This moist, tender and Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake has lemon zest and thyme baked into the cake. Served with a thyme infused blueberry sauce, it’s a little slice of heaven. If you’re looking for an easy , gluten free dessert option for yourself or someone you know who is gluten free, this is a recipe worth saving and sharing.
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Xanthan Gum. What is it, why do I need it and how do I use it?
Xanthan Gum is a stabilizer often found in gluten free baking. I use Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum in any gluten free baking I do. Since there is no gluten in this recipe to help the cake rise and provide structure, I needed to find an alternative. Baking powder and baking soda help with the rise, but the Xanthan Gum provides added volume and acts as an emulsifier. This helps bind the crumb of the bake together.
If you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by re-engineering gluten-rich recipes into gluten-free ones, add this handy stabilizing agent to your pantry.
A word of caution when using it though. Start out light. A little goes a long way. Too much can yield a structurally firm bake, but the texture will be unpleasant.
Case in point, one time I was developing a “cream” pie recipe that was both gluten free and vegan. I was using Xanthan Gum as a stabilizer and used a little too much. And when I say a little, I really mean I went way over the line. The final bake was beautiful to look at. It held its shape perfectly when you sliced into it, but the texture, was slimy and horribly off-putting. Everything smelled and looked perfect. But the texture was truly dreadful.
I was horrified. I wouldn’t even let my husband taste it. Thinking I was being overly self-critical, he insisted on trying it.
He’s my number one new-recipe-taste-tester. And he is always good at balancing constructive criticism by noting what is on point. However, he took one bite – maybe chewed it twice – before declaring he was in complete agreement with my assessment. It really was that dreaded word all bakers fear the most; inedible.
I walked the pie out to the back yard and threw it over the fence and into the woods for the wildlife to eat…..and there it stayed until spring. Not a single squirrel, racoon, possum or other scrounging beast would eat it. Truly. Not a single creature would touch the dreaded pie. So please, let this tragedy serve as a comic lesson to you. When it comes to Xanthan Gum, use this ingredient sparingly.
What can I serve with this Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake?
So, now you know not to use too much Xanthan Gum, but one thing you may want to use in abundance is this delicious and very versatile recipe for Thyme Infused Blueberry Sauce. It’s the sauce I always that I serve with this Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake. Clean, balanced and bright – it pairs perfectly with this cake.
It’s also a great topping for Greek yogurt, ice cream or even pancakes and waffles. And because it only takes a few minutes to make, you can whip up a batch quickly mid-week so it’s ready when you are. In fact, I’ll often make the sauce while I’m waiting for the cake to finish baking.
Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: Italian AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings30
minutes1
hourA moist, tender and Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake with lemon zest and thyme.
Ingredients
½ cup whole milk
Juice of one lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
Zest of one lemon
1 Tbsp. of lemon thyme leaves, removed from the stem and given a quick chop to break up any larger leaves
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ tsp. Xanthan Gum
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt (Himalayan sea salt)
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large eggs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep a 9-inch spring form pan by lining the bottom with parchment that has been cut to fit the bottom the pan. Spray the sides with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Zest the lemon. Set aside.
- Combine lemon juice and milk in a bowl and allow to stand for 5 minutes until thickened. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, corn meal, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Whisk the almond flour mixture to remove any lumps.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, zest, almond extract and thyme. Mix on low to release the natural oils of the flavorings for 1 minute.
- Add flour mixture to the sugar mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Return to the milk mixture which has thickened like buttermilk after resting for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and eggs and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and blend until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides to ensure ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into pan and bake at 325 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Once completely cooled, remove from the pan, dust top of the cake with powdered sugar and serve with Thyme Infused Blueberry Sauce. Enjoy!
