I have had a request for a chocolate gluten-free grooms cake. The bride actually told me that she knows the cake will be dry and "not-so-good" because she has never had a gluten free cake that was, and that as long as it looked good she did not care. Well, I have no desire to deliver a "not-so-good" tasting cake!! Does anyone have a really good recipe for gluten free cake??? Thanks!

America's Test Kitchen has an absolutely wonderful chocolate gluten free cake, triple chocolate cake. If you can't find the recipe let me know and I'll forward it to you.

Sorry! It's called triple-chocolate mousse cake. It's "to die for."

I personally do not do gluten free cakes since I use flour in my kitchen and therefore it is IMPOSSIBLE to guarantee a cake without trace amounts. Depending on the type of allergy or intolerance the person has a small trace amount could make them ill. With increased awareness of celiac disease perhaps you have a gluten free bakery in your area? If you still want to do it I suggest using a gluten free cake mix (available at most large health food stores) since you will need to buy all sorts of ingredients you might never use again. The chocolate one I did was not too bad the vanilla was HORRIBLE!!

Good luck!

PS here is a link to info on the condition (Celiac):

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/#what

Just made a cake using a gluten free brownie recipe from King Arthur Flour site. It calls for King Arthur gluten free flour, but I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten free flour because it's what my store carries. I also left out the chips and nuts so it would be more cake-like.

It worked perfectly for a cake. It was dense, moist and, based on the test one I made, I guarantee you would not be able to tell it from the best regular brownie.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-brownies-recipe

Try the cake recipes at Elana's Pantry. She has wonderful recipes. She uses almond flour -- not Bob's Red Mill, but a finer kind that you have to order. I think you'd have to charge more because the flour costs so much. But her recipes are really good.

Nikkicakes

Im in Australia and use BASCO gluten free cake mix which is yummy and great for decorating. - my non gluten free friends dont know the difference and actually request it sometimes!

Please ask the bride if the people who require a gluten free cake for dietary needs are okay with trace amounts. Otherwise you will be scrubbing down & bleaching your kitchen and tools & oven before making this cake to ensure trace amounts are not found.

Check also your fillings, buttercream & fondant are all gluten free. I can take off non gluten free fondant and be fine but my friend will be sick for weeks if she did.

Also do not have any open non gluten free products in your kitchen while baking & decorating this cake.

Good luck!
Nel

..moving to Recipe Requests.

This orange almond cake is gluten free and tastes amazing - it's very dense and moist and goes really well with dark chocolate ganache.

http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/03/orange-almond-cake.html

Unless you're baking in a gluten free environment, cross contamination is a serious consideration:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-674736-.html

HTH

If his condition is serious don't do it. A single speck of flour can mess his whole body system up for a while. If it's not that strict (which would make me wonder why they need a GF cake in the first place) then you need to find a good GF flour. Order one online though. The Bob Red Mills brand is really gross and I don't recommend it.

There is a GF flour I use at work that comes in a gold foil packaging that works well. It's a blend of different GF flours.

If you bake gluten free you will probably need to add a little Xanthum Gum.
Go and get a few books about GF baking from your Library. It can get tricky and it helps to have a few references.

My family members have Celiac Disease and we bake GF cakes for them and in our business as well. Cross- contamination is a HUGE concern!! You CAN NOT use the same pans or tools to bake regular cakes and GF cakes. Everything must be specifically used for GF baking....pans, tools, cooling racks....everything!!

My brother in law is so sensitive that if he picks up a cracker to give to his daughter and then eats a piece of food with the same hand he touched the cracker with, he ends up in the hospital. Now granted, not everyone is that sensitive, but don't chance cross-contamination! Even the flour particles floating in the air will contaminate.

I use a recipe from the 'Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Book'. It is a cupcake recipe using almond meal instead of flour, and it is wonderful! It tastes just like a brownie, very decadent for a wedding.

I have made it into a cake, with lots of ganache in layers, it doesnt rise very high, but I did get enough height with the ganache and fondant. see my photos "Liana's birthday cake". She loved it, and ate nearly the whole thing herself!!

Recipe makes fabulous cupcakes, made 110 for wedding last year, were served as a dessert, I ganached and covered in fondant. Bride's mother said she received many compliments, were enjoyed by all.

Lol there was only one guest who was gluten free, but I'm so glad I came across the recipe, because I've used it many times since, it has 1 week shelf life after baking so plenty of time to decorate.

I love this site for GF recipes http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/2010/03/birthday-cake-help.html

My sister avoids gluten (not that intolerant but it flairs up her arthritis) and we make a wonderful carrot cake that everyone loves. If interested, I can look up the recipe.

thanks Jan!

Nel

If you're not having concerns about cross contamination and can stand another recipe suggestion, try the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake - GF version found in this thread http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=522883

Later on in the thread I review that cake (as well as two others). I baked it for a friend with mild celiac (trace amounts are not a problem for her) and NOBODY at the party had a clue that the cake was GF.