To make this surprise cake, you will be baking two cakes.
Cake #1 will bake first and cool, then will be cut into shapes or numbers to be hidden inside the second cake. This first cake should be a different color from the second cake (e.g. chocolate/vanilla/strawberry or use food coloring) but the recipes should be of the same density. Cake #2 will be baked with the cut-out shapes or numbers from the first cake inside.
Cake #1:
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection). Line with parchment or oil one 9×5 loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. (If using gfJules Cake Mix, follow package instructions to prepare cake batter and bake.)
In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, beating for several minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs, one at a time, mixing to integrate, adding lemon juice with the second egg. Slowly stir in dry ingredients, alternating with strawberry purée (and food coloring, if using), mixing until combined and batter is smooth. Fold in lemon zest.
Pour in cake batter and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake until cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan, approximately 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake – if it is clean or has very few crumbs, the cake is done. Err on the side of slightly under-cooking this cake , since it will be baked inside the next cake.
Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, if necessary to release the cake, and invert onto a wire rack to completely cool. Evenly slice cake in half, horizontally, using a long serrated knife or cake leveler.
Lay both pieces of cake onto a cutting board and cut out numbers or shapes with cookie cutters or a template with a knife. Seal in a zip-top bag or Tupperware and store in the refrigerator until ready to insert into cake #2. (Use cake remnants to make Cake Pops!)
Cake #2:
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection). Line with parchment or oil one 12 x 4½ pan or 10 x 5 pan (a longer pan works best for this recipe, as pictured. If you only have 9 x 5 loaf pan, reserve some of the batter from the second cake and bake as cupcakes so the pan isn't overfilled.)
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. (If using gfJules Cake Mix, follow package instructions to prepare cake batter.)
In a separate bowl, add lemon juice to milk and set aside to curdle.
In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, beating for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing to integrate. Slowly stir in dry ingredients, alternating with milk, mixing until combined and batter is smooth. Fold in lemon zest.
Pour enough cake batter into the pan to cover the bottom ½-inch deep. Arrange the refrigerated cake shapes in a straight line, one behind the other, along the length of the pan. If the shapes are flimsy or you are using more than one shape, run a wooden skewer through the stack of shapes to help them stay in line (see photos above recipe card).
Pour the remaining cake batter on top of and completely around the inserted cake shapes so that they are covered with cake batter but don't overfill pan. Smooth with a rubber spatula.
Bake until cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan, approximately 60-70 minutes; adjust depending on the size of your pan. With the cake inserts inside, cake #2 can take much longer to bake, so if the top is getting too done, cover with aluminum foil. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake (not into the pre-baked cake shapes inside) – if it is clean or has very few crumbs, the cake is done.
Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Using the top of the cake pan as a jig, lay a bread knife on top and cut evenly across the entire top of the cake so that what will be the bottom of the cake will be level.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan, if necessary, to release the cake and invert onto a wire rack. If using wooden skewers to secure the cake shapes inside the pan, remove the skewers by pulling out one end of the pan before frosting.
For these Surprise Cakes, I baked a gluten-free Strawberry Cake with strawberry purée for the cake numbers / hearts inside and Lemon Cake for the outer cake of the cake with numbers. For gluten-free chocolate cake, I baked 1 recipe of my Best Gluten Free Cake Recipe, chocolate variation.gluten-free cake popsNote that you will have plenty of extra of Cake #1 left over as "scraps," so plan on making Gluten Free Cake Pops!
Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Surprise Cake Recipe
Serving Size
1
Amount per Serving
Calories
538
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
9
g
56
%
Trans Fat
0.5
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
119
mg
40
%
Sodium
421
mg
18
%
Potassium
264
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
97
g
32
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
53
g
59
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
545
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
7
mg
8
%
Calcium
187
mg
19
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
