An Allergy-Friendly Cake Everyone Can Enjoy
I’ve projected this choice onto my son, Oliver, and have made it for each of his birthdays so far. (Of course when he’s old enough to request otherwise, I’ll happily make what he wants!) Because he’s allergic to eggs and lots of his friends have a handful of other allergies, I thought it’d be fun to develop a cake that everyone could eat, regardless of dietary restriction. The result? A winning allergen-free favorite that, to be honest, I can’t stop eating.
Bake It in a 9x13 Pan
This isn’t a towering, light and fluffy layer cake. Instead, it’s more of a snack cake, baked in a 9x13 baking dish. The texture is also a little sturdier, more like a semi-dense crumb cake. This makes it perfect for transporting to a classroom or birthday party, and parceling it out on festive plates for a roomful of eager kids.
Speckles Are Part of the Charm
When it comes out of the oven, you’ll notice little brown speckles throughout the crumb; this is from the flax egg, an egg substitute I use in a lot of my vegan baking. Flax eggs don’t impart a great deal of flavor, so they won’t interfere with your enjoyment of the cake. And those little speckles get covered right up with a thick layer of frosting.
What are flax eggs? Read more here!
How to Make a Gluten-Free Cake
A few ingredient notes: Use two leaveners for a better rise: A common complaint you hear with gluten-free cakes is that they don’t rise enough, so I use two leaveners with this cake: baking powder and baking soda. Baking soda is effective only when you pair it with an acid so I mix a little vinegar into the non-dairy milk. This creates something akin to a buttermilk substitute and won’t affect the overall flavor of the cake. Choose a good gluten-free flour blend. There are dozens of gluten-free flour blends to choose from these days and many are great. I happen to like Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour blend. It’s a great all-purpose choice and doesn’t contain chickpea or legume flours, which often impart a savory flavor to baked goods that I don’t always love. Make sure it has xanthan gum. This blend from Bob’s contains xanthan gum, which acts as a binder in gluten-free baking recipes like this one. Before baking, check the ingredients in your own gluten-free flour blend and if it doesn’t contain xanthan gum (or another binding ingredient like guar gum or psyllium husks), I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to ensure success.
More Allergy-Friendly Baked Treats
Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Light and Fluffy Gluten-Free Biscuits Grain-Free Apple Honey Cake
Slowly add the flax egg mixture, beating well until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter should be thin enough that it slips off the paddle or beaters; if it’s too thick or chunky, add additional nondairy milk 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter is pourable. The cake is best enjoyed the day it’s made. If you have leftovers, cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
