The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Cake is traditionally used to celebrate birthdays, weddings, and baby showers, among other other special events.  With a birthday in our family this week, I thought it would be fun to have a cake challenge.  I’m hoping that the month of May will not be too hot for another baking challenge, but I promise that the challenges for June through August will not use the oven.

I know many of you omit other ingredients from your cooking and baking such as dairy and sugar, and you do a great job of coming up with tasty appetizing recipes.  I particularly enjoy seeing how people make dessert recipes like cake healthier than they usually are.  It’s true, cake is not generally considered healthy.  In my mind, it’s a treat.  That’s why we use it for special occasions. 

If you want a starting place, you can try this basic recipe.

Basic Gluten-Free Cake

• 1/2 c. butter or oil
• 1 – 2 c. sugar
• 2-4 eggs
• 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract or other flavoring
• 2 - 2 1/2 c. gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. milk, buttermilk, milk substitute, or water

With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the mixing bowl alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mix. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan or 2 round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes for the rectangular pan or 25-30 minutes for the round pans. Let the cake cool in the pans about 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.

You could also try adapting a gluten filled recipe, or just make some changes to a gluten-free recipe.  You can view my cake recipes on this page.

Remember, you have a month to work on this.  The cake roundup will be on June 2nd as part of Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Labels: monthly challenge