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Cake Angels
Julia Thomas

TEXT ONLY EBOOK EDITION

Dedication

To John and Charlie, I love you both,

Julia xx

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Introduction

Key Ingredients

Instructions, Tips & Equipment

Cakes

Traybakes

Cupcakes & Muffins

The Art of Decoration

Toppings, Frostings & Fillings

Stockists

Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine that wonderfully evocative smell of a freshly baked cake, and then imagine slowly sinking your teeth into all its glorious, gorgeous gooeyness – bliss. There really isn’t anything more satisfyingly indulgent than baking your very own cake, something just for you (and perhaps a friend or two). However, many people have been missing out on this pleasure in the belief that dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free cakes are difficult to make successfully. I don’t know why because as I have discovered over the past few years, this is so far from the truth. Baking without dairy, wheat and gluten really is straightforward and in this book I hope to show you how to bake really delicious and beautiful cakes. And all my recipes work equally well using butter and normal plain and self-raising flours; just remember to remove the xanthan gum from your list of ingredients.

Little did I imagine as a child standing on a stool, helping my mother bake one of her delicious cakes, that one day I would be an award-winning artisan baker, baking on television for Michelin-starred chefs and princesses, both real and self-appointed! My journey from child enthusiast to bespoke baker has not been a conventional one, but if you dream of yummy cakes like I do, it’s amazing where your dreams can take you. I have always loved cake: light delicate sponges, rich moist fruit cakes, spicy carrot cakes and dense chocolaty delights. In fact, any cake is guaranteed to put a twinkle in my eye and a huge smile on my face. The wonderful smell of a baking cake can still take me back to that happy and carefree time with my mother and now when I bake, my young son stands next to me, determined to help and even more determined to lick the bowl!

In early 2004, whilst pregnant with my first longed-for child, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer that had already spread to my lymph nodes. I had to make the mental shift from excited mum-to-be to anxiously discussing life-saving treatment options with my surgeon and oncologist. I won’t pretend it was easy because it wasn’t. My oncologist was brilliant and came up with a plan of action to work around my pregnancy. I couldn’t have the standard cocktail of drugs because no one knew what effect they could have on my baby, so a special regime was designed for me. I underwent four courses of chemotherapy before giving birth to my son and a further four immediately after the birth. Two weeks after finishing my chemotherapy, I had the first of 17 radiotherapy sessions, which once completed were immediately replaced with a year’s course of the drug Herceptin. I was exhausted, physically and emotionally, but luckily Charlie was a really good baby and my husband was amazingly supportive. Everyone has their own way of coping with a life-threatening diagnosis and mine was to try and help myself by looking at alternative ways of treating cancer which would complement the conventional treatments I was having. So after hours of research and lengthy discussions with a nutritionist, I made a life-changing decision to radically change my diet and eliminate all dairy products, milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt. Whilst I never doubted changing my diet was worth it, I was devastated that I couldn’t just pop to the bakers to cheer myself up with a delicious cake. After all, when you are miserable, treating yourself to something yummy is usually a good way of lifting your spirits.

In desperation, I scoured bakeries, supermarkets and upmarket health food shops for suitably delicious dairy-free cakes. Whilst I found a few, none of them satisfied my need for something wickedly sinful, beautiful to look at and tasting like normal cake. Some people would gracefully accept the situation and resign themselves to a life without, but not me. As far as I’m concerned, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ and I thought, why not bake my own, so I did. Nothing was too complicated or too daunting. If I felt like eating it, I baked it, and it was brilliant. I experimented with dairy-free alternatives and adapted many of my mother’s recipes, most of which were successful. I can’t begin to tell you how good it felt to sink my teeth into something sweet, sticky and totally delicious, but it was very close to heavenly! From that point on, I always took my own cakes with me wherever I went. After all, I didn’t want to miss out, and it wasn’t long before people were waiting for me to arrive! A friend then asked if I would consider baking wheat- and gluten-free cakes, as her young son was intolerant of both. Loving a challenge, I said I would give it a go. I was so pleased with the results that wheat and gluten joined dairy in being banished from my kitchen forever.

