Yay! It has been a challenge to make a good basic, but flavorful gluten free cake. But the most recent cake my family made was a great success! It has a really good basic flavor and great texture. And, it's good cold, right out of the fridge! Most gluten-free baked goods are gritty when cold. Not this one! It could have to doing with my new grain mill; it can grind very fine flour. I home ground garbanzo beans and brown rice for this cake.
What's funny is that my daughter and I first made a cake mix cake, which I thought had a good chance of turning out. But it didn't. Haha, the simple cake fell through but the one from scratch turned out! Things happen! It's all a part of the learning and the experience. (I think I made the batter too thin with the cake mix cake. It was about 1/4" tall. I cut it up into pieces and stuck in a freezer bag to later mix with pudding and strawberries. : )
Here is what we did for our new favorite from scratch cake:
Adapt Better Homes and Garden Yellow Cake recipe:
On the left are original ingredients; on right are my substitutions
if nothing appears on right side; use what is called for on the left
2 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter or margarine 2/3 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs 1/4 cup applesauce and
2 tsp. ground chia seed, mixed
1 1/4 cups milk 1 1/4 cups Coconut Dream coconut drink
and Rice milk
(I used 3/4 c.coconut drink and
1/2 cup rice milk
may use canned coconut milk
Grease pans with canola oil, if not nonstick. (We used nonstick layer pans this time). 2 9" rounds, 2 8" rounds, or one 9" X 13." In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. In mixing bowl, cream sugar and oil. Add vanilla and egg substitute and mix. Add milk and dry ingredients. Mix 2 minutes. Bake 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, checking if toothpick comes out clean. If in layer pans, cool 10 minutes, then invert on cooling rack or on plate. If making cake more than a few hours ahead of time, place in fridge after it has cooled. To help frosting to spread more easily, place cake in freezer for a couple hours or so, then frost while cake is firm on outer crust.
Top with fudge frosting, adapted from Better Homes and Garden:
On the left are original ingredients; on right are my substitutions
if nothing appears on right side; use what is called for on the left
No-Cook Fudge Frosting
4 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup semi-sweet
chocolate chips, melted*
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup dairy free spread
(I used Smart Balance*)
1/3 cup boiling water 1/3 cup Coconut Dream,
microwaved hot
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine powdered sugar and dairy free spread. Add vanilla, melted chocolate and hot coconut milk. Mix with electric beater.
*I substituted chips because I had no cocoa. To melt chocolate chips, stir in pan on stovetop on very low heat. May want to add coconut oil or shortening(like 1 T) to smooth texture. (my chocolate chips were a bit rough and dry, probably heated a bit too fast at first, but stirring with a bit of coconut oil smoothed them out). Another method is simply to microwave the chips, beginning with 30-60 seconds in microwave, stirring, and returning to microwave and stirring in 30 second intervals until smooth.
*check labels, many types of smart balance have dairy
I think this would make a great tres leches cake(gluten-free, diary free egg free see
http://www.theprovidenthomemaker.com or a good carmel cake with carmel topping.
My children decorated my daughter's birthday cake.
It was so fun for them to get to do it!
