A new blog..A new recipe

  Hey all, welcome to my newest endeavor!  This is my first attempt at a blog, so please be patient with me as I learn how to use it and sort everything out.

    I have recently been thrown some curve balls in the form of food intolerances, and am slowly, but surely learning how to go day to day without consuming gluten or dairy. Thankfully for me, I love to bake and cook so I have not dwelled too much on this new lifestyle, but have embraced it as a challenge to get creative in the kitchen.  This is where my blog comes into play. As a budding pastry chef, I am extremely determined and excited to create delicious recipes for everyone to enjoy, food allgeries or not. I will be posting recipes and photos along the way, so please check back often to see what I have been up to!

    Enough of all that, lets get baking!

     If you are at all familiar with gluten free baked goods, you will notice there is an abundance of banana cakes and carrot cakes on the market. I find the texture of the flours used in gluten free baking to be a little more coarse than wheat flour. When you use ingredients like bananas or carrots in the mix, they some what mask the texture of the gluten free flours, making it almost impossible to tell the difference. I decided to try out my carrot cake recipe which is already dairy free and make it gluten free as well. I didn't have any walnuts on hand (and I don't really care for them anyway), so I threw in some raisins and shredded coconut instead.  I made the cake mix into cupcakes, and was very happy with the result. The cake came out light, moist and flavourful, and you would never know it was gluten and dairy free.  This recipe is definitely a keeper, try it out!

 Carrot Cake Recipe  :

1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup white rice flour
3 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tabioca starch
1tbs xantham gum
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups walnuts (optional)

* Substitute 3/4 cup raisins and 3/4 cup coconut for walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350F

Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Place sugar and eggs in mixer and beat together for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Turn the speed to low and slowly add the oil until incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat just until incorporated.
Gently mix in carrots and walnuts (or raisins/coconut)
Bake for approx 30-40 minutes for cakes or until a toothpick comes out clean, or about 20-25 minutes for cupcakes.
Allow to cool and enjoy!

Once the cake has cooled, top it with your favourite frosting or eat it as is.
* I made a quick frosting using vegetable shortening, icing sugar, lemon juice, water and maple syrup. I didn't measure it but next time I will and share the recipe!

Happy Baking!!

C

(And thanks for reading!)