Baking Questions

[bezmm]

Hello. I am having a baby shower for a friend who has Celiac disease. I bought a Cherrybrook chocolate cake mix that is gluten free but I have some questions. I don't know much about gluten free baking so any help would be appreciated.

One- can I buy regular frosting? I tried to look it up online and some posts say Pillsbury frostings is gluten free. That's what I bought and I tried to look at the ingredients but wasn't sure- it does list corn starch- is that OK?

Two- some of the gluten free mixes said to use gluten-free vanilla. I couldn't find that at any store. The mix I bought didn't say anything specific about vanilla. Is it OK to use regular vanilla extract?

And three is regular butter or margarine safe?

Thanks!

[ptkds]

I will try to help!

One: Most Pillsbury frosting is safe. If you use regualr choc. or vanilla frosting, you will be fine.

Two: Most vanilla is gluten-free. McCormick and Adams are both safe. Adams will even state gluten-free on the label.

Three: Regular butter/margarine is safe. Since your house is not gluten-free, use sticks so there is no cross contamination issues. Wal Mart lables their products gluten-free if they are. You can find Wal Marts butter sticks that are labeled gluten-free.

It is so great that you are doing this for your friend! That is so sweet. Make sure you use glass or metal mixing bowls since plastic can have traces of gluten in them. Do not use a wooden spoon while mixing. Make sure you electric mixer is clean and not dropping any flour into your cake while you mix. Mixers usually have flour up in the motor and hiding in crevices and when you use them again, that flour falls down into your mixing bowl. Most cooking sprays are gluten-free.

Good Luck! You are such a good friend!

[jayhawkmom]

Hello. I am having a baby shower for a friend who has Celiac disease. I bought a Cherrybrook chocolate cake mix that is gluten free but I have some questions. I don't know much about gluten free baking so any help would be appreciated.

One- can I buy regular frosting? I tried to look it up online and some posts say Pillsbury frostings is gluten free. That's what I bought and I tried to look at the ingredients but wasn't sure- it does list corn starch- is that OK?

Two- some of the gluten free mixes said to use gluten-free vanilla. I couldn't find that at any store. The mix I bought didn't say anything specific about vanilla. Is it OK to use regular vanilla extract?

And three is regular butter or margarine safe?

Thanks!

First, how very nice of you to take that extra step so that the guest of honor can have some cake, and eat it too! =)

Let me see if I can help.

First, Cherrybrook chocolate cake is DELISH!!!! It's my fave non-homemade mix. My kids love it! In fact, for my little guys 2nd birthday, we had a cherrybrook cake and a "real" bakery cake. All the kids PREFERRED the "allergy friendly cake" rather than the sugar and wheat laden bakery cake!!! =)

If you bought a frosting that says it's gluten-free, it's ok! =)

I'm pretty sure all "natural vanilla" is inherently gluten free. It's the vanilla flavorings that are mostly alcohol that you have to worry about. If your vanilla extract is REAL vanilla, it should be fine.

And, lastly... if the honoree is not dairy intolerant, butter will be fine. My kids can't have butter or soy, so I use either coconut oil (makes the cake SOOOOOOO yummy) or a soy/dairy free margarine. I've never had it made with butter, but I bet it adds a whole different dimension to the yumminess of the cake!!!

Be prepared, however... one box will only make ONE layer. If you have having a multilayer cake, you'll need to purchase additional mixes for the additional layers, unless you are torting the one layer. =)

I really hope that helps.

Have a wonderful shower. And, again... I'd like to thank you for being so thoughtful!!!!

[Takala]

The cake pan itself....

should be scrubbed clean of gluteny residue or a dedicated, new cake pan should be used.

Don't spread the frosting with an old gummy rubber spatula. Use a clean metal table knife.

Baking the cake: baking times/and temperatures for gluten free items may vary from wheat using recipes. It helps to take a clean table knife and stick it in the cake to test it when it is "supposed" to be done. Look for gooey gunk on the bottom tip of the knife, if it does not come out dry and nearly clean, continue baking and retest at 5 to 10 minute intervals. This will prevent the dreaded "it was still gummy in the middle but the rest of it looked done " phenomena.

Do oil or butter your pan, and dust it with rice flour, cornstarch, or a tiny amount of the dry cake mix. This helps to keep the cake from sticking, even if it is an alleged "non- stick" coating pan.

Once you have your cake completed, be sure to take its own cutting utensils, a notecard label "Gluten Free Cake, Contains ("list other allergens, if applicable") ", and a little stash of paper plates and plastic forks for it to the event. The goal is to keep OTHER people from sticking their little gluey fingers, knives, and forks into it when you aren't looking. Cake slices placed upon plates with a spork, ready to eat, tend to cut down on this. An entire cake left on its own and who knows what will be poking into it. If I make something with nut meal as part of the gluten-free flour, I tend to garnish the top with nuts as well to make it more obvious the item has nuts.

Frostings, homemade.

A stick of butter, warmed + softened to room temperature, or the equivalent gluten free item.

a box of powdered sugar, or the equivalent, aprox. 2 cups. (powdered sugar may be made in the blender with regular sugar, if avoiding corn products)

a dash of salt

some vanilla, about a teaspoon

some liquid, gluten free rice milk, water, cream, start with a tablespoon and see what happens

optional powdered cocoa

Cream the butter with the sugar and salt and vanilla, using a fork, to make sugar crumbles. Add liquid to make frosting consistancy. Taste. Spread on cake. Very simple.

Half the butter may be replaced with gluten-free cream cheese, same idea, but the other version is safer for the lactose intolerant.