Cake Angels: Amazing gluten, wheat and dairy free cakes

Baking powder

Not all baking powders are gluten-free, so please check the ingredients label. I use Dr. Oetker Gluten-free Baking Powder, which can be bought at all the main supermarkets. Do make sure you check the sell-by date because baking powder, like flour, does deteriorate over time.

Bicarbonate of soda

Commonly found in recipes with strong spicy flavours, such as gingerbread and parkin, as it has a rather bitter taste. It works best with acid-forming ingredients such as lemon juice, black treacle and dairy-free buttermilk. Again, make sure you check the sell-by date as it does deteriorate over time.

Cocoa powder

A gluten-free and inexpensive ingredient in baking. I always sift it with other dry ingredients so it is evenly distributed, or mix it with liquid to make a paste. If you love the taste of dark bitter chocolate, then chose a cocoa powder such as Green & Black’s. If you like a slightly lighter, sweeter taste, then Sainsbury’s cocoa powder might be for you. Don’t use drinking chocolate, as this contains dried milk.

Oats

Although oats do not contain gluten, some people may be sensitive to a similar protein called avenins. Many oat products can be contaminated with wheat or barley, so it is important to use only gluten-free oats, which can be found in Sainsbury’s, Tesco and all good health food shops.

Sugars

I prefer to use unrefined sugars in my recipes, but because they are darker in colour, your cakes will be darker in appearance. Do feel free to experiment.

* Caster sugar is small-grained and blends well in sponges and meringues.

* Granulated sugar is much coarser in texture and can give cakes a gritty texture.

* Icing sugar is very fine in texture and is occasionally used in making pastry bases, but most commonly it is used to make frostings and icings.

* Muscovado sugars are made from raw cane sugar and vary in colour and taste. I use light muscovado sugar in a number of recipes because it provides a lovely light toffee flavour. Dark muscovado sugar works really well in gingerbread and parkin because it has a very strong molasses flavour.

* Demerara sugar has a lower molasses content with larger crystals and is great for sprinkling on top of cakes for a nice crunchy finish.

* Golden syrup and black treacle are made from crystallized sugar. I use both in my recipes.

* Honey has been used as a sweetener for centuries. I use runny honey in my recipes, as it dissolves much faster.

Condensed milk

Condensed milk is milk that has had half the water content removed and sugar added. Until recently this ingredient was out of bounds, but then I discovered I could make my own dairy-free version using dried soya milk. Yippee, I can now make thick caramel for Millionaire’s Shortbread and my Chocolate Nutty Caramels – bliss.

Eggs

I use organic free-range eggs in all my recipes. I have indicated in each recipe whether to use large or medium eggs and it is important you follow the instructions because liquid content can affect the result of your cake.

Chocolate

My favourite ingredient! I always use organic dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free 60% dark, milk and white chocolate drops in my baking as they melt faster and are easier to use. You can now buy them direct from www.cakeangels.co.uk. You can also buy chocolate buttons in good health food shops and supermarkets but they are normally sold in small quantities and are expensive.

When decorating with chocolate I do use bars for curls or grating. You can buy bars of dairy-free chocolate in most good health food shops and all the main supermarkets stock Kinnerton’s dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free chocolate bars, which you will find in the ‘free from’ food sections.

Instructions, Tips & Equipment

Baking should be a real pleasure and not a chore and if you follow my recipes and tips, you will find that baking without dairy, wheat and gluten is no different to any other type of baking. I have spent some wonderfully exciting and frustrating hours in the kitchen experimenting and developing my recipes, so to help you avoid some of my mistakes, I have devised a few basic rules that you need to follow:

Make sure you have the correct ingredients

Always read a recipe through first

Follow my instructions

Have fun. Cakes always look and taste better

if you have enjoyed yourself baking them

Tips

My recipes include individual instructions for making the perfect cake. However, there are some general tips that will help you get the most out of baking:

* Always weigh your ingredients accurately.

* Take care when transferring cake mixture into a tin. Stiff mixtures need to be levelled and smoothed with a small dip in the middle to ensure a nice level surface once baked.

* When dividing the mixture into two or more tins, do so as evenly as possible. I weigh each tin and adjust accordingly. This ensures even baking times and a uniform appearance.

* Always preheat your oven so it is at the correct temperature when you put the cake in.

* Don’t open the oven door to look at the cake during the first 10 or 15 minutes of baking. If you do, you will have a collapsed cake.

* If you think the cake may be browning too quickly, either turn the oven down a few degrees or slip a piece of foil over the cake to protect it.

* A cake should be cooked when it starts to shrink away from the sides of the tin.

* Always follow the cooling instructions because they vary depending on the type of cake.

* To remove cakes from a loose-bottomed cake tin, stand the base on a large tin so you can slip the sides down. The cake will be left on the tin base.

* Never fill or decorate a cake until it is completely cold.

* To enjoy cakes at their best, eat them as soon as you can. Otherwise, store in an airtight container in a cool place.

* Most of my cakes will freeze well as long as they are wrapped tightly in clingfilm or placed in a freezer bag. If the cake has been iced, open freezing is recommended, after which the cake needs to be sealed in a freezer bag. Remove from the bag before defrosting, otherwise the icing will stick.

* Leave cakes to defrost at room temperature for between three and four hours.

Equipment

You don’t need all the latest equipment to make perfect cakes, but there are a few must haves:

* Electric hand mixer I rely heavily on my hand-held mixer because I like to feel the ingredients coming together, but if you prefer to use a free-standing food mixer, please do. Just remember to constantly scrape the mixture from down the sides of the bowl so it doesn’t get left out of the mixing process.

* Food processor I use my processor only to make condensed milk, chop nuts and create purées because I find gluten- and wheat-free cakes just don’t work if whizzed around in a processor. I’m sure there is a scientific reason for this, but I’m not quite sure what it is!