The Baking Beauties » Muffins & Loaves

Gluten-free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Jeanine Friesen — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:32:49 +0000

I have been trying to find ‘the’ pound cake recipe for a while. I’ve had as many errors as trials, and just felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. Last week, when I just wanted to play in the kitchen for a while, and not have to experiment with figuring out the flours, starches, and liquids, I just simply adapted a recipe from Simply…Gluten-Free. Carol is a genius in the gluten-free kitchen. I’ve admired her work for years already, and have had success with all the recipes of hers that I’ve tried. That said – I had high hopes for this pound cake.

And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! This was seriously the best lemon-anything I’ve had in a while (well, since the doughnuts at least), but it was so good, and seriously got better each day after baking it. The first day it was good, but letting it sit on the counter, the second, third, and fourth day, it was even better. So moist, and lemony, purely delightful. I’m sure that this recipe could be adapted as well, to create more delicious pound cake recipes.

Yields one 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf

Adapted from Simply…Gluten-Free

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons superfine white rice flour
4 Tablespoons sweet rice (glutinous) flour
5 Tablespoons potato starch
3 Tablespoons tapioca starch
1/4 cup dry instant lemon pudding mix (OR an additional tablespoon of each sweet rice flour and potato starch)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest of one large lemon)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line loaf pan with parchment paper, so that the paper comes up both sides (making it easier to remove the loaf after baking).
In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, sweet rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, dry pudding mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. The colour should be a very pale yellow. This takes about 5 minutes.
With the mixer running on low, add the eggs, one at a time, being sure the egg is completely blended with the sugar before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl between additions to make sure everything is getting fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Once that is incorporated, add the milk, lemon juice, and zest to the batter. Finish by adding the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until all ingredients are fully combined.
Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
Bake in preheated oven for 65-70 minute, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If the loaf seems to be browning too quickly, lightly cover with a sheet of foil. Allow loaf to sit in baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely before pouring a glaze over the top.
Keep loaf wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ (icing) sugar
1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
lemon zest to garnish

Mix ingredients together and drizzle over cooled pound cake.

Gluten-free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Jeanine Friesen — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:21:40 +0000

Lemon is such a versatile flavour. It perks us up in the middle of winter, and cools us off in the heat of summer. These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins do just that. They are perfect any time of year, and are great for a quick breakfast or a snack on the go. Although the glaze is optional, it bumps up the tangy citrus flavour of the muffins. Poppy seeds are high in fiber, and an antioxidant, and although they come from the opium plant, you don’t have to worry about having any hallucinations from eating a muffin or two.

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest of one large lemon (or two small ones)
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
juice of one large (or two small) lemons plus enough milk to make 1 cup
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Grease a 12-cavity muffin tin., or line with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, use your hands to rub together the 2/3 cup granulated sugar and the lemon zest, until the sugar is damp and the mixture smells like lemon. Add the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 cup, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the poppy seeds.
Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and they spring back when gently touched.
While the muffins are baking, you can prepare the lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir until it comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds before removing from heat. Set aside until the muffins are done.
Remove muffins from the oven and allow to sit for five minutes before removing from the muffin tin to a wire cooling rack. While the muffins are still warm, either brush the tops with the glaze, or dip the tops in the glaze. Allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Moist Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Jeanine Friesen — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:43:57 +0000

There are few smells that bring a warm-fuzzy feeling over us the way fresh baked banana muffins do. These muffins are soft, moist, and studded with chocolate chips. They are perfect for a quick breakfast or snack, and are a great choice for your kid’s lunch kit as well.

Yields 15 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (approximately 2 medium bananas)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease your muffin tin. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sorghum flour, oat flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir just to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let stand in baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Options: To change things up a bit, you can add either a 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon or ground espresso powder to the batter. Adding a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts is another great option.

Cookbook Review ~ Gluten-Free in Five Minutes

Jeanine Friesen — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:30:48 +0000

I get contacted occasionally to test out new cookbooks. I enjoy this little perk of blogging, because it gives me a chance to see what is out there, and lets me give YOU my honest opinion of a book. You never know. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised when I get a new cookbook. Enters Roben Ryberg‘s new cookbook “Gluten-Free in Five Minutes“.

I will admit to you, I was very hesitant to try this book. I flinched a little when I read the words “Make ‘Em in Your Microwave”. Not much good has ever been baked in the microwave, much less good AND gluten-free. But, I tried it. And?

I enjoyed some Gluten-Free Red Velvet cake…mixed & baked in about 5 minutes. Seriously. (I was out of red food colouring though, hence the lack of red). This cake was really very delicious, the texture was really good, and it was a nice late night dessert on the deck for my husband & I to share.

