gluten free cake mixes - & GF forum/board?

15 years ago

Has anyone had experience with any of the gluten free cake mixes? I was thinking about taking a vanilla or yellow cake mix & making a spice cake from it.

I've also thought about trying for a red velvet by adding 2 Tablespoons of cocoa and subbing a bottle of red food coloring for part of the water.

The brands of gluten-free mixes available locally are Pamela's, Gluten Free Pantry, Bob's Red Mill, Cherry Brook Kitchens, 365 (W Foods store brand) & Namaste.

And one more question - can you recommend any good online sources for g-f baking info?

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Comments (15)

beanthere_dunthat
15 years ago
Liz -
I've never used it myself, but a neighbor told me about this site when we were coordinating baked goods for a class that had some GF kids in it. (Link below) Two of her kids are on gluten-free diets. Also, she said Land-o-Lakes has some GF recipes on their site that have turned out well for her.

Here is a link that might be useful: GF Baking
bons
15 years ago
No need for a mix. If you want to try and bake without a mix I have a recipe for a gluten-free cake that is very easy, and can be made as a yellow cake or a chocolate cake (or cupcakes). It's delish, and has a 'sponge-cake' texture. I frost it or just serve it with whipped cream and fruit.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. xanthan gum
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Canola Mayo)
1 cup milk
2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
1 Tbs lemon or orange zest, Optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and rice flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
2. Mix the white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.
3. Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread batter into the prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool completely then frost, if desired.
To make chocolate cake add 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/4c extra sugar. Can make cupcakes - about 20 - bake for about 14 minutes.

Xanthan Gum is expensive, but goes a long way, so not bad if you do a lot of GF baking.

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Cupcake version here
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houscrzy
15 years ago
The most helpful GF baking info that I've found has been on various GF blogs. I especially like Gluten Free Goddess (the pumpkin pie bread in her last post is great!) Also Gluten Free Girl, Gluten Free Mommy, Hey That Tastes Good all have some good baking advice. I haven't tried a GF cake because then I'd eat it! So I'm afraid that I can't help there.
matti5
15 years ago
Betty Crocker has a new line of gluten free mixes. Chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate/yellow cake mixes. I tried the cookie mix and it was quite good.
dgkritch
15 years ago
Where's Teri? She's been GF for awhile now.
I know she's got some good recipes and sites.

Teri! Oh Teri! Where are you??????

Deanna
Terri_PacNW
15 years ago
You rang???

Well I can say that there are a few things from Land O Lakes that I have made and enjoyed ..their marble cake is good..very good..

I've also made the chocolate Loaf cake with cream cheese swirl that AnnT shared some months ago..and "gluten free'd" it too..

I tend to stay away from mixes..just cuz it's just as easy if you have a semi stocked pantry to make your own stuff.

I do love Shauna (Glutenfreegirl) and some of GlutenFreeGoddess...she has a very restrictive diet..so somethings I'm not interested in.

Okay here's the Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake
Not sure where AnnT got the recipe..or was it Jessica and then Ann made it??

Mixture "A"
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 oz castor sugar (I used 1/4 c white.)
1 egg

1. beat cream cheese with sugar until light and fluffy, beat in egg until well incorporated. Set aside.

Mixture "B"
13 T butter (1 Used 3/4 c of butter)
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
3 T cocoa
1 cup of flour (I used 1/2 c pamela's pancake/baking blend and 1/2 cup standard GF Flour blend. 2 c brown/white rice flour, 2/3 c potato starch and 1/3 c tapioca starch/flour)
2.5 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Mix dry ingredients together. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated.
Fold in flour mixture.
Pour half the "b" mixture into a loaf pan, then all of "a" mixture, then the rest of "b".
Bake in preheated 350F oven for 45-50 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

I have two great cookbooks checked out from the library that I'm reading...picking recipes to try too...
liz_h
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone for your responses. When I first started eating gluten free, I just avoided baked goods. Now I enjoy millet/rice bread and brownies from the Gluten Free Pantry mix.

The back story on the cake - Since I'll be at a friend's house for dinner on my birthday (Thanksgiving) she's offered to bake me a birthday cake. I want to make it as easy as possible for her. In the meantime I'll look into some of the mentioned sites for myself.

I know about not baking it because you'll eat it - I need sweets like I need the 20 extra pounds I shed this year. But sometimes chocolate is an absolute necessity!

I've found that my local grocery (Kroger) also carries gluten-free mixes, though I don't know the brand.

I've heard good things about Pamela's and Betty Crocker. It stands to reason that Betty would put out a good tasting product. Sometimes "healthy" food companies don't think they have to taste as good as the traditional alternative.
liz_h
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Teri - for you & Bonnie, I forgot to say that I will keep those recipes for when I do some more baking on my own. I'd love to be able to convince DH to let me bake a GF cake for his birthday, but he doesn't even want a homemade/scratch cake! It has to be Duncan Hines spice cake. But since it's been his birthday cake for at least 50 years, I guess that's OK. :)
Terri_PacNW
15 years ago
Liz, I understand..I haven't eating any Pamela's cake mix or frostings..however..I use the baking mix, and have eaten her already made cookies..so I'm guessing that the mixes would be fabulous!

You can look at Pamela's Website, and there are recipes that use her mixes. Some yummy sounding stuff!
Terri_PacNW
15 years ago
Hmm that would be eaten...

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's Pamela's Website..
liz_h
Original Author
15 years ago
Definitely some yummy looking stuff!

Have you ever made a GF piecrust that doesn't use nuts? If so, was it any good? It would be nice to be able to make one that people would enjoy regardless of their gluten-eating status.
houscrzy
15 years ago
Well you most certainly need a cake on your birthday! And how nice that a friend wants to make it for you.

Somebody posted this cake last year before Thanksgiving (in fact I think it might have been Terri) and I made it for a Thanksgiving dessert. It was super easy and a huge hit with Gfers and non-GFers alike. It actually gets a lot better on the second or 3rd day so it is great to make ahead. Maybe it would fit the bill since it is both your birthday and Thanksgiving! Oh and when I went looking for the recipe, I found a version that adds a 1/2 cup of cocoa to this recipe--that sounds really fantastic as well!

Nigella Lawson's Clementine Cake
5 Clementines
Â 6 Eggs
Â 1 cup Sugar
Â 2 1/3 cup Almonds ground
Â 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

Preparation
Put the unpeeled clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours.
Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds.
Then chop everything finely -- skins, pith, fruit -- in the food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter and line an 8-inch spring form pan.
Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the pan.
compumom
15 years ago
I have a Namaste Spice Cake mix in the pantry. I was going to make it for myself for my birthday, but never got around to it. I've made their muffins and they're not bad. I don't eat potato products either, so some brands of mixes aren't acceptable. I made something from Cherry Brook a while ago- maybe chocolate chip cookies?, it was pretty good.
bons
15 years ago
Housecrzy - I tried a very similar recipe to that except that it used regular oranges and had less almonds. The resulting cake still had a slight bitterness from the skins. I think I may have to try the version you posted.

Bonnie
Terri_PacNW
15 years ago
I didn't make that recipe..but I might have pointed you in the direction of it..I have made her flourless chocolate cake..or is it Tyler Florences? LOL

I dunno..

Liz I have made a pie crust (flour like)...I think it was a Bob's Red Mill Recipe..I'll go looking..

gluten free cake mixes - & GF forum/board?

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