Hi all,

I was wondering if any of you tweak your recipes when using a gluten-free flour blend. I am going to make the Modified Hershey's chocolate cake with the King Arthur gluten-free flour blend to test it out for a friend. Yes I'm aware nothing in my kitchen will ever be completely gluten free (I'm not dealing with a celiac or highly allergic person). She just really loves chocolate cake and the doc said to lay off the gluten.

Another question about using the flour, do you have to tweak your butter/vanilla/yellow cakes for it as well? I'd ask about red velvet (aka buttermilk) too, but she can't have it because of the sodium citrate and vinegar.

This isn't for anything soon, just doing some research first as my time to bake is very limited these days and might get more limited.... sigh, time to go wash those dishes from 2 days ago.....

If this works out, I may be able to make her some gluten free biscotti too. We've only found two flavors online and she can only have one of them and the other is questionable because of her other allergies.

By the way, for those of you who may want to know, Wilton Clear Vanilla has all kinds of allergens in it, including citric acid. And so does food colorings, ugh. If anyone knows of a food coloring (paste, gel, powder) that doesn't have citric acid or anything citrate or citric please let me know! Thanks!

a few things i can think of -- but i usually go for cookies and things rather than cake -- it's taken me a couple years to get my flour blend where i want it and i am just now getting there -- i do like the gf kind you can buy -- i am more wheatless than gf -- 

• but don't add xanthan gum twice if it's already in the flour
• and i'd go with a white rice rather than a brown rice flour

but the rice flour one doesn't really count because you already bought your flour -- but that gets expensive fast

• when you buy gf all purpose flour check for the xanthan gum and purchase accordingly -- it's in some and not others 
• gf flour gets 1 part protein flours 2 parts starches and 2 parts grain flours

i just tossed that last one in for free ^^^

oh and i'm sure you've seen the 'just mayo' chocolate cake recipe i post about it often -- don't know if it helps you or not but it is eggless mayo and makes a great cake --

https://www.hamptoncreek.com/just-mayo/recipes/chocolate

I've had really good luck with the Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe from King Arthur Flour's website. Good taste and texture, even suitable for some carving.

@-K8memphis ‍ Thanks for the suggestion on the Xanthum gum. I can't do a mayo-cake cause of the lemon juice or citric acid in there. I also need to avoid certain types of vinegar.

@videominx ‍ I'll check that recipe out and compare it to my current one. I had read mixed reviews about that one, but since it's their flour, I might as well give it a shot! :)

I would be careful tweaking a wheat flour recipe to be gluten free unless you are experienced with gluten free baking. Gluten free flours tend to soak up a lot more liquid than wheat flour, and gluten free cakes also don’t rise as high since they do not have the gluten support structure so you will have to increase the leavening agents and the sugar. It’s better to use a gluten free recipe until you have familiarized yourself with how gluten free flours behave. I know companies say their flours are a cup for cup replacement for wheat flour but it’s simply not true.

If you are interested, an excellent cookbook is Gluten Free Baking Classics by Annalise Roberts. Her flour blend is very very similar to King Arthur Flours. (I have successfully used her flour in King Arthur Flour recipes and vice versa).

I am not sure of a food coloring your friend would be okay to consume, but I have colored my red velvet cakes in the past with beet juice (swap out some of the milk). The red won’t be as vivid since it is more natural, but it’s there. I have also heard of people using beet puree to color their red velvet cakes, but I have not tried this…. Yet!

Also, you can make your own buttermilk using a vinegar your friend can eat (can she have ACV?). Just use 1 teaspoon of vinegar to one cup of milk and let it curdle for 10 minutes.

Just came across this...

http://www.colorgarden.net

Looking at the ingredients, they don't appear to contain acid. Not sure how your friend would react to the ethyl alcohol though.