Whilst I was conducting my culinary research, I couldn’t help thinking, surely I am not alone in this quest? There must be others out there, just like me, yearning for luscious cakes. And I was right. I discovered between 20% and 30% of the UK population believes it has an intolerance, whilst between 1% and 2% of the population has a diagnosed allergy. Recent evidence also suggests that 1 in 100 people is affected by coeliac disease, so there are lots and lots of people out there like me searching for that ‘Holy Grail’– the cake ‘you can have and eat’. So with my health improving, I decided to launch my own bespoke baking service, Cake Angels. Rather than taking on the responsibilities and ties of a shop, I decided I would bake a range of cakes to order and dispatch them by overnight courier, meaning they could be out of the oven and on a customer’s doorstep within 24 hours. It didn’t take long for word to get out and my belief that people on restricted diets were badly served when it came to simple, yet beautifully delicious, cakes was proved to be right. Soon I was baking non-stop and not just for customers with allergies or intolerances, but for people who have simply made a lifestyle choice not to eat animal fats, wheat and highly processed foods and, of course, for anyone who just loves cake. A few months later, my dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free brownies won a coveted two gold stars at The Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards, with the judges commenting that they were exquisite – no mean feat considering I was competing with products containing dairy! Subsequently, numerous articles about Cake Angels have appeared in the press and interest and demand continues to increase as more and more people realize how delicious dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free foods can be.

Many of my customers have shared with me their stories of disappointment and frustration with the limited and uninspiring range of products available to them, but are unsure of baking their own cakes. My cakes are not complicated to bake and I don’t use unnecessarily baffling and inaccessible ingredients (in fact, most can be bought at the supermarket). Baking the simplest of cakes can fill your house with delicious smells and fresh out of the oven, they taste absolutely gorgeous. My book is full of my favourite recipes and will show you how easy it is to bake gloriously moist and delicious dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free cakes. Just follow my guidelines and tips and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Key Ingredients

Baking successfully with dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free ingredients is not as difficult as you may think and in most cases you use the same ingredients as you would in normal baking. There are, however, a few specialist ingredients that you need to make friends with, most of which can now be purchased from all the main supermarkets and good high street health food shops. This section contains information about the alternative ingredients that I use, as well as the ones you may already have lurking in the back of your cupboard.

Fats

Not only are they low in unsaturated fats, but dairy-free spreads can be used straight from the fridge, so you don’t need to remember to take them out of the fridge to warm to room temperature.

* Dairy-free sunflower spread is what I use in most of my baking. It is not only free of dairy, but also GM ingredients, hydrogenated oils, artificial additives, emulsifiers, soya and gluten and has 70% less saturated fat than butter. I use Pure Sunflower, but a number of the big supermarkets have their own brand of ‘free from’ spreads. Always remember to check the ingredients label to be sure.

* Soya spread is also great for baking. It contains 59% vegetable oils and is also free from dairy, GM ingredients, hydrogenated oils, artificial additives, emulsifiers and gluten. It really is down to personal preference as to which type of spread you decide to use.

* Oils such as naturally refined sunflower and vegetable oils are wonderful to bake with, and I use organic oils in quite a few of my recipes. Other oils, such as hazelnut and walnut, are best used in very small quantities just to flavour.

* Coconut oil is hard and white at room temperature, but melts really easily and tastes wonderful. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids and lauric acid and is stored in the body as energy, not fat. In fact, it is an all-round good guy. It is expensive, which is why I use it just for frostings. I use Biona Coconut Oil, which is available only from good health food shops or online at www.cakeangels.co.uk or www.naturallygoodfood.co.uk.

Milk

Dairy-free milks are really easy to bake with and can also be used to create authentic creams, frostings and curds. They are low in fat and are normally calcium-enriched, but check the ingredients label first.

* Liquid milks, such as soya, rice, almond and oat, are all great to bake with, but I find unsweetened soya milk, with its creamier texture and taste, is best for making creams and some frostings. All can be bought from the main supermarkets.

* Coconut milk has about 17% fat and is usually bought in cans from supermarkets. However, you can now buy a less creamy, low-fat coconut milk, which is similar to rice milk in texture and is sold in cartons at good health food shops.

* Soya double cream, also often referred to as whipping cream, is a blend of vegetable fats and hulled soya beans and is great for baking with. There are two brands available in this country: Granovita Organic CremoVita and Soyatoo. Both brands can be purchased from good high street health food shops or online at www.cakeangels.co.uk, www.naturallygoodfood.co.uk and www.veganstore.co.uk.

* Dairy-free sour cream is a soya-based cream that works really well in baking and tastes delicious served on jacket potatoes and in dips. I use Tofutti Sour Supreme, which at the moment can be purchased at good high street health food shops and online at www.cakeangels.co.uk or www.goodnessdirect.co.uk

* Coconut cream, not to be confused with creamed coconut that is sold as a hard block, is sold in cartons and can be found in all the main supermarkets. It is similar in texture to double cream and when whisked into soft peaks with a little added icing sugar, tastes wonderful.

