Hi there - I need to prepare a gluten free cake for an event for 100 people, and I am going to be carving a large book shape and covering it with fondant. They want half chocolate, half vanilla, with some fruit/ganache layers. I always use the durable cake for 3d in chocolate and vanilla (recipe from this site...) when preparing basic chocolate/vanilla cakes. I have never done gluten free.  I have found a basic gluten free box mix from King Arthur, but I always get raves about how moist and tasty my normal recipe is, (and it holds up really well to carving and stacking), so I am a bit nervous about just going forward with a basic gluten free box mix for a large event. Before I begin experimenting on my own, does anyone have suggestions for gluten free recipes that you think are better than a King Arthur box mix, or suggestions  for ways you have added to/doctored gluten free mixes that really work? My main concerns are moistness and durability for carving/stacking.

Bumping this up so those who bake gluten free will see it

bump

I only bake gluten-free and vegan and that is a big concern for me as well.  For a vanilla cake, I use a recipe on sarahbakesgfree.com and for chocolate I use this one, it's gluten-free and vegan: 

3 Cups gluten-free flour blend (I use the one on the sarahbakesgfree website), 2 cups sugar, 2 cups cold water, 2/3 cups vegetable oil, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2t baking soda, 2t white vinegar, 1t salt, and 1 t vanilla extract.
Preheat to 350, combine all ingredients until well combined. bake in greased pan about 30 min.

I've mostly used the vanilla cake for carved cakes, but I've also used Bob's Red Mill GF boxed cake mix as well.   I found that Bob's would dry out too much though.  But truly, I've found that my homemade vanilla dries out as well too.  I'm careful not to chill it too much, or at all if I can help it, because chilling it seems to dry it out faster.  Now I try to make the cake as close to the serving as possible and cover in ganache and chill as little as possible.  

I'm interested, as well, to see what you will find! :)

P.S.  The chocolate cake is always my most moist cake.

When I bake gluten free, I use Bob’s red mill one to one flour. Then bake as per my fav chocolate cake  recipe. To make a denser, firmer and moist cake, I add about 1/4 cup of yogurt/sour cream to the recipe. You could try a trial run with a smallish 4” cake and see what you think of the texture/taste. And as for your vanilla cake, never store in the refrigerator. Tightens the gluten, and will dry your cake out. 

bump

Bump

Bump

bump