Gluten is not a problem for me, but I know folks with Celiac's disease or allergies, whose diets must be free from the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and other such grains. It's a tough diet to follow. I came across this recipe and wanted to share it with you, but didn't want to pass it on until I made and tasted it. Today was the day. I really did not care for the cake. That may be due to my unfamiliarity with baked goods made from brown rice flour. I thought the cake was dry and dense. The number and quantity of spices give it a flavor that resembles a standard spice cake, but the texture is grainy - almost sandy. It might be a real treat for someone whose diet is restricted, but it's probably not for the rest of us. I made one change to the recipe. I substituted cardamom for ground cloves because I thought the cloves would overwhelm the other spices. The cake is simple to do and, if you know or love someone with a gluten problem, you might want to try this. I never realized how restricting a gluten-free diet can be. I'll keep looking for some decent recipes.
Gluten-Free Spice Cake
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) In a large bowl, beat applesauce, honey, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine rice flour, soy flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom in a large mesh strainer; gradually sift contents into applesauce mixture. Stir until blended. Fold in walnuts, apricots and orange peel.
3) Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 9 servings.
Recipe adapted Taste of Home Healthy Cooking 2009 Annual Recipes
I have friends who are gluten free -- their baked goods are pretty boring. I will pass this recipe on to them.
ReplyDeleteOK, Mary was this purposely put here to tease me while I have my coffee?? Looks delicious, perfect breakfast treat in my book!!
ReplyDeleteThe cake was probably dry because of the ratio of applesauce to fat. I recommend increasing the amount of oil and equally reducing the amount of applesauce to yield a moist cake.
ReplyDeleteBaking delicious gluten free sweets takes practice, and I do it often. My non-Celiac family often prefer my gluten-free baking to the regular version...with the exception of bread.
I am not gluten-intolerant, but I admire you for trying to make the lives of people who has it easier! this cake sounds so yummy and flavorful, I'd make it just for the taste!
ReplyDeleteThe grainy texture was from using all rice flour. If you blend rice with other gf flours (sorghum, bean...) the texture improves and you'll get the lighter, wheat flour consistency you missed. Texture is tricky at first cooking gluten free.
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy - and it's gluten-free ! This goes on my "to-bake-list" :-)
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to Anonymous and Sara for your suggestions. I'll try again with more oil and a combination of gluten-free flours.
ReplyDeleteGluten-free cakes can be pretty darn gourmet tasting. Try making a cake with almond flour and real butter! Check out my blog, Karina's Kitchen and Gluten-Free Gobsmacked for some delicious better-than-gluten-filled recipes. It's not the lack of gluten... it's the recipe! We don't need pity. :D Thank you for bringing attention to this matter, though. Your cake still loooks darn good!
ReplyDeleteLauren, I'm so glad you stopped by and added your comments. My exploration of gluten-free desserts is for my grandson who cannot have dairy or nuts. I hope to spend some time on your site this week to explore some of your desserts.
ReplyDeleteI love spice cake! This looks so moist and delish...I have a friend with celiac disease...perhaps I will make this for her. Bonus points.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures on your blog are always so great. I've seen a lot of recipe blogs and few of them feature such apealing pictures.
ReplyDeleteChaka, thank you for the compliment. It really is appreciated.
ReplyDeleteYour spice cakes looks and sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with gluten but I think this is a good recipe to try :)
ReplyDeleteNow that I have kids, I am always encountering children with dietary restrictions. I appreciate your testing recipes for the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteI have Celiac disease and was really excited to find this recipe. Made it tonight & it was delicious! Not dry or sandy at all. But then again, maybe I dont remember what regular baked goods taste like ;)
ReplyDeleteErica, First a welcome to my blog and then a thank you for your kind words. I hope you'll visit with us often.
ReplyDeleteI'm super excited to try this recipe! I'm curious - in the instructions it says to mix rice & soy flour, but the ingredients list only lists rice flour. Just curious if the ingredients' list is missing anything!
ReplyDeleteSarah, I've corrected a problem in the ingredient list. You should be fine now.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have found with rice flour is you must grind it super fine and let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes before you cook it so the moisture can soften the rice flour. You could also decrease the amount of rice and add a bean flour, such as garbanzo beans and tapioca flour which should help to lighten the cake.
ReplyDeleteI have experimented with almond flour. I bought my own and blanched them and ground them and then froze the flour until I need it!
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