* Powdered or dried dairy-free milks are usually dried soya milk, though if you prefer you can get dried almond milk. Both are quite expensive, but ideal to keep in your store cupboard. Neither is available in supermarkets yet and they have to be purchased from good health food shops or online at www.cakeangels.co.uk or www.goodnessdirect.co.uk. Don’t be tempted to try Cow & Gate’s Infasoy – it doesn’t work for baking!

Flour

Wheat- and gluten-free flours can now be bought as premixed bags in all the main supermarkets, which makes life a lot easier. I have developed all the recipes in this book using the award-winning Doves Farm flours, but there are other very good ones available from health food shops. For the recipes in this book, you will use self-raising and plain flour. It is important to use the type of flour stated in the recipe, as the wrong flour will drastically affect the appearance and texture of the finished cake. Do make sure you check the sell-by date on your flours, as they do deteriorate over time.

Xanthan Gum

The magic ingredient that makes wheat- and gluten-free cakes such a success. Without it, your cakes will fall apart in a crumbly mess, so omit at your peril! I use Doves Farm Xanthan Gum, which is gluten-free and found in all the main supermarkets. The wheat- and gluten-free flours already contain a small amount, but I have found that to get the best results with cakes you need to add a little extra. Follow my instructions and you won’t go wrong.

Baking powder

Not all baking powders are gluten-free, so please check the ingredients label. I use Dr. Oetker Gluten-free Baking Powder, which can be bought at all the main supermarkets. Do make sure you check the sell-by date because baking powder, like flour, does deteriorate over time.

Bicarbonate of soda

Commonly found in recipes with strong spicy flavours, such as gingerbread and parkin, as it has a rather bitter taste. It works best with acid-forming ingredients such as lemon juice, black treacle and dairy-free buttermilk. Again, make sure you check the sell-by date as it does deteriorate over time.

Cocoa powder

A gluten-free and inexpensive ingredient in baking. I always sift it with other dry ingredients so it is evenly distributed, or mix it with liquid to make a paste. If you love the taste of dark bitter chocolate, then chose a cocoa powder such as Green & Black’s. If you like a slightly lighter, sweeter taste, then Sainsbury’s cocoa powder might be for you. Don’t use drinking chocolate, as this contains dried milk.

Oats

Although oats do not contain gluten, some people may be sensitive to a similar protein called avenins. Many oat products can be contaminated with wheat or barley, so it is important to use only gluten-free oats, which can be found in Sainsbury’s, Tesco and all good health food shops.

Sugars

I prefer to use unrefined sugars in my recipes, but because they are darker in colour, your cakes will be darker in appearance. Do feel free to experiment.

* Caster sugar is small-grained and blends well in sponges and meringues.

* Granulated sugar is much coarser in texture and can give cakes a gritty texture.

* Icing sugar is very fine in texture and is occasionally used in making pastry bases, but most commonly it is used to make frostings and icings.

* Muscovado sugars are made from raw cane sugar and vary in colour and taste. I use light muscovado sugar in a number of recipes because it provides a lovely light toffee flavour. Dark muscovado sugar works really well in gingerbread and parkin because it has a very strong molasses flavour.

* Demerara sugar has a lower molasses content with larger crystals and is great for sprinkling on top of cakes for a nice crunchy finish.

* Golden syrup and black treacle are made from crystallized sugar. I use both in my recipes.

* Honey has been used as a sweetener for centuries. I use runny honey in my recipes, as it dissolves much faster.

Condensed milk

Condensed milk is milk that has had half the water content removed and sugar added. Until recently this ingredient was out of bounds, but then I discovered I could make my own dairy-free version using dried soya milk. Yippee, I can now make thick caramel for Millionaire’s Shortbread and my Chocolate Nutty Caramels – bliss.

Eggs

I use organic free-range eggs in all my recipes. I have indicated in each recipe whether to use large or medium eggs and it is important you follow the instructions because liquid content can affect the result of your cake.

Chocolate

My favourite ingredient! I always use organic dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free 60% dark, milk and white chocolate drops in my baking as they melt faster and are easier to use. You can now buy them direct from www.cakeangels.co.uk. You can also buy chocolate buttons in good health food shops and supermarkets but they are normally sold in small quantities and are expensive.

When decorating with chocolate I do use bars for curls or grating. You can buy bars of dairy-free chocolate in most good health food shops and all the main supermarkets stock Kinnerton’s dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free chocolate bars, which you will find in the ‘free from’ food sections.