Being gluten intolerant means you have to give up some of the tastiest foods out there, right? Well, in this day and age this isn’t so much the case. Fine food retailers and supermarkets are stocking gluten free ingredients and all sorts of varieties of products and even sweets. So much so that nowadays you can find a gluten free version of just about anything, including sponge cake, one of Australia’s most widely enjoyed deserts.
Sponge cake is an especially versatile dessert. It can be light and fluffy, ideally served with a coffee, or creamy and quite thick, filling you up after dinner. There are many different varieties and ingredients that can be used when it comes to gluten-free sponge cakes, and we’ve listed some of our favourites in this article that you may want to bake and/or try if you haven’t already!
The first thing people associate with sponge cake is this light, airy classic, the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon coffee. In fact, the cake was named after Queen Victoria, who would frequently have it served with a cup of tea. The dish is sometimes referred to as a Victoria Sandwich, given that it comprises of two buns with whipped cream and raspberry jam (though we encourage you to experiment with other jams and preserves) on the inside. Don’t forget the icy sugar on top!
A true classic and absolutely delicious whether you’re following a gluten-free or a standard recipe; it can also be prepared quite quickly and can be frozen for safe keeping too.
This is a popular healthy alternative at kid’s parties and can be prepared using dairy and gluten free ingredients. But it’s actually a really fun dessert to serve on other occasions too. With delicious icy sugar or cream cheese frosting on the outside, cut into the cake and the colours of the rainbow are revealed (ideally, we’d recommend six including red, blue, violet, pink, yellow and green).
The rainbow sponge cake is completely gluten-free and is free of any of the wheat, barley or rye that can be a danger to gluten intolerant people. Best of all, it’s easy to prepare – you just need your vanilla sponge cake mix, butter, eggs, icy sugar and of course your icy colours and you’re good to go!
The aptly name School sponge cake is also a favourite with kids and makes it into many a packed lunch. It compromises of a simple light sponge cover in a layer of icing sugar with sprinkles/hundreds and thousands on top. Chances are you’ve had it many times before as it’s quite a popular treat in Australia.
Again, using gluten free flour is key and we’d recommended baking in a rectangular tray, as usually, you’ll want to cut it into smaller portions. Generally, you can have our gluten free School sponge cake ready in 40 minutes or less!
A popular variation of the Victoria Classic is the chocolate sponge cake, for which there are some particularly tasty gluten free recipes available online. Cooked with gluten-free flour, the chocolate version comes in the same form as the Victoria, with chocolate icing sandwiched between golden brown sponge buns on either side of it. We recommend baking for a little longer, which makes the sponge a little firmer and crispier on the outside, a consistency that works really well with the chocolate flavour!
This sponge cake goes really well with cream or ice cream and it’s not uncommon to see it dressed up a bit like a Christmas pudding, with cherries/raspberries on the side and a sprig of holy.
The Treacle sponge is a unique variation on the standard sponge cake and if you haven’t already tried it, let us tell you that you’re missing out. Baked until its golden brown, the treacle has that delicious fluffy sponge cake on top but with a bonus added. Underneath you have a tasty treacle syrup that lines the bottom of the tray forming something of a puddle. The contrast between the sponge and the zesty sauce is one he perfect compliment to the moderately flavour sponge. Serve with custard or ice cream and you’re really in for a treat.
So there you have it, five gluten free sponge cakes that you should make a part of your life! Sponge cake is known for being very simple to prepare and when you consider how tasty they can, it makes sense to have a few different varieties you can whip up in the kitchen if the occasion calls for it. Do you have a favourite of the five? Let us know in the comments section below!
Author’s Bio:
Karen Kelly
An experienced food blogger with a great passion for food and also the proud owner of an Australian Food Award winning gluten-free pudding shop named Pud For All Seasons.
