I am aware that many individuals on a gluten free diet are watching their intake of starch. In addition, some individuals have trouble with gums. This gluten free cake recipe is free of all starch (potato, tapioca, arrowroot, and cornstarch) and gums (xanthan, guar, etc). It is also free of leaveners such as baking soda and baking powder. Obviously, the cake still calls for sugar, which is still high in carbohydrates, but you save a ton of carbs and have added protein from the eggs in this gluten free cake recipe. It is light due to the whipped egg whites that are folded in towards the end. I’m not keen on using rice flour in cakes because it is usually gritty, unless it is a superfine rice flour. For those who still use it, enjoy!
A single layer, gluten free cake recipe without any starch or gums. It is light and airy, similar to an angel food cake, but with egg yolks.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup rice flour (or potato flour), sifted twice
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons pineapple juice (or lemon juice)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 egg whites
Instructions:
- Oil and then line the bottom of a 9-inch round or 9 x 9 square baking pan with parchment paper, oil it again, and set it aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat the egg yolks, and sugar until they creamy.
- Add the flour, juice, vanilla, and salt, and beat until creamy. Transfer the batter to a large bowl and allow to rest for 30 minutes. (This softens the rice grains and reduces the grittiness some.)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Using a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, but not dry (about 2 minutes in a 325 watt stand mixer).
- Add the egg whites on top of the batter and fold the egg whites in using a rubber spatula. Begin in the center of the batter and come up on the sides of the bowl. Turn the bowl as you fold them in. Because the batter thickens so much as it rests, you will have to turn the bowl several times, about four to five.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 325°F for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted turns out clean. (If you prefer to use a 9 x 9-inch pan, bake it for about 30 - 35 minutes.)
- Transfer the pan to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then invert the cake into your hands or on a parchment lined plate, and then invert it right side up onto the wire rack to cool completely. (If you line the wire rack with parchment paper, it will prevent dent lines in the bottom of your cake.)
Tips
If you choose to make a layer cake from this single layer. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours. Slice in half, fill, and decorated as desired.
This recipe was adapted from "The Joy of Cooking" (1980 edition, 19th printing). I reduced the sugar by 3/4 cup as it was too sweet, I also changed the baking temperature and time. In addition, I increased the recipe by two egg yolks as it was dry and it helped replace the moisture from the reduced sugar.
If you would like an even moister cake, consider adding a couple tablespoons of oil or unsalted butter.
Rice and potato flour are both starchy. This is definitely not a starch-free recipe.
Sheldon,
This is not a low-carb cake. It is free of tapioca starch, potato starch, arrowroot power, and corn starch, which are all refined white starches commonly used in gluten free baking to lighten baked goods.
I’m out of rice flour. Can I use tapioca or potato starch?
Ash,
You can use sorghum flour, though it will be a bit tan. Millet flour is yellow in color, but it is a bit heavier than rice flour. Using a starch such tapioca may work, but it will be a bit chewy.
Let us know what you end up using and how it turns out.
Carla
Your recipes seem as if they would be delicious; however, there is no nutritional information listed. I have to match insulin to the carbs. Could you post the nutriional information with them please. Thank you.
Hi Beverly,
I understand your predicament, however, I just do not have the time in my schedule to add nutritional information. I am a paid writer and recipe developer for Answers.com, consult manufacturers, write for magazines, and more. My day is about 12 hours already. While I would enjoy nothing better than to help people more, I there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Please read this article that lays out how to calculate nutritional values for gluten-free ingredients: http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-recipe-calculator-nutrition/. I hope this helps you.
Carla
Please don’t call this a starch-free recipe. Rice flour or potato flour is full of starch!
For people on a strict starch-free diet, this could really be misleading…
Genius! I’m gonna try this with duck eggs soon. They’re massive so I’ll do 3 egg yolks and 2 egg whites.