Upside Down Strawberry Cake (Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free)

I’m a creature of habit most days. Spontaneity isn’t really my thing.

One area where I do let my hair down (metaphorically speaking of course) is in the kitchen.   I love experimenting with recipes by substituting ingredients with unexpected ones, especially if it makes them healthier while keeping them…yummy.

Birthdays provide the perfect opportunity for me to turn tradition on its head by playing with the classic cake. You name it, I’ve made it: cheesecakes and shortcakes. Devil cakes and angel foods cakes. Honey cakes and carrot cakes. My family has learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to their birthday cakes. I know; I’m a rebel.

The last family birthday was no exception. I found this great recipe from one of my favorite guilty baking pleasures, Joy the Baker, and made slight alterations including subbing in whole wheat pastry flour and greek yogurt to shave off some of the calories and fat. It was delicious and the birthday girl enjoyed her dessert even without the frosting or added cream (a remark I heard from my brother who chided, “what’s a birthday cake without frosting?” to which I replied, “the kind of cake I make and you don’t seem to mind to be eating right now.” Pssh. Family.) , but I promised myself I’d try to making this cake fully gluten free and sugar free.

This mother’s day I got a little wild. In the kitchen, that is.

Here’s what a not-so-wild-but-likes-to-think-she’s-wild baker comes up with for Mother’s Day: Upside Down Strawberry Cake completely grain free and refined sugar free. It’s got cardamom. It’s got strawberries baked onto the bottom. It’s moist and light. It’s epic.

Yup. I’m bad to the bone.

INGREDIENTS

For the topping:

• 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsps coconut flour
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• Drizzle of honey (about 2 tsps)

For the cake:

• 1 cup unblanched almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup greek yogurt, 0% plain
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Add butter to an 8-inch cake pan and place in oven. Once melted, swirl butter to coat the bottom and sides of the pan and set aside.

3. Whisk all the dry ingredients in one bowl (coconut flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt). In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix the wet ingredients (coconut oil, eggs, honey, vanilla) together thoroughly.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the greek yogurt and mix well, creating a thick batter.

4. Sprinkle the coconut flour into the pan over the butter and drizzle with honey. Place the sliced strawberries along the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

5. Scoop the batter over the strawberries and level out with a spatula.

6. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean from the center. Remove and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before flipping the cake out onto a serving plate.

7. Serve up a slice, spoon a dollop of greek yogurt, sprinkle with cinnamon and add some berries for fun. Eat it up wild child!!! 🙂