Buttermilk in cake baking is a little bit of an unsung hero. It’s a wonderful ingredient for making moist sponges and cupcakes and we all know how great it is for making soda bread.

My sister was the one who introduced this cake recipe to me, making a wonderful raspberry version. I’ve made it my own by doing a gluten and wheat-free version and also making a strawberry flavour instead of raspberry. There is something very pretty about a pink cake that makes it utterly irresistible!

This is one you and your family will enjoy!

For the cake

200g (8oz) butter/margarine

315g (12½oz) caster sugar

100g (4oz) corn flour

100g (4oz) rice flour

100g (4oz) potato flour

1 teaspoon GF baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon bread soda

¾ teaspoon xanthan gum

4 large eggs

300ml (10floz) buttermilk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the icing

200g (8oz) butter/margarine, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50g (2oz) fresh strawberries

450g (1lb) icing sugar

60ml (2floz) whipping cream

To decorate

Fresh strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark five/190°C/375°F. Flour and grease two 20cm/8in round cake tins.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter/margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sieve the flours, baking powder, salt, bread soda and gum into a bowl. Then mix the flours into the butter/margarine.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together with the buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

4. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry by hand, or with the mixer on speed one, until the batter is combined.

5. Divide the batter equally between the two cake tins.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

7. Allow the cakes to cool for five to 10 minutes in the baking tins, then carefully turn them out on to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To decorate

8. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter/margarine, vanilla extract, fresh strawberries (they mash as you mix) and icing sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Once smooth, turn the mixer to a medium speed and slowly mix in the whipping cream until light and fluffy.

9. When the cakes are cold, sandwich them together with one third of the strawberry icing. Then use the remainder to decorate the top and sides of the cake.

10. Top off with halved strawberries, but leave the green leaves on the strawberries for colour.

Recipes by Denise O’ Callaghan from her book 'Recipes from my Gluten-Free Kitchen' (Mercier Press).

Denise is the founder of Denise’s Delicious Gluten-Free Bakery, whose product range is available across Ireland from the major supermarkets, artisan food stores and the online store at www.delicious.ie. Denise recently appeared on Neven Maguire’s RTÉ series Healthy Home Chef, demonstrating gluten-free baking. See RTÉ Player for more.