Gluten Free Orange Almond Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep gluten free cake moist? ›

Moisture – for some reason gluten-free cakes tend to get a little dry. 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.

Flour substitute.

I don't recommend using almond flour as the only gluten free flour in most cases. For example, you can't make the best gluten free cakes or breads just with almond flour. However, it can work for things like cookies or brownies, where you don't need to achieve a light, airy, fluffy texture.

To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture. Even ingredients like eggs may be increased to provide the necessary structure and improved crumb.

We recommend covering your batters and doughs and letting them rest for at least half an hour.

What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.

Gluten-free baked goods have earned the reputation of being dry and gritty. That grit—that evil grit! —is the result of gluten-free flours that are often high in starches and rice flour, which take longer to absorb moisture than regular “gluten” flour.

For people suffering from Coeliac disease, or for those that simply want to cut down or adopt an entirely gluten-free lifestyle, Gluten-free flour substitutions include amaranth flour, bean flour, corn flour, corn meal, millet flour, ground nuts, oat flour, potato flour, quinoa flour, rice flour, sorghum flour, soy ...

You can use almond meal and flour interchangeably in most recipes. However, almond meal is usually used as a bread crumb substitute or coating element due to its physical characteristics. In contrast, almond flour is typically preferred for baked goods.

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.

YOUR CAKE IS SINKING IN THE MIDDLE OR NOT RISING

You may not have used enough raising agents. I do recommend experimenting with double action baking powders. Otherwise try using 25 percent more chemical raising agents (baking soda or baking powder) if you're converting a recipe to gluten free.

What ingredient tenderizes the gluten in a cake? ›

Fat tenderizes the gluten. Examples of fat are butter, margarine, hydrogenated vegetable shortening, or oil. Leavening agents are added to most shortened cakes to make the cakes rise and become porous and light. Examples are baking powder or baking soda and sour milk.

If you still get a too-dense cake or one which sinks or has a rubbery layer at the bottom, adjust the flour or liquid in your recipe so you have slightly less liquid or slightly more flour.

Adding more liquid than stated in the recipe may be necessary in order to rehydrate gluten-free flour. Add the liquid a tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches dropping consistency. Baking the cake for an extra 5–10 minutes may be necessary, due to the extra liquid content.

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

Depending on the recipe, this could be more water, milk, or an extra egg. Start with small changes, the equivalent of a Tbsp or two at a time, and make notes on the outcome (i.e. "still too dry, try 3 Tbsp next time"). Add protein. Wheat flour has more than rice flour, which helps give structure and improve rise.

Bake, Then Bake Some More. Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture.

Adding more liquid than stated in the recipe may be necessary in order to rehydrate gluten-free flour. Add the liquid a tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches dropping consistency. Baking the cake for an extra 5–10 minutes may be necessary, due to the extra liquid content.

The most common culprit in a gummy gluten-free cake is white rice flour. This flour is widely used in gluten-free baking. Maybe overused. It is not a bad flour, but it should always be paired with other flours such as sorghum flour to counteract its tendency to clump.