Gluten Free Thanksgiving Cake

I wanted to share this gluten free Thanksgiving recipe with you all, “Thanksgiving Cake”.  It is from the “Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide” by Alexandra Anca, MHSc, RD (Master of Health Science and Registered Dietitian). So that dairy-free dieters may also enjoy this cake, I share with you my Fluffy White Frosting recipe. I recommend using a superfine brown rice flour to avoid the grittiness of regular rice flours. However, you will most likely need to increase the milk by about 1/4 cup. Note that this is a small cake, as each layer rises to 3/4″. Also check out my review on this wonderful book at the link above and another great recipe from her book, Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Brownies!

Note: Use a corn free, gluten free baking powder, if needed.

“In Theresa’s home, Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without this delicious two-layer spice cake with a luscious cream cheese icing spread in the middle and on the top and sides. It’s an excellent way to say “Thank you for everything.”

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

Tip

Vegan hard margarine, such as Earth Balance vegan buttery flavor sticks, has almost half as much saturated fat as regular butter and no cholesterol. Where butter is called for in a baking recipe, vegan hard margarine can be a heart-healthy, delicious alternative.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

Two 8-inch (20 cm) round metal cake pans, lightly greased, bottoms lined with parchment paper

Ingredients

3⁄4 cup          sorghum flour                                 175 mL

3⁄4 cup          brown rice flour                             175 mL

21⁄2 tsp         GF baking powder                         12 mL

1 tsp              ground cinnamon                           5 mL

1⁄2 tsp           ground ginger                                   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp           ground nutmeg                                 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp           ground allspice                                 2 mL

1⁄4 tsp           salt                                                      1 mL

1⁄2 cup          granulated raw cane sugar           125 mL

1⁄2 cup          vegan hard margarine or butter,   125 mL
softened

3                   eggs                                                           3

3⁄4 cup          fortified non-dairy GF milk or     175 mL
lactose-free 1% milk

1⁄3 cup          light (fancy) molasses                     75 mL

Icing

8 oz              cream cheese, softened                   250 g

1⁄2 cup          instant-dissolving (fruit or berry)   125 mL
sugar

1⁄2 tsp           vanilla extract                                    2 mL

Directions

1.         In a medium bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and salt.

2.         In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in milk and molasses until combined. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pans, dividing evenly.

3.         Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans, then invert cakes onto rack. Peel off paper and let cool completely.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Nutrients Per Serving

Calories                   360

Carbohydrate       43 g

Fiber                         1 g

Protein                     6 g

Fat                             19 g

Iron                          2 mg

Calcium                  100 mg”

Excerpted from Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide by Alexandra Anca and Theresa Santandrea-Cull. Copyright © 2010 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.