How I altered my vanilla cake recipe for intolerances: gluten free, dairy free, soy free

I made a cake for a dear friend of mine who has a few food intolerances. She doesn't have any life-threatening allergies, but she gets stomach cramps and migraines from gluten, dairy and soy. I took on the challenge of making vanilla cake gluten, dairy and soy free.

You can find my original vanilla cake recipe here: https://americanbakeringermany.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-new-favorite-vanilla-cake-recipe.html

It all begins with the ingredients. I substituted the milk with almond milk, the butter with dairy-free and soy-free margarine, and the flour with a gluten-free flour mix. If you are looking to take on a similar project, please read all the ingredients on the margarine. Margarine often contains small amounts of dairy and soy. Sometimes even large amounts. That's the hardest ingredient. You can use any milk substitute you prefer. Almond milk is just my friend's favorite. Also, read the ingredients on your baking spray before you use it, as well.

The most important ingredient is actually the gluten-free flour mix. Just pick a baking mix that is used to replace all-purpose flour. I don't recommend using a single specific flour, like almond flour or rice flour, to replace all the flour because it will drastically change the consistency of the batter. Gluten-free baking mixes tend to be the best substitute that will help you get it as close to the orginal as possible.

Before you start baking, however, make sure you scrub all your equipment. Mixing bowls, cake pans, spoons, measuring spoons, measuring cups, beaters, mixers, work surfaces. Everything. With an intolerance like this, a good once-over should be enough. If you are working with life-threatening allergies, it would be best to let everything possible soak at least half an hour in bleach water. I washed everything twice to try and keep everything sterile.

Another thing that's very important to do, is to buy new packages of everything that you normally would use for regular cakes and other recipes. I bought brand new packages of baking powder, salt, sugar and eggs. Now, you don't actually have to buy a new package of eggs, but it doesn't hurt either.

Gluten-free Dairy-free Soy-free Vanilla Cake:

1/3 cup (70 g) dairy-free margarine

2/3 cup (150 mL) oil

2 cups (400 g) sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract or 3 tbsp vanilla sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

2 3/4 cups (350 g) gluten-free flour 

1 cup (225 mL) dairy-free milk substitute (almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, etc.)

6 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

Cream margarine, oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Add salt, baking powder, and 1 cup of gluten-free flour. Mix until combined. Add 1/2 cup milk substitute. Mix. Add 1 cup gluten free flour. Mix. Add 1/2 cup milk substitute. Mix. Add last 3/4 cup of gluten free flour. Mixture will be relatively thin. Fold in stiff egg whites. Bake at 350°F or 180°C for 25-30 minutes for 6 inch cake (makes 2), 35-40 minutes for 8 inch cake (makes 2), or 45-55 minutes for 10 inch cake (makes 1). Cake will be quite light in color when baked. Check by sticking a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow to cool completely before trying to level it.

Mix up the batter like you normally would, using the substitutions.

 Gluten-free flour consists of large amounts of corn starch, which is super white. White flour is actually off-white. So, this cake turned out very pale in color. It didn't even brown in the oven very much. I must say, it made probably the most beautiful cake layers I've ever made.

After I leveled it, you could see how lovely the cake layers were. The consistency was slightly grainier than usual because of the gluten-free flour, but it tasted amazing.

 Yep. Prettiest cakes ever!

Watch my YouTube tutorial here: https://youtu.be/2YuZrJ8qn5M
Schaut mein YouTube Tutorial hier an: https://youtu.be/aToMvv1UM34