Gluten/Dairy free

[JanL]

I regularly make cakes for friends and family but now I have been asked by a work colleague if I can make a birthday cake for his little boy, it has to be gluten free and dairy free.
I have bought gluten free flour, gluten free baking powder, dairy free spread and dairy free chocolate bar.
Does anyone have a really nice cake recipe? Ideally I'd like a recipe for a chocolate cake and a plain one because we have not decided on flavour yet.
The cake will need to be quite firm because I would like to be able to carve it. I am thinking of doing Noddy and Big Ears in their car or Noahs Ark with all the animals on deck.

[beryllium]

Hi JanL, i use Dove Farm Gluten Free Flour for my gluten free cakes, there is a victoria sponge recipe on here... when you say dairy free, does that mean eggs aswell? you can use a veg oil instead of butter aswell. I do find banana cake works well for moister cakes...... happy cake baking, hope all goes well for you.... :-)

http://www.dovesfarm-organic.co.uk/cake-recipe s.htm#victoria-sponge

[JanL]

Thanks for quick reply Beryllium. Eggs are ok and I can use dairy free margarine for the actual cake. I was wondering if I can just use my normal recipe but using the gluten free four in place of normal flour. The flour I have bought is Doves Farm but I have no idea if it is self raising or plain and if it is plain (I assume it is) how much baking powder would I use? Also, is vanilla essence, jam, marzipan and roll out icing ok for a gluten free diet? It is all new to me I'm afraid but I really would like to make a really nice cake for this little boy

[beryllium]

You're going to make a gorgeous cake for this littlun :-).....

Marzipan, homemade will be fine, as it's just ground almonds and lemon juice and egg white and sugar and vanilla essence. The pure vanilla extract is the best one, about �3 for the bottle but will last an age, if your making the marzipan, if not check the ingredients on the pack.....

The Doves farm is plain, so 1 tsp of baking powder to 8 oz of flour is the norm. This flour needs a bit more liquid than you would usually use, as it comes out drier.... if you have time a little practice one may be in order....

I haven't used dairy free chocolate, but if you look at the back of the flour pack, i think there should be a chocolate brownie type recipe on there. I have used that recipe and it's yummy.....

I guess rule of thumb is that you make everything from scratch, including the icing if you can.

The jam I use is St Dalfour, again from the usual shops...

I wish you the best of fun making your lovely cakes, what a lovely gift :-)...

B. xx

[beryllium]

ahhhhh, here is a secret I use all the time.

Xanthum Gum. It comes in a jar and it's a powder. This ingredient adds a real texture to cakes. Bit pricy, again about �3 and you can get it in Tescos.

I cant recommend this highly enough and it's perfectly safe in gluten free cookery.

[JanL]

Berylleum you have been very helpful. Actually I have just had a little go of baking with this stuff tonight. I have make blueberry muffins and chocolate and banana muffins. The blueberry ones were my favourite. I put fresh blueberries and blueberry jam and it was the St Dalfour one. I had no idea that it was the one recommended so that was fortunate. Anyway I am just stuffing my face and they are quite nice - well you have to try first don't you. If you want the recipe for any of these, I can easy let you have them

[beryllium]

*xanthan*

[JanL]

What does the xanthum gum do?
Jan

[beryllium]

ooooh, they sound scrummy ;-), i'll put the kettle on lol.....

So tastes good eh? us gluten free brigade aren't that bad!!!

I'd love your recipe, yes please.....

[beryllium]

Xanthan Gum is like a cellulose, gives that texture of a normal gluten cake... it's a gluten free starch.... these guys are expensive, but it explains it a bit. The science of it? something about a plant, bit like cabbage lol ground into powder... Tescos is cheaper...

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/fram eset/detail/471180.html

[JanL]

200g gluten free flour
1 teaspoon gluten free baking pdr
100g soft margarine
100 g caster suger
4 medium eggs

Just beat the lot together then add the flavouring and mix again

blueberry - 4 tablespoons blueberry jam and 100g fresh blueberries

choc/banana - 100g choc chips and 1 mashed banana

sticky toffee - replace caster sugar with soft brown sugar and add 6 tablespoons toffee sauce

Bake at temp 190'C / 375'F / Gas 5
makes either 12 large muffins, bake 20 minutes
or
30 mini - bake 10-15 mins

[beryllium]

sticky toffeeeeeeeeeeeee........ i'm off to heaven just with the thought of them.....

Thank you for that recipe, i shall be baking those tomorrow for my lot..... :-)

B. xx

[JanL]

Oh I forgot the banoffee. Just add 1 medium banana, mashed together with 4 tablespoons toffee sauce to the mix

[janetsflower]

Thanks for all that info - very helpful at a time when i am really struggling with my shopping. My little boy has just been told he has to become gluten free and it seems most every thing he ate had gluten in. So am i right in thinking you can't get gluten free self raising flour? I have the plain and the bread flour and i bought some of that xanthan gum today so i will start to experiment. Also got to learn about things like beef burgers and meatballs. Its a huge subject once you start looking into it and not all manufacturers make it easy

[beryllium]

Hi Janetsflower, :-), i make our burgers too....

chicken mince

2 slices Dietry Special crumbled finely

1 apple finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1 egg to bind

1 tsp sage

Fry until soft, the apple and onion and let cool then mix all the ingredients together, form little burgers, and fry or grill...

Soups have gluten in them too, you'll be amazed at what they put wheat flour in.... back to good 'ol home cooking....

Avoid oxo cubes too....

at least you've found out now about his gluten intolerance.... hope he starts to feel better very soon....

[janetsflower]

Thanks for that - i do like to cook and do most of our stuff from scratch but you know what kids are - you go to loads of trouble making something nice and they turn their cute littles noses up and insisit on meatballs or a burger or some junk out the freezer. Well i shall make a load of burgers in preparation. And thanks for the tip about oxo cubes - thats one box i hadn't got round to reading the side of yet!!