Gluten free sheet cake recipe?

[loobop]

A friend has asked me to make a gluten free sheet cake (in addition to a regular sheetcake) for her daughters graduation party. I am going to have to spend a bit of time researching online to get my amounts right, to fit the large pans I borrowed from a cater friend, and I am not too worried about the regular cake, but nervous about the gluten free cake. I know gluten free baking can be tricky, and I have less than a week to start experimenting and finding a recipe that works. If it crumbles, falls to pieces or doesnt taste good would be awful! I have loads of experience baking dairy free, and I wish I could just go buy 3 or 4 bags of Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour blend, but I dont think it will be that easy. I live on an island and have limited resources, so cant shop at Wholefoods or specialty store, but the local supermarket has a pretty good flour range. I dont really want to use garbanzo.

Does anyone have any good gluten free cake recipes? rember it will be a large cake. If any one has done a successful sheet cake please let me know, that would be especially helpful, otherwise I could increase the amounts in a regular sized recipe. Thanks for any advice! ;)

[catnip]

I've done a 2 layer 14 inch round cake gluten free, but not a sheet. My recipe uses garbanzo flour, though. I actually found that the GF cake behaved better than normal wheat-containing cake - it rose an even height all the way across, baked up beautifully and everyone at the party thought it was great.

[Namaste Amma]

Originally Posted by catnip 

I've done a 2 layer 14 inch round cake gluten free, but not a sheet. My recipe uses garbanzo flour, though. I actually found that the GF cake behaved better than normal wheat-containing cake - it rose an even height all the way across, baked up beautifully and everyone at the party thought it was great.

I would love the recipe if you don't mind!

[Drummer's Wife]

Gosh, I'd be inclined to buy a GF cake mix.    But then, making cakes from scratch can be so tricky, that it seems like it would be rough with gluten free flours.  That said, baking other things GF hasn't been that hard for me, but a big sheet cake seems terrifying.  Maybe if you had time to practice beforehand? 

Good luck! Hope you find an awesome recipe that works out for you.

[catnip]

http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/12/allergy-friendly-chocolate-cupcakes.html

The 14 inch layers were double this recipe with an additional tablespoon of flaxseed meal added for stability. I baked it at 350 for 45 minutes, using a heating core in the center. I didn't need to trim at all.

[greyspots]

Can you get buckwheat flour?  Or King Arthur GF all-purpose?  This is an excellent cake made with 50/50 buckwheat and King Arthur GF.  It is just pretty good with 100% of either flour.  Double this for a sheet cake:

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2/3 cup olive oil

1 1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease pan lightly with baking spray or oil, and line the bottom with parchment.

Whisk together the sour cream, olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and nutmeg right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, covering with foil at the end if the top is browning. When a tester comes out clean, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. When well-wrapped, this keeps very well for several days.

 

(I adapted this from a recipe @ The Kitchn)

[greyspots]

If you prefer chocolate - try this adapted brownie recipe, also it is less crumbly than the sour cream cake, again- double for sheet cake:

Brownie Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt in a double boiler:
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. chocolate
Cool this mixture. If you don't, your brownies will be heavy and dry.

Beat until light in color and foamy in texture:
5 eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Add gradually and continue beating until well creamed:
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

With a few swift strokes, combine the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar. 

Even if you normally use an electric mixer, do this manually. Before the mixture becomes uniformly colored, fold in, again by hand:
2 cups sifted buckwheat flour

And before the mixture is uniformly colored, stir in gently:
1 cup pecan meats (optional, if not using- replace volume with chocolate chips)

Bake in a 9x13" pan for about 25 minutes. Cut when cool (cool completely).

I always line my pan with buttered foil before putting in the batter- it comes out of the pan very cleanly.  This is a good cake to drizzle fruit preserves over; the sour cream cake is better with a cream cheese or buttercream frosting.  Good luck!

[BubblingBrooks]

This cake never fails, has never found a hater, no matter who I serve it too, and it will not crumble.


Black Bean Chocolate cake.

24 hours prior to making this cake, soak 2 cups of black beans in water, with a little bit of raw whey added.
Cook and cool the beans in fresh water, prior to making the cake.
(Beans may be cooled quickly by rinsing with cold water)
This method assure that your beans will not cause gastric issue of any kind.
If you do not have dry beans available to you, you can use one can of rinsed black beans,
However, I cannot vouch for their not causing gastric distress.
On to the recipe!
In your blender, combine the following.
1 1/2 cups of cooked and cooled beans
3 farm fresh eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of sea salt
6 Tbls of cocoa powder
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda.

Blend until smooth.
Add the following ingredients.
3/4 cup of honey
7 tbsp of warmed butter
2 eggs.

Blend again till smooth.

Pour into a buttered 9 inch square pan that has also been "floured" with a bit of cocoa.
Bake until center just springs back when pressed.

Allow to fully cool, and ideally, let sit for a few hours prior to serving.
Serve with a dollop of fresh raw cream and a few sliced strawberries.
Edited by BubblingBrooks - 6/7/11 at 3:39pm

[loobop]

Thank you so much everybody, I really appreciate the input. I will post next week and let you know how it goes!!!