by Emily Ho

Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake Recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake

What are the holidays without wheat, dairy, eggs and refined sugar? Pretty dreary, I imagined -- until I came up with this moist, richly flavored Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake recipe that I will be happily baking for months, if not years, to come.

Since going on an elimination diet, I have been avoiding gluten, soy, dairy and refined sugar. I'm also a vegetarian who's allergic to chocolate, bananas and many nuts. (Insert pity party here.) So I figured holiday baking would be a bust this year, until I found encouragement from friends on similar diets, delved into the gluten-free blogs, and began playing with new-to-me ingredients. What began as a perceived nightmare soon became a fascinating challenge.

Gingerbread has always been one of my favorite fall treats, and I was determined to make a version I could eat. Using "The Joy of Cooking's" classic applesauce gingerbread recipe as a starting point, I experimented until I came up with a cake containing no gluten, milk, butter, eggs, refined sugar, soy products, xanthan or guar gums. When my (allergy-free) partner proclaimed that it tasted "like real gingerbread," I felt confident that I could serve it to anyone, not just those of us on crazy diets.

Now, let's talk about what the cake does contain: subtly sweet teff and millet flours, nutty flax seeds, creamy coconut oil, and molasses and coconut palm sugar (sugars not to be eaten in excess, but at least unrefined and lower on the Glycemic Index). If you have a favorite gluten-free flour blend, you might give it a try, but I really like the combination of teff flour, millet flour and potato starch, which works well with the rich sweeteners and spices and keeps the cake moist with a lovely crumb.

Serve this Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake with dairy-free cream, a fruit compote (or fresh fruit, such as persimmons), or a dusting of stevia, and you'll feel festive, not restricted.

Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake Recipe

    Prep Time: 30 minutes

    Cook time: 35 minutes

    Yield: Makes 1 (8 x 8) cake

Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake Ingredients

    2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

    6 tablespoons warm water

    5/6 cup (100 grams) millet flour

    5/6 cup (100 grams) teff flour

    1/3 cup (50 grams) potato starch (not flour)

    1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    2 teaspoons ground ginger

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2/3 cup coconut palm sugar

    1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

    1/3 cup coconut oil

    1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake Recipe Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8- by 8-inch pan or line it with parchment paper.

    In a small bowl, stir together the flax and warm water until the mixture is thick and creamy. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

    Sift the dry ingredients (except the coconut palm sugar) into a large mixing bowl.

    In another mixing bowl, combine the coconut palm sugar, molasses, coconut oil, applesauce and flax mixture; whisk until well blended. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to blend.

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    Bake until set in the middle and a tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

    Cool in pan on rack until cake is cool enough to handle, then turn out.

    The cake is best eaten the same day. Refrigerate leftovers.

 

Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cake Recipe - Christmas Cake Recipe

World-renowned chefs with an extraordinary passion for food share their passion on iHaveNet.com. These chefs make great cooking easier than imagined. Each gourmet recipe features expert advice and an easy-to-make recipe. Exactly what you need to transform your home cooking from acceptable to delectable

Article: Copyright © Tribune Content Agency