Gluten-Free Cake Mixes

One of the most common complaints that I hear from people on the gluten-free diet is that there are not any good gluten-free cakes. At one time I thought that was true, but was glad to find out it wasn’t true eventually. The first gluten-free cake mix I used, made a cake that tasted like it had wheat germ in it. It was completely inedible and we could not throw it outside for the birds (and chipmunks and rabbits that call our backyard home) to eat, because there was frosting all over it. It was Valentine’s Day so I made the cake in the shape of a heart. If only it tasted half as good as it looked. It would be months before I braved trying another gluten-free cake mix.

The Cherrybrook Kitchen gluten-free chocolate cake mix was my favorite before I tried Pamela’s. I’m not sure we’ve made any version except the sour cream recipe from the Pamela’s mix, but we absolutely love it. The Betty Crocker chocolate cake is OK, but we didn’t think it was special enough to buy again. The chocolate cake mix from Namaste is pretty good and unlike most brands, it makes a two layer cake. That makes it one of the most economical brands available.

Of all the cake mixes we’ve tried, the Spice Cake mix from Namaste is our favorite yet. Adding a half cup of unsweetened applesauce to the batter results in a very moist cake. We add raisins and chopped pecans as well. The mix works for pan bars or mini loaf cakes which work great for holiday gifts. There is a recipe on the spice cake bag to make a carrot cake as well. For a tropical twist on the cake, you can add crushed pineapple and coconut. But if you do that, don’t add but 1/4 cup of applesauce. There is a lot of juice in the pineapple, even when you strain it very well.

gluten-free Naturals makes an excellent yellow cake mix. You can use that mix in place of a gluten cake mix on most recipes that call for such on Recipe Zaar. The Betty Crocker white cake mix is good, but we found it to have a short shelf life once it’s baked. By the third day, the cake tastes like butter, which isn’t something we enjoy in a cake. For that reason, we’d only use that mix when we know the cake will be eaten the day it’s made or the next day. We did not find the same problem with the chocolate cake mix from Betty Crocker.

For gluten-free pound cakes, we like the mix from 123 gluten-free and Sylvan Border Farm. Each offers a great taste and texture – good enough to serve the most finicky glutenoids. It’s a good idea not to tell anyone the cakes are gluten-free unless you have to. I’ve done a little test to prove that most people will avoid taking a piece of cake that’s noted to be gluten-free, unless they follow the gluten-free diet. For a block party, I put a small gluten-free sign next to the mini cupcakes I’d brought. When I noticed that no one was eating them, I discreetly removed the sign. Soon after that, the cupcakes were gone and three people asked for the recipe. They were Namaste spice cake cupcakes with homemade pineapple cream cheese frosting, by the way.

The only ready-made gluten-free cakes that are widely available (that I know of) in the U.S. are the delicious World’s Best Carrot Cakes. Both the gluten and gluten-free versions of the cakes are sold at Whole Foods stores in most regions. Two of the five cakes made by this company are gluten-free and we can’t decide if we like the traditional or the chocolate carrot cake better. They are both exceptional in both taste and texture. The cakes are not made in a dedicated factory, but strict precautions are taken to protect against cross contamination.

It seems like it would be hard for parents of kids who can’t eat gluten when it comes to cake. Not only do they have to bake (or order) a gluten-free cake for their kids birthdays, they have to send something safe for their kids to eat at the parties of others as well. gluten-free Bakehouse at Whole Foods made it a little easier to take your own gluten-free cake – or rather cupcake – to a party. The gluten-free cupcakes are stocked in the freezer at Whole Foods and though I’ve not tried them personally, I’ve only heard great things about them.