Agave-Sweetened Strawberry Lime Cake with Avocado-Lime Filling and Coconut Butter Frosting (Wheat-Free)

Happy Easter weekend! Last Thursday was Anthony's birthday; to celebrate, he requested a strawberry cake. While I was musing over how to make it, Sawyer suggested we should make a lime cake instead. So I did both. And while I was experimenting, I went ahead and made it wheat-free and agave-sweetened as well. I am usually not much of a cake person myself because I find it to be too sweet most of the time, but this cake was so moist, with just the right amount of sweetness, that we were all gobbling it down. This doesn't make a very tall layer cake; it's more family-size. If you want to make a tall cake for a bigger party, double the recipe.

For the strawberry-lime cake:
2 cups barley flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
zest of 2 limes (optional, if you want to up the lime flavor)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the avocado-lime filling:
1 large, very ripe avocado
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 Tbs. tapioca starch
1-2 Tbsp. agave, to taste
2/3 cup sliced strawberries

For the strawberry-lime coconut butter frosting:
2 cups dried, shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/3 cup all-fruit strawberry preserves
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
zest of 2 limes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and oil two 9 inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  In a blender or food processor, puree the strawberries, agave, non-dairy milk, canola oil, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir them together just until evenly moistened and combined.
2. Pour the batter evenly into your prepared pans. Place one pan on the top oven rack and the other on the bottom, on opposite sides from each other. Bake for 12 minutes, and then switch their positions, so that the one on the top left is now on the bottom right and vice versa. Bake for another 12 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks for about an hour and then place them in the freezer for another few hours for ease in frosting.
3. Prepare the filling by placing the avocado, lime juice and zest, tapioca starch and 1 Tbsp. agave in your food processor and pureeing until smooth. Taste and add additional agave if desired. Pour the filling into a separate bowl and place it in the fridge while you make the frosting.
4. To make the frosting, clean out the food processor bowl, and add the coconut and coconut oil. Blend for 7-10 minutes, until it has become completely smooth coconut butter.  Then add the strawberry preserves, agave, tapioca starch, lime juice and zest. Buzz until smooth. It may not seem thick enough. Just place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes, and it will become perfect spreading consistency. 
5. To assemble the cake, prep a large plate by spreading a thin circle of frosting in the middle, to hold down the cake. Take the cake rounds out of the freezer and use a butter knife or fork to gently dislodge the cakes from the sides of the pans. Gently remove one round and place it on top of the frosting on your cake plate. Get the avocado-lime filling out of the fridge and spread it evenly over the bottom layer. Sprinkle with sliced strawberries, and then place the second layer of the cake on top. Take the frosting out of the freezer and give it a good stir. Spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing as you go, layering it on really well to hold everything together. Top with additional strawberries, if desired, and store it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. 

I linked this recipe up this week to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,  Allergy-Free Wednesdays, and Wellness Weekend. Thanks to all those wonderful bloggers who host these recipe-share events!



The kids were thrilled with the birthday balloons Anthony brought home from work. Once they stopped floating, the became, errrr, a work of art....