweetness.

What are your favorite spring time desserts or flavors?! I would love to know in the comments below! Enjoy darlings!

Grain-Free Strawberry Jam Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

serves 12 | approximately 17 g carbs per slice

Strawberry Jam Filling

• 1 lb fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp grass-fed gelatin

Cake

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup arrowroot flour
• 1/4 cup maple sugar*
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 8 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 3/4 cup whole milk, plain yogurt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 4 eggs, separated
• 4 additional egg whites

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped

1 cup sliced strawberries for layering and garnish

toasted coconut flakes for garnish

*substituting with coconut sugar will create a different result to texture, color and fluff factor

Directions

• Warm the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange the baking rack to the lowest possible position.  Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with coconut oil or butter and set aside.
• Start by preparing your strawberry jam.  Wash and remove the stems off the strawberries, slicing into quarters.  Warm a large skillet to medium-low heat, adding the strawberries and water.  Once the mixture starts to simmer, allow it to lightly simmer for 15 minutes, staring a few times.  Add in the lemon juice and gelatin and stir again.  Crush the strawberries with the back of a large wooden spoon and set aside to cool.
• To make the cake: add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and sift together with a fork.
• In a small saucepan melt together the butter and honey.
• Add the 8 egg whites to a clean large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to whip until soft, foamy peaks form.  Add the melted butter, honey, yogurt, vanilla, lemon juice and 4 egg yolks to the bowl with the flour.  Use a hand mixer to mix together. Stir in the egg whites until well incorporated, just making sure to not completely flatten.
• Pour the cake mixture into the greased cake pan and give the pan a light shake to even out the batter.
• Bake for 32-35 minutes or until the center is still a bit jiggly, but a toothpick comes out clean, watching carefully at the end as grain-free goods burn easily.  (It is ok for the center to jiggle a bit as the egg white cause this and the cake will continue cooking once removed from the oven).
• Cool for 30 minutes before running a knife around the edges and inverting onto a cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, add all the whipped cream ingredients to a clean large bowl and whip until soft peaks begin to form.
• Once completely cool, carefully slice the cake in half.
• Place the first layer on your serving platter layering half of the strawberry jam, the whipped cream frosting and a handful of sliced strawberries.
• Repeat with the second layer, garnishing with toasted coconut if desired.
• Slice and enjoy!