This Irish Tea Cake is utter perfection. It’s light and fluffy and not overly sweet; like biting into a cloud! It’s amazing for breakfast, lunch, dessert and of course...tea time. If that wasn't enough, it’s gluten free, egg free, nut free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 inch cake pan with vegetable oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper as well. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 4 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch with 6 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter or vegan baking stick and the sugar until it is soft and creamy. About 2-3 minutes.
Slowly beat the cornstarch water mixture and the 2 teaspoons of vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar. It will look chunky.
Starting and ending with the gluten free flour mixture, with the mixer on low...pour in some flour then some milk then some flour.Once it is combined, turn off the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. You don’t want to over mix this. Just make sure everything is fully combined.
Using a spatula, scoop the batter in a greased and parchment lined 9 inch cake pan; smooth the top with a butter knife. It will be super thick and sticky.Bake the cake in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes until the cake is golden on top and springs back at you when careful touched.
Let the cake cool completely in the cake pan. If you try to take it out when it is even a tiny bit warm, the entire thing may fall apart. Cakes with no eggs are very delicate. Once cool, move to a cooling rack. If it seems to be sticking to the cake pan, use a butter knife or a spatula to loosen the edges.
Once the cake is completely cool, dust with the confectioners’ sugar. It must be completely cool otherwise the sugar will melt. Or you can top with fresh fruit, fruit compote, whipped cream, ganache, etc.
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Notes
For Vegan: Use a gluten free flour free from dairy, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks instead of butter and use a non dairy milk. All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 1 ¾ packed cups of regular flour (294 grams) and ½ cup of milk.Eggs: I cannot test this due to a severe egg allergy, but use 1 ¾ packed cups of flour (294 grams), ½ cup milk, 2 eggs and eliminate the cornstarch water. Storing: Once the cake is cut into, it’s best to cut the entire cake into slices, wrap each slice in foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the confectioners' sugar as much. Pop the slices in a zip top bag and freeze for up to 30 days. To defrost, take out if the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft; about 2 hours. Freeze slices even if you're eating them the next day. Storing the cake at room temperature causes the confectioners' sugar get very wet and freezing helps prevent this and also keeps the cake itself soft.Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.