Gluten-free Cake | Baking Ingredients | BAKERpedia (2024)

Origin

With improved diagnosis for celiac disease and the realization that gluten avoidance is the only solution for celiacs, the market for gluten-free products has exploded recently. These products cannot use wheat, rye, barley and in some cases, oats.1

Around 0.7% of the US population are affected by celiac disease with the majority of cases remaining undiagnosed. Celiac disease symptoms can be eliminated by complete avoidance of gluten from the diet.1

Ingredients

Commonly used ingredients in gluten-free cake formulations:1

IngredientTypeFunction
SugarGranulated white sugar, brown sugar or their combinations
  • Provides sweetness
  • Aids in fat creaming
  • Provides color, through Maillard browning reaction
FlourRice, corn, potato starch or wheat starch (with 20 ppm or less gluten)
  • Provides structure
  • Absorbs liquids
  • Aids in ingredients binding
  • Provides substrate for Maillard
EggsWhole egg, egg powder
  • Provide structure
  • Emulsifiers
  • Imparts rich flavors
  • Yellow color due to carotenoids
  • Contributes to Maillard browning reaction
FatButter, margarine or shortening
  • Imparts tenderness and mouthfeel
  • Dough lubricant
  • Creaming helps with air incorporation
  • Provides a rich buttery flavor
Water
  • Provides moisture for flour gelatinization
Leavening agentsBaking powder, baking soda or ammonium bicarbonate
  • Leaven by gas production
  • Tenderize by stretching wall cells of baked goods
  • Provide a fine crumb
SaltGranulated
  • Flavor and taste enhancer
HydrocolloidsXanthan gum, locust bean gum, CMC, HPMC or Guar gum
  • Improve texture
  • Increase water holding capacity
  • Aid in emulsification
VanillaExtract or fresh
  • Provides a characteristic sweet flavor

Nutrition

Typical nutritional profile of a gluten-free cake mix per 100 g:2

ComponentGrams
Carbohydrate56.58
Water21.05
Fat19.7
Protein2.63-

This formula can provide around 408 kcal per 100 g portion. It’s gluten free and thus is suitable for celiac disease sufferes.2

Commercial production

Gluten-free cakes are manufactured through the following process:3

  • Weighing and scaling the ingredients
  • Creaming: shortening or butter is creamed with sugar
  • Mixing: dry and wet ingredients are mixed separately and then added to the creamed fat. Vanilla and other essences are added
  • Baking: batters deposited in baking pans are baked at 180 oC (360oF) for 30 min
  • Cooling

Special considerations

When manufacturing gluten-free cakes the following considerations should be taken into account:

  • Emulsifiers like polysorbate 60/65 and sorbitan monostearate should be added to help improve the level of emulsification.
  • Typically no changes in baking times and temperatures are required.

Regulations

According to the FDA, a food product can be labeled gluten free if it contains less than 20 ppm of gluten; and does not contain wheat, rye or barley.4

In the EU, Commision Regulation No 828/2014 establishes that gluten-free products should not contain more than 20 mg/kg of gluten, and low gluten products should not contain more than 100 mg/kg of gluten.5

References

  1. Casper, J L., and Atwell, W.A. Gluten-free baked products. Elsevier, 2016.
  2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 29 July 2021.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1955243/nutrients . Accessed 16 August 2021.
  3. Hui, Y. H., Corke, H., De Leyn, I., Nip, W. K., & Cross, N. A. Bakery products: science and technology. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
  4. U.S. Food And Drug Administration.“Gluten And Food Labeling”. U.S. Food And Drug Administration, 2018, https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/gluten-and-food-labeling . Accessed 16 Aug 2021.
  5. European Commission (EC). Commission Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 July 2014 on food additives . Official Journal Of European Communities, 30 July 2014.
Gluten-free Cake | Baking Ingredients | BAKERpedia (2024)

FAQs

What are gluten free cakes made of? ›

Ingredients
IngredientType
SugarGranulated white sugar, brown sugar or their combinations
FlourRice, corn, potato starch or wheat starch (with 20 ppm or less gluten)
EggsWhole egg, egg powder
FatButter, margarine or shortening
5 more rows

What are the key ingredients for gluten free baking? ›

When all-purpose flour won't cut it, stock your pantry with additional gluten free flours, like oat flour, nut flours, bean flours, even powdered dry milk and others. You'll also need binders, like xanthan gum or psyllium husk, to adjust the structure in what you're baking.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture.