Then…

I had some cornbread, also ready to eat in about 5 minutes. And you know what? I’d make it again! If I were having something like chili for supper, and everyone else had their own bread to eat it with, I’d make myself a little cornbread. Really good warm, not quite as great cool, but hey, what do you expect with 5 minute & a microwave? I was quite happy that it was so good warm.

Oh yeah, there’s more…

You see the above? They are gluten-free blueberry muffins, made in the microwave one morning. Yes, they look a little off, but you know what? They tasted good! I actually preferred them once they had cooled, as opposed to warm.

Ok, I thought, I’ve had cake, cornbread, and muffins. And I have been surprised by all of them. I know what my readers really want to know…can you REALLY make a single gluten-free hamburger bun in 5 minutes? One that tastes good? My answer for you?

Absolutely! I really do not know how Roben does it. She’s amazing, and has totally gained my respect. This hamburger bun was really, really good. Moist, but not wet & spongy. Not crumbly, but not rubbery. I did not eat mine with a burger, instead I topped it with some honey and ate it that way. I shared it with my husband, even he was amazed (he’s not on a GF diet, btw). And you know what? I think we’ll be having burgers tonight for supper, and I will be having mine on a bun!

There are 4 hamburger bun recipes in the book, each is a little different. She tells you the differences in each recipe’s description. This one is more spongy, or this one is more moist. This one tastes like whole grain, etc. Helpful information! Plus, most recipes use only one flour. And you can pick which recipe will work best for you, based on what you have on hand.

Here are some tips from Roben Ryberg herself:

Two tips for baking with Gluten-Free in Five Minutes: 1. Beat egg until nearly uniform in color (or beat your batter well if you forget to beat the egg well) and 2. Remember that each microwave is different. If yours is very powerful, you will need to cook your food item less. If your microwave is not so powerful, you will need to cook your food item more. A 15 second adjustment in time is usually all it takes!

Gluten-Free in Five Minutes – Hamburger Rolls

Author: Jeanine Friesen

Serves: 1

It is possible to make just one hamburger bun when you’re in a bind. Source: Roben Ryberg – Gluten Free in Five Minutes

Ingredients

1 large egg
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon applesauce
1/16 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Bake in: 2-cup ramekin or other straight-sided microwave-safe bowl.
In a small bowl or cup, briefly beat egg until almost uniform in color.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
Spray 2-cup ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour batter into ramekin and tap base to level batter.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Roll will rise and then settle.
Gently remove from dish and cool.

One thing to keep in mind…the microwave will not brown your food for you the way a skillet (in the case of pancakes, which are now on my ‘must try’ list) or oven will. If you want the tops of the buns or muffins to be slightly browned (which will just make for better visual appeal), feel free to pop the item in a toaster oven or oven for a few minutes.

Do I recommend it? Yes. Absolutely. Right now on Amazon her book is selling for less than $12, which I think is a real steal. If you’re looking for a recipe book with quick, easy recipes, give it a try. I can not vouch for all of the recipes, but I tried 4 of them, and they were all really quite good.

The book includes other recipes like English Muffin, Sandwich Bread, Pizza Crust, Stuffed Mushrooms, Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake, Extreme Chocolate Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, a section on Icings, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Banana Bread, and Raspberry Cobbler. 123 recipes in total. Wow.

Gluten-Free Creamy Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Jeanine Friesen — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:15:00 +0000

The combination of apples, nuts, caramel, and cream cheese make these gluten-free Creamy Caramel Apple Cupcakes the perfect treat. No need to frost these cupcakes, they have caramel & cream cheese baked into the center.

Gluten-Free Creamy Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Author: Jeanine Friesen

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour, see NOTE
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium apple, peeled and shredded
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
12 caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, apple sauce, vanilla and 2 eggs. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
Grate one apple, and stir into cupcake batter.Line 12 cavity cupcake pan with paper-liners. Divide the cupcake mixture evenly between the 12 cups. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, 2 Tbsp sugar and egg yolk. Do not over-mix, you do not want the mixture to become runny. Top the cupcake batter with about 1 Tbsp of the cream cheese mixture.
Form each caramel with your hands, until you have a cylinder shape. Push the caramel into the cream cheese mixture on top of the cupcake.
Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the cupcakes.
Bake cupcakes in preheated oven for 23-25 minutes.Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes, before removing cupcakes to a wire cooling rack. Cool another 10 minutes. Best served warm.

Notes

The all-purpose gluten-free flour blend consists of 4 cups superfine brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cups potato starch (not flour), 2/3 cup tapioca starch. Combine all ingredients in a large zipper-top bag. Shake until well blended.