The first question I get is ‘but why?’ and the more I’ve experimented, the more reasons I’ve found. It all started with my daughter who manages peanut allergies and dairy allergies in her family of three children, and then who decided she’d experiment with Gluten Free and Vegan baking for herself. When I got the question ‘can you bake three different cakes when you come next year (Kindergarten graduation, Smash Cake and Birthday Cake #1) but ideally make them GFV (as I’m terming it), I thought I had better start practicing 8 months out, since I had had little to no experience baking this way. So here’s what I’ve learned to date:
After experimenting with several different recipes, I honed in on one as my base to start with: https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-vanilla-cake/.
Cake #1 – I used King Arthur Gluten Free 1:1 flour, unsweetened coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and 1/2 tsp cherry oil in hte frosting. I also put a jam filling in between. The result: too moist, too much cherry oil, the jam filling made it fall apart, and a very floury taste. Rated a 3 out of 10.
Cake #2. Used Bobs Red Mill GF flour and coconut milk again. Added 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste. Used white vinegar instead of the cider vinegar. Used a scant 1/3 cup applesauce instead of the canola oil. Still too moist though taste was improved. Gave this version a 5 out of 10.
Cake #3. Used Oat flour. Added 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, used oat milk, used the apple cider vinegar, instead of canola oil/applesauce used a scant 1/3 cup mashed banana and added in 1 tsp banana flavoring. Not bad. I liked the oat flour consistency and the oat milk which was not nearly as creamy as the coconut milk. You have to like banana though. Maybe a 6 out of 10.
Cake #4. Used Oat flour again and the oat milk but decreased the amount to 3/4 cup. Increased baking powder to 2 tsp. Kept the cinnamon, used the apple cider vinegar but mixed it directly with the baking soda prior to adding, For the canola oil this time I used a heaping 1/3 cup of grated zucchini. Baked it at 335 instead of 350 for 36 minutes and used purple baking sleeves from Wilton. (First time using these – LOVE). https://www.wilton.com/bake-even-strips/191006397.html
BTW, in all of these I have used Country Crock plant butter for the frosting which I LOVE. It mixes smoothly, pipes beautifully, and doesn’t have the deep butter grease or taste (which I personally dislike) that comes with so many frostings. (Note to self: does not hold gel or oil based food color that well. How did I get it to work in #3?) Getting very close. This is a 7/10 maybe. No gluten free taste, a little too dense and still a bit too moist, but really close to being delicious. Next up: repeat same recipe, try with egg substitute added in.
