Read Gluten-Free Makeovers Online
Authors: Beth Hillson
Gluten-Free Makeovers (84 page)
MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
Inspired by a recipe by Dorie Greenspan and a crop of fresh, local blueberries, this magnificent cake is as pretty as it is luscious. I serve it on a glass cake stand with vanilla glaze draping over the crowns of the cake and a glint of the fruit peeking from the frosting’s edges. When blueberries are not in season, I use frozen blueberries, raspberries, or chocolate chips. Originally, I made this with Gluten-Free Pantry’s Cake and Cookie Mix, which is still a great shortcut when company is waiting and the clock is ticking.
2½ cups Cake and Pastry Flour (page 16)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter or non-dairy buttery spread, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla
1½ cups reduced-fat sour cream, plain yogurt, or soy or coconut yogurt
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen berries (unthawed)
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons warm water
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan.
Combine the flour blend, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat to incorporate. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat until blended. Fold in the sour cream and mix to combine. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes away clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then turn onto a wire rack, and cool completely. Frost with the vanilla glaze, if desired.
This freezes well. (Do not frost before freezing.)
Make the glaze: Combine the confectioners’ sugar, water, and vanilla in a bowl. Add additional confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, if the glaze is too thin. If the glaze is too thick, add additional water.
Use 4 cups of a commercial gluten-free cake mix in place of the flour and sugar here. If the mix contains baking powder, omit it from the above ingredients.
VARIATION: In place of the blueberries, fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries or ¾ cup chocolate chips.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
This recipe first appeared in
Living Without
magazine. It was inspired by an abundance of zucchini and a curiosity about baking with quinoa. The recipe is a cross between carrot cake and zucchini bread. It may sound too healthy to be delicious, but you’ll be sneaking seconds and thirds.
2½ cups Cake and Pastry Flour (page 16)
1 cup quinoa flakes
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter or dairy-free buttery spread, at room temperature
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs or flax gel (see Simple Substitutions, page 268)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup low-fat buttermilk, vanilla soy milk, or other dairy-free milk
2 cups finely grated zucchini
¾ cup chopped nuts, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting (page 255), optional
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan.
Combine the flour blend, quinoa flakes, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Fold in the zucchini and nuts, if using. (The batter will be thick.)