This Berry Cornmeal Cake is soft, fluffy, gluten-free, and vegan! Use your favorite berries for this simple summer cake recipe. Ready in 30 minutes! Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post.

Meet one of my new favorite snacks: the Berry Cornmeal Cake. We love vegan cake recipes around here, and this one is quickly rising up the list. This gluten-free and vegan cake is the simple snack cake of your dreams: tender, soft, flavorful, interesting, and not too sweet. It’s a versatile cake that works well for breakfast, lunch, dessert, or a snack. We love a multitasker.

The texture of this cake isn’t overly cakey. It’s tender, but sturdy, like a mix of sweet cornbread and a thick sheet cake. And it comes together in just ten minutes! With a twenty-minute bake time, you can have it ready in about 30 minutes – perfect for weekend mornings, or when you want a quick snack cake to serve in the afternoon.

The flavor is sweet, but not too sweet. It works wonderfully on its own, or you can transform it into dessert with a scoop of ice cream. It’s a perfect breakfast cake when you add some coconut yogurt with berries on top. Let’s get into how to make it!

What ingredients do you need?

The ingredients for this cake are simple but make for a super fabulous cake! Quality is important with simple cakes like this one, so I turn to my favorite flour company, Bob’s Red Mill, for the best flours and cornmeal to use in this cake!

  • Dairy-Free Milk + Apple Cider Vinegar: this acts as our buttermilk for this cake!
  • Flax Eggs: these act as our binder – make them when you mix up the “buttermilk” to give them time to gel.
  • Bob’s Red Mill Blanched Almond Flour: my favorite light & tender flour for this cake!
  • Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal: I used the medium-grind cornmeal from Bob’s to provide a delicious texture that adds a little bit of that cornmeal toothsomeness. For a smoother cake, use Bob’s gluten-free cornflour instead in the same amount.
  • Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour: or arrowroot starch – this provides lightness to the cake.
  • Coconut Sugar: for sweetness.
  • Baking Powder, Baking Soda, & Salt: for a beautiful puffy texture!
  • Cinnamon: for flavor – add more or less to your tastes, and you can experiment with other spices here too if you’d like!
  • Coconut Oil: for softness. I like using refined so there is no coconut flavor.
  • Vanilla Extract: because no baked good is complete without it.
  • Berries: of your choice! I used a combination of fresh strawberries and thawed blackberries for this one. Blueberries or any other seasonal berries in your parts would work fantastically here too.

How do I make cornmeal cake?

The process is super easy – it’s not a complicated cake to make it all! We love a simple snack cake, right?

First, mix together the dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar to create your vegan buttermilk substitute. Mix together the flax eggs as well so they have time to gel.

In a big bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients. Then, mix the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and flax eggs into the dairy-free milk mixture and whisk to combine.

Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until a thick batter forms. Fold in your berries and smooth into your pan.

I baked this cornmeal cake in a 9″ square baking pan, but you can also use an 8″ or 9″ cast iron skillet for extra crispy edges and a more rustic feel.

Add more berries to garnish on top if you feel like it, and the optional sprinkle of turbinado sugar for a little extra sparkle and sweetness. Then bake for 20 minutes, until golden and puffy and delicious!

Let it cool, or not, and enjoy however you’d like!

Can I use any type of berries?

Absolutely! I tested this cake recipe with thawed blackberries, as well as with a mix of blackberries and strawberries (which is what you see pictured here). Any type of berry you love or have on hand will work.

If your berries are frozen: let them thaw and drain in a colander for about 30 minutes to an hour to release any extra juice. Save the juice and add to sparkling water for a delicious drink!

Can this cake be frozen?

Absolutely. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container, or you can keep it in the freezer for up to six months if wrapped well and airtight to prevent freezer burn.

To thaw, transfer to the fridge or room temperature for about an hour, or microwave for 20 to 40 seconds to get to the temperature you want.

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Vegan Berry Cornmeal Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Bakerita | Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 16 cake squares 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This Berry Cornmeal Cake is soft, fluffy, gluten-free, and vegan! Use your favorite berries for this simple summer cake recipe. Ready in 30 minutes!

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice also work
  • 2 flax eggs, 2 tablespoons flax meal + 5 tablespoons water, whisk together and let set for 5 minutes
  • 1½ cups (144g) Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour
  • 1 cup (152g) Bob’s Red Mill fine or medium-grind cornmeal
  • ½ cup (55g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup (67g) coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup fresh berries, plus more for topping
  • Turbinado sugar, for topping, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9″ inch circle or square cake pan.
  2. Combine the almond milk and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to let the milk curdle into buttermilk. Also make the flax eggs at this point to give them time to gel.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk the almond flour, cornmeal, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl, making sure to get all the clumps out.
  4. Add the melted coconut oil, flax eggs, and vanilla extract to the milk and vinegar mixture and whisk together until smooth. Add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and combined. Fold in the berries.
  5. Spread evenly in the pan and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar, if using.
  6. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
  7. Let cool completely before removing from the pan.
  8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

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