A Very Good GF Buttermilk Cake with Roasted Strawberries
A tender, gluten-free olive oil and buttermilk cake topped with jammy, roasted strawberries kissed with honey and black pepper. Simple, stunning, and secretly easy.
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This post is sponsored by CA GROWN, but the enthusiasm for roasted strawberries and really good olive oil? 100% mine.
Last week, I did something that every food-loving, dirt-under-the-nails kind of person should do at least once: I spent a few days with CA GROWN on California’s Central Coast, hopping between farms, vineyards, olive groves, and gardens with a crew of wildly creative makers and eaters. I came home smelling faintly of citrus and wine, and with a borderline inappropriate obsession with strawberries.
This cake is what happens when you let California’s ingredients take the wheel. Think: golden olive oil, tangy buttermilk from Real California dairy farms, and strawberries so sweet they practically roast themselves (but don’t worry—we help them along with a drizzle of olive oil, a crack of black pepper, and a slow trip through the oven).
Let’s break it down.
Why Supporting California Farmers Still Matters (and Always Will)
Every time I bite into something this good, I’m reminded that real food—like, actually grown by humans who care food—doesn’t just show up. It’s planted, picked, and painstakingly cared for by people who live and breathe their land. In San Luis Obispo County, that’s not a trend—it’s a tradition.
People like Lynette Sonne of FarmsteadED are making sure we don’t forget that. She connects locals and visitors to the farmers behind their food with the kind of charm and passion you wish every meeting had. It’s these stories, these hands in the soil, that turn ingredients into something meaningful.
Let’s Talk Olive Oil (aka Liquid Sunshine)
At Pasolivo, we not only toured some of their incredibly gorgeous property, we also tasted olive oil so good I momentarily considered quitting my job and becoming a professional olive oil taster (do those exist? They do.). The central coast has many, many wonderful olive oil producers. Even some wineries like Austin Hope are producing their own oils. Central Coast olive oil is the kind of ingredient that makes even a plain cake feel like it belongs on a sun-drenched patio.
It’s what brings this buttermilk cake to life. Add in the tang and tenderness from Real California buttermilk, and suddenly we’re working with something dangerously craveable. Gluten-free, yes. But also good-good, not just “good-for-gluten-free” good.
Roasted Strawberries: A Love Letter to Doing the Most
I want to put these roasted strawberries on pretty much everything — and they are so easy to make. Take two pounds of the best strawberries you can find (Hayashi Fruit Stand, if you’re lucky), toss them with olive oil, a generous drizzle of local honey, and a pinch of black pepper (yes, black pepper—just trust me), and roast them low and slow until they collapse into jammy, caramelized perfection.
This is the kind of topping that doesn’t just sit politely on your cake—it sinks in, soaks through, and makes every bite feel like a little miracle.
How to Roast Strawberries (a.k.a. The Best Decision You’ll Make Today)
Roasting strawberries turns them into the jammy, syrupy, sweet-tart magic you didn’t know your cake was missing. Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2–3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil (California-grown obviously)
- A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper (yes, really)
Instructions:
- Let them cool slightly before spooning over your cake. Or over yogurt. Or over your mouth directly—I’m not here to judge.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper—these berries are going to get juicy.
- Toss the strawberries in a large bowl with the olive oil, honey, and black pepper. The honey sweetens, the olive oil adds richness, and the pepper? It wakes everything up.
- Spread the berries out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd them—give them room to roast, not steam.
- Roast for 35–40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the berries are soft, slightly shriveled, and swimming in their own caramelized juices.
TL;DR: Roast Those Berries and Bake This Buttermilk Cake
It’s rustic. It’s lush. It smells like a warm California afternoon. It’s the kind of cake you bake when you want something simple but special. When you want to impress your friends without looking like you tried too hard. When you want a slice for breakfast the next day and maybe one more at 3 p.m. just to make sure it still tastes as good (spoiler: it does). This buttermilk cake is perfect for spring holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day or graduation celebrations!
More Goodness from the Golden State
- An Easy Recipe for Roasted Mushrooms
- Top Tips for a Fun Weekend in Temecula in California
- California Wines – A Paso Robles Love Story
Final Crumb
This cake is proof that gluten-free doesn’t have to mean joy-free. It’s messy in the best way. It’s full of flavor. And it’s rooted in a place that knows how to grow the good stuff. Bake it for someone you love. Or for yourself, because Tuesday was hard and California strawberries were on sale. Either way, don’t skip the black pepper. It’s the secret handshake.
PS – the gorgeous ceramic cake stand was made by the talented Irvin Lin of Eat the Love Ceramics. And I’m obsessed.
Did you make this buttermilk olive oil cake recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and star rating below (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) and post a picture and tag us on Instagram using the hashtags #agirldefloured #deflouredrecipes! Thank you!
A Very Good Gluten Free Olive Oil Buttermilk Cake with Roasted Strawberries
Equipment
- 8" cake pan
- 1/2 sheet pan
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour blend (with xanthan gum, or add ½ tsp if your blend doesn't contain it
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup great quality California Olive Oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Real California buttermilk
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange
For the Roasted Strawberries:
- 2 lbs fresh California strawberries hulled and halved
- 2 –3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp good olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper start with ¼ tsp and go from there
To Serve
Instructions
Roast the Strawberries:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the strawberries to use as a garnish. Toss the remaining strawberries with olive oil, honey, and black pepper. Spread into an even layer.
- Roast for 35–40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until soft, syrupy, and deeply fragrant. Let cool slightly.
Make the Cake:
- Keep that oven at 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, GF flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, massage the zest into the sugar until it becomes fragrant. Then whisk sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in buttermilk.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed.
- Pour into prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and a tester comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Serve:
- Top with whipped cream or whipped mascarpone if desired. Spoon roasted strawberries (and all their glorious juices) over the cooled cake, along with the reserved sliced strawberries. Garnish with fresh mint leaves or edible flowers. Serve immediately. If you have any left over, wrap with plastic and store in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Nutrition
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