How To Make Applesauce

No matter how old I get, I love applesauce. I eat it plain, on top of cottage cheese, or often with a bit of peanut butter mixed in. Of course, there’s nothing better than fresh made applesauce in the fall. (Need a recipe? Follow these steps on How to Make Applesauce from The Stay at Home Chef.) Whether store bought or homemade, I always keep it on hand.

However, one of my favorite ways to use applesauce is in gluten free baking. When I saw Vegetarian Mamma’s Easy Apple Cake, I knew I needed to make it. However, I wanted to cut down on the amount of fat in the recipe. Therefore, I substituted a portion of the oil with natural applesauce.

Substituting Oil with Applesauce

This gluten-free Applesauce Bundt Cake has less fat and sugar and than the original recipe. There are loads of suggestions on the internet about substituting applesauce for oil in baked goods.

While Musselman’s suggests a 1:1 substitution, I prefer a 50/50 swap. I do this in my buckwheat pancakes and my blueberry zucchini bread as well. Since applesauce is naturally sweet, I often reduce the sugar as well.

Another benefit of substituting applesauce for this gluten-free Applesauce Bundt cake recipe is that it provides lift. Applesauce is considered slightly acidic. When that combines with the baking soda in the recipe, it produces carbon dioxide, which allows baked goods to rise. This is ideal in gluten-free baked goods which tend to be more flat and dense than its gluten-filled counterparts.

6 inch Bundt Pans and Other Recipes

Vegetarian Mamma’s original Easy Apple Cake calls for 3 cups of flour, which is appropriate for a standard 10 inch bundt pan. They hold between 10-12 cups of batter.

However, I live in a household of 2. (Three if you count the dog, but she’s not getting my cake.) That’s why I love the 3 cup Bundt Pan from Nordic Ware. It holds 3 cups of batter, approximately one quarter of a standard recipe, and is perfect for our small household.

Any recipe that uses 3/4 cup of flour should work fine in this pan. I’ve made Off the Wheaten Path’s Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake in this pan, by cutting the recipe in half. I’ve also made Gluten Free Palate’s Easy Gluten Free Lemon Bread in it, again, cutting the recipe in half. I may need to try NordicWare’s 3 Cup Vanilla Pound Cake in it next!

Can I Use A Different Pan?

You can also use a 6″ round cake pan. Learn more about Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

How To Make Powdered Sugar

Did you know you can make your own homemade powdered sugar? When recipes call for a cup of powdered sugar or less, I like to make my own. While most recommend adding cornstarch to homemade powdered sugar, I left it out for this cake.

So how do you make powdered sugar? Simply put regular white sugar in a spice grinder, and let it spin until it becomes a powdered consistency. Truth be told, I use a coffee grinder, and put it on the finest grind setting, and that’s usually long enough. To make the glaze for this cake, simply add your liquid to your homemade powdered sugar, and you’re all set!

Can I Make This Without Dairy or Eggs?

Need an apple cake without dairy or eggs? If you can tolerate eggs, but not dairy, try this Gluten-Free Apple Cake from My Gluten-Free Kitchen. Need it to be completely vegan? Try this Gluten Free Vegan Caramel Apple Bundt Cake from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free. It looks amazing!

Can I Make This With Coconut Flour or Almond Flour?

NO. These two flours have drastically different absorptive properties than gluten free all-purpose flour blends made with rice. Instead, I highly recommend specifically searching for recipes using those ingredients.

If using almond flour, try this full size Glazed Apple Bundt Cake from Paleo Running Momma.  Want to use coconut flour? Try this full size Apple Bundt Cake with