Gluten free cakes and biscuits

[Cherry]

Well... I just bought myself some dove's farm gluten free flour and some gluten free baking powder ready to start experimenting. I feel we people striving for gluten-free cakey goodness need a new thread, so we can pick up tips or don't make the same mistakes.

I have to say, I'm not entirely impressed with cake #1! :D
I thought gingerbread (http://www.parsleysoup.co.uk/getrecipe.php?section=cakes&recipe=Gingerbread)could be a good place to start because it's already a bit denser than your average sponge cake. I used 2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder as the gluten-free flour isn't self-raising.

The result - http://www.parsleysoup.co.uk/veganforum/nogluten1.jpg

It's not cakey enough. It didn't rise up properly - it did rise but was very flat on top rather than domed. It's edible, but it's a weird texture and froths up in your mouth :D I think it's better suited to cookies, but I shall endeavour to create something fluffier in the cake department.

Any experiences or tips?

[Mr Flibble]

i ate a box of gluten free cookies this afternoon (750 caleries ;)). They weren't very good, i think you could do better :)

[Cherry]

:) I might have a go later ...

[RedWellies]

It looks nice in the pic, Cherry.

Mr F, what happened to snacking on dried fruit???

[Mr Flibble]

i ate a bag of dried mango too ;)

6-7 hours worth of meetings today (after 8 yesterday), what can i say?

[cookey]

It definately works better with crumble than anything else I've tried. I usually mix up a few different types of flour for variety. I also made a crust free pumpkin pie for our last Bristol meet up, with it in. Basically cooked custard type thing. Turned out very nice.
I made some fat free brownies with it a few days ago and they seemed to come out more cakey than browny. So I think generally you need to add more liquid and maybe extra baking powder to recipes. Or maybe something sticky like stewed dates as there's no stickiness from the gluten?

[Cherry]

Weird...my mum just suggested dates too. Thanks for the tip :) I was thinking about ground almonds too.

[Tigerlily]

What's black treacle? That recipe looks good, Cherry. :) I might make it.

[Cherry]

Urm...kinda black syruppy stuff like molasses but a bit less strong. Sorry - best description I can give off the top of my head. I wouldn't recommend making it with gluten free flour though Tigerlily :D

[cookey]

This evening,I tried mixture of dates stewed in lemon juice and rind, gluten free flour, soya flour, bicarb, baking powder, soya milk, apple juice and squirt of agave syrup. I put in a bit too much liquid so it was a bit more puddingy, but it did rise well. Fairly low temperature - about gas mark 4-5.

[Gorilla]

i find gluten-free flour makes my teeth feel funny, there's something odd about it. i eat wheat more often than i used to because i was getting bored of gluten-free foods - that may be partly what's causing my mood swings though i suppose :rolleyes:

i just haven't found a decent substitute for cake and bread so far. cookies tend to be better but most still have that weird texture i don't like.

[cookey]

How are you with oats and spelt Gorilla? Sometimes I make bread with a mixture of the two with some soya flour as well. Maybe you could make bread with wheat and some other flour to at least cut down on the amount of wheat?
Or are you just not up for cooking?

[Gorilla]

i think i'm ok with spelt and oats. but most of my cooking turns out to be a complete disaster :o

[xwitchymagicx]

So I think generally you need to add more liquid and maybe extra baking powder to recipes.

You do need to add more liquid to gluten free flours! It says on the packet usually. :)

Generally things turn out ok when I cook them gluten free/wheat free...I think mostly I've been eating gluten free/wheat free for so long now I don't even notice the difference! ;) People who are used to gluten/wheat cakes probably would though.

I've found muffins, and cookies usually turn out better...than cakes. I'm still practising baking cakes though!

[Tigerlily]

Urm...kinda black syruppy stuff like molasses but a bit less strong. Sorry - best description I can give off the top of my head. I wouldn't recommend making it with gluten free flour though Tigerlily :D

Haha, I'll use regular flour then. :)

[Cherry]

:)

Yeh, Witchy, it *does* say that on the packet. I somehow missed that in my hurry to start cooking and didn't add extra liquid. Oopsy :D

Do you reckon it was the dates that made it rise more Cookey? Did it make the cake spongier?

[cookey]

I don't think it was the dates that made it rise, I think that helped with the stickiness and made it sweet!
I think you have to put in more liquid and baking powder which results in you having a more liquidy batter to put in the oven and not what we are used to for cake mix. Resulting in you probably thinking " that looks too wet". Then cooking it at a lower heat than normal to get it to cook all through properly and get to the correct texture.
I should add though that I am trying to cut out as much fat and sugar as possible and not just thinking about gluten free ness, which is less of an issue for me. You might want to just concentrate on the gluten free thing first? Maybe try one of your normal recipes but add extra 1/4 cup of soya milk and teaspoon of baking powder and cook on lower heat for longer?
I try and make small amounts if I'm experimenting so I don't waste loads of stuff and have loads of something horrible to eat if it all goes wrong!

[cookey]

http://www.dovesfarm-glutenfree.co.uk/recipes-largecakes.htm#Vegan Carrot Cake

Found above link which has a recipe for vegan gluten free carrot cake, if it helps. (Also has non vegan recipes on the page).

[Cherry]

Waaaaaaaaah (That's a good noise btw :D )

Thanks Cookey. Carrot cake was next on the agenda. I haven't tried unglutenising my own recipe yet, so I'll probably make both of those at once to compare.

I usually experiment in normal or half-sized quantities to make it more accurate. I'm pretty lucky though. These are the worst results for a long time and it's quite nice. Just more of a biscuit/cake hybrid! :D
Experiments are on hold until next week though due to moving house!

[inkedmiss]

Sorry for going off topic, but I just wanted to say I made your carrot cake loaf today Cherry and it is yum :) Its great its in a loaf tin so I can take a slice to work with me

[cookey]

My daughter made this cake yesterday - I think the recipe called for too much salt so I've put less here:

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar (Or alternative)
3 very large bananas - mashed ( we used 4 large ones!)
3/4 -1 cup water

Mix all ingredients and pour into two greased tins. Cook for 20-30 mins at Gas mark 4.
We put some stewed raspberries in the middle and some tofu rapberry cream on top. It came with very good testure.
Iwant to experiment with using agave in this recipe and adding carob flour.
How's your experiments going Cherry?

[Marrers]

Cherry you seem to cook a heck of a lot - I was wondering what happens to all the yummy cakes you make to experiment - as I recall you are quite slim! :D
If I cooked all that I'd end up eating it all so it 'wouldn't go to waste' :rolleyes: !

[Cherry]

Sorry for going off topic, but I just wanted to say I made your carrot cake loaf today Cherry and it is yum :) Its great its in a loaf tin so I can take a slice to work with me

Cool :) Glad you like it. Mmmm, cake.

That recipe looks good Marrers (apart from the gluten free flour :D :rolleyes: - only joking). My experimenting is on hold. Actually my entire life is on hold. I just got a new job that involves working pretty much 18 hours per day! Nice. When things settle down a bit, I shall commence the gluten free baking.

Lol, Marrers. I don't make THAT many. I haven't made cake since that gingerbread actually. I guess I'd make one a fortnight if I had loads of time. I don't put on weight very easily so I don't have a problem disposing of the experimental evidence :D

[Reuben]

I agree with cookey that it deffinately works better with crumble. Everything else that i've tried has been a disaster. Yesturday I tried to make a vegan wheat free victoria sponge. I used xantham gum cus it's ment to take place of the gluten and make it rise but it didn't rise at all. I don't eat wheat free, but my dad does. I'm planning on buying this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Treats-Wheat-free-Vegan-Desserts/dp/1570671370/ref=pd_bowtega_1/026-7240943-7028443?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182190320&sr=1-1) book, or maybe this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gluten-Free-Vegan-Delicious-Allergy-Free-Without-Dairy/dp/1600940323/ref=pd_bowtega_2/026-7240943-7028443?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182190578&sr=1-2) book, or both.

[Willowherb]

I found some gluten free biscuits yesterday made by Prewett's called Jammy Wheels that appear to be suitable for vegans. They're pretty much like Jammy Dodgers.

http://www.northumbrianfinefoods.com/No%20Wheat.html (http://www.northumbrianfinefoods.com/No%20Wheat.html)

Unfortunately the other biscuits in the range aren't suitable.