Gluten and Wheat Free Cake and Desert Recipes

Discovering last May that part of my struggle with weight, bloating, depression and fatigue was an allergy to wheat and gluten had me panicked that never again would I be able to enjoy a baked treat. But I need not have worried. I discovered several wonderful recipes on line and gluten free flours and starches in local stores that made rustling up deserts and goodies a snap. Now my energy is way up, I have lost tons of weight, no more bloating and the blues have gone too!

Not all the recipes I tried online worked out but here are links to 2 sites whose recipes I find do work and an old favourite cake recipe that I have adapted - all have been enjoyed by friends, family and co-workers.

One tip shared with me by a wheat free friend is to replace the quoted amount of flour in any favourite recipe (except bread) with equal amounts of brown rice flour and tapioca starch (not flour). For example 1 cup of flour replaced by 1/2 cup brown rice flour and 1/2 cup of tapiocha starch. This works for pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies and cakes.

Tunisian Almond and Orange Cake - this recipe is a long standing favourite and the original recipe called for 1 1/2oz of stale breadcrumbs. I substitute with a slice of gluten free bread or a slice of the almond loaf from the recipe below.

Ingredients

1 1/2oz gluten/wheat free breadcrumbs or almond bread crumbs

200g raw cane sugar or caster sugar

100g ground almonds

1 1/2tsp gluten free baking powder (made in a facility free from wheat products)

200ml sunflower oil

4 eggs

grated zest 1 orange

grated zest 1/2 lemon

Syrup (optional)

juice of 1 orange

juice of 1/2 lemon

85g sugar

2 cloves

1 x cinammon stick

Mix together all dry ingredients. Add the oil and eggs and beat well. Stir in lemon and orange zest. Pour into lined 20cm (8in) cake tin.

Place in COLD oven and set heat to 190c or 375F for 40-50 minutes. Cake is done when skewer comes out clean on test. Leave in pan to cool. Turn out onto a plate.

SYRUP is optional but makes the cake more fragrant and extra moist. To make syrup bring all the ingredients slowly to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved, simmer for 3 minutes. Make skewer holes in the cake and pour over syrup. Remove cloves but use cinammon stick for decoration.

The cake is best the day after it is made. Keeps well in the fridge covered in foil for up to 5 days - but good luck making it last that long!

Sweet Rice Pudding

Being raised in England sweet rice was a traditional desert on Sundays after a roast lunch. I use basmati rice because I like to use left over rice to make this and basmatti is the one my daughter prefers as a savoury. Short or long grain rices works well and rice that has been poorly cooked and ended up sticky can be used too. This is great for school lunch deserts and much cheaper than buying pre-bought snack pots.

Place cooked rice in a glass baking dish and cover with a 50/50 mixture of 2% milk and cream or use one can of evaporated milk with 2% or whole milk. Add sugar to sweeten - I find 1/3 cup is plenty and I usually use raw cane or brown. Add a couple of pinches of nutmeg or cinnamon and put three knobs of butter on the top. Bake at 400 f for 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold. 



I have tried recipes from both sites below and found they work well. I particularly like the flour mix that gluten free goddess suggests and which I keep in my cupboard for ready to go muffins, cookies and cakes. The brownie recipe is always a big hit in our home.

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/p/site-index.html

The peanut bread recipe below is amazing, especially with the almond butter. I also make peanut butter cookies which are simple to whip up. Mix 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup sugar and one egg. Mix well and place on ungreased cookie sheet. flatten with a fork or leave in balls. Cook 15 mins on 325 and leave on sheet to cool. While cookies are cooling press a chunk of dark chocolate in the centre of each cookie.

http://www.food.com/recipe/low-carb-mr-peanut-bread-453651

Check back in a couple of days for my valentines gluten free tea spread

Happy Wheat Free Eating!