How to keep gluten free cakes moist? ›

Any gluten-free cake will dry out super-fast and get hard on the outside if it's not properly refrigerated and covered. I swear by always using buttermilk and adding a little more fat into the batter to compensate for the dryness.

What is the best oil for gluten-free baking? ›

Examples of gluten-free oils include canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil and vegetable oil.

Which gluten free flour is best for cakes? ›

Sorghum flour: great for cakes

Made from an ancient cereal grain that has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years, sorghum flour is light in colour and texture, though it is a fairly dense flour. It is rich in protein and fibre, which helps maintain blood sugar stability and may also help with digestion.

What to avoid for gluten-free baking? ›

Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:
  • Wheat.
  • Semolina.
  • Spelt.
  • Durum.
  • Emmer.
  • Einkorn.
  • Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
  • Barley.
Mar 29, 2021

Why is my gluten-free cake so dense? ›

If gluten-free cakes aren't falling apart, they often turn out heavy and unpleasantly dense. That's because gluten creates little pockets of air, so baked goods turn out springy and fluffy; gluten-free flours and grains are lacking this crucial element.

What are the 3 main ingredients containing gluten? ›

Sources of Gluten
  • Wheat.
  • Varieties and derivatives of wheat such as: ...
  • Rye.
  • Barley.
  • Triticale.
  • Malt in various forms including: malted barley flour, malted milk or milkshakes, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring, malt vinegar.
  • Brewer's Yeast.

What helps gluten-free cakes rise? ›

To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend. Another tip to help achieve a real fluffy cake is to separate your eggs. First, add the egg yolks with your wet ingredients.

What is the closest gluten-free flour to all-purpose flour? ›

Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.

How much longer do you bake with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.

Should I let my gluten-free cake batter rest before baking? ›

One of the most common gluten-free baking tips is “let your batter rest”. Letting the batter rest gives the gluten-free flours and starches more time to absorb the moisture. In theory, it will turn your dry, crumbly cakes into delicious, moist masterpieces.

Why are my gluten free cakes so dry? ›

Some gluten free flours will produce a cake which is on the dry side. This might be due to the lack of gluten but can be for many other reasons. Lots of gluten free flour is rice based and this can result in a dry and slightly gritty texture.

Why is my gluten-free cake sunk in the middle? ›

Cake is sunk in the middle
  1. Undercooked.
  2. Oven door opened during cooking.
  3. Mixture too wet.
  4. Too much raising agent.

Is gluten free cake healthier than regular cake? ›

With all of the hype surrounding gluten free, no one mentions the dirty little secret of the Standard Gluten Free Diet. Few realize that when it comes to gluten free baked goods such as bread, snacks, and desserts, gluten free food is not as nutritious as “regular” food.

What are gluten-free Nothing Bundt cakes made of? ›

INGREDIENTS: GLUTEN-FREE CAKE BASE (SUGAR, RICE FLOUR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: DAIRY WHEY, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SALT, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM.), POWDERED SUGAR (SUGAR, CORNSTARCH), EGGS ( ...

What is gluten free cake flour made of? ›

Ingredients: Potato starch (35%), Soya flour (31%)(Soya), Brown rice flour (23%), Sago flour, Tapioca flour, Sea salt.

Why are gluten-free cakes so heavy? ›

If gluten-free cakes aren't falling apart, they often turn out heavy and unpleasantly dense. That's because gluten creates little pockets of air, so baked goods turn out springy and fluffy; gluten-free flours and grains are lacking this crucial element.

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