Cheat's Vanilla & Ginger Nut Layer Cake With Coconut Lemon Frosting {GF, DF, Nut & Egg Free}

Guys, I’m here and I have a killer recipe for you just in time for Mother’s day. I’ve been a bit radio silent in the blogging department since I’ve been knee deep in developing recipes for my allergy friendly cookbook. You can check out the details here. Trying to juggle cooking two cakes a week and photographing them has been a little hectic along with juggling home life with three kids etc. Since the school holidays in April I’ve had a little break from creating cakes for the book. My brain was feeling fried and my waistline was expanding so I am taking a step back for a couple of weeks to let my brain and my blood sugar go back to normal. Ha. Anyway I am here with a cake recipe that is SO good and so very simple. It’s my Cheats Vanilla & Ginger Nut Layer Cake with Coconut Lemon Frosting! Guess what…. most of it comes out of a packet and I am not one bit ashamed of it.

While I LOVE developing recipes from scratch I know that sometimes you want to do something fast and simple. If you are a mum on Mother’s day and you want something delicious, fresh, light and very moreish than this cake is for you. You can send your novice cooking husband this recipe and he should be able to make it…… if he can read instructions right. Ha.

So it all comes from a packet eh? Well yes indeed it does. Let me break this cake down for you. The base layer is a delicious crumbled mix of ginger nut biscuits mixed with coconut and coconut oil pressed into the base of a slice tin. Next a simple packet vanilla cake is mixed together and poured over the top of the ginger nut base and baked into the oven until cooked. Then the fun starts. You make a delicious coconut lemon frosting to smother the cooled cake in and then you go to town making it look SUPER dooper pretty with fresh fruit, crushed leftover ginger nuts, passion fruit and edible flowers. Truly special for that special mum in your life. It’s quite the show stopper I think and yes I bought a gluten free vanilla packet cake mix and store bought gluten free ginger nut cookies for this recipe. It’s called convenience and it’s called simple. Hope you enjoy it.

The products I used in this recipe is the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcake and these Gluten Free Ginger Nut Biscuits. If you have any questions about this recipe please leave a comment below. Thanks.

Cheat's Vanilla & Ginger Nut Layer Cake With Coconut Lemon Frosting

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 155g Gluten & Dairy Free Gingernut Biscuits (I use Leda brand from Woolworths)
• Leave 3 biscuits aside for garnish
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 coconut oil, melted

Vanilla Cake

• 1 x Betty Crocker Vanilla Cupcake Box Mix See link in post
• sub the milk with coconut milk
• sub butter with coconut oil
• sub eggs with egg replacer or aqua faba - 2 tbsp to every egg
• 170g tin passionfruit pulp
• zest of 1 x lemon

Coconut & Lemon Frosting

• 1 cup coconut yoghurt (thicker the better)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla

Garnish

• 1 punnet raspberries (or whatever berry is in season)
• Mint leaves
• Edible flowers
• Leftover gingernut biscuits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (fan bake) and line a 24 x 32cm slice tray with baking paper. Set aside.

Blitz the gingernut biscuits in a blender or food processor until a fine crumb is formed. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the coconut and coconut oil. Mix to combine and pour into the lined slice tray. Press out evenly along the bottom of the tray. Pop into the freezer for 5 minutes while you make the vanilla cake.

Using the same mixing bowl as the gingernut mix follow the instructions on the box for the vanilla cupcakes. Sub ingredients as required (i.e change butter for coconut oil etc). Add 1/2 of the passionfruit pulp (leave the rest for garnish) and the lemon zest to the vanilla cake mix and stir to combine. Pour the cake mix over the top of the chilled gingernut base and pop into the preheated oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

Coconut & Lemon Frosting

In a small mixing bowl add the coconut yoghurt, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix to combine. Set 3/4 of the plain mixture aside. With the remaining mixture add 6 raspberries (or blueberries) and roughly crush into the yoghurt mix. This will turn the yoghurt a pink (or purple) colour and you can then add dabs of this on top of the cake as decoration.

Assembly

Spread the plain Coconut & Lemon Frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Add dabs of the raspberry flavoured yoghurt over the top. Then add pieces of crushed gingernut, fresh raspberries, mint leaves and edible flowers. Finish with a drizzle of passionfruit and some shavings of chocolate. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Cooks Notes

- If making this cake ahead of time decorate with everything other than the gingernut biscuits. Leave these until just before serving so they don't go soggy.

- You make the uniced layer cake 1-2 days ahead of time and simply decorate when ready to serve. Leave in the fridge or freezer. Leave time to defrost before decorating and serving.

- Can't find a gluten-free vanilla cake - use your favourite boxed brand instead. Why not try chocolate?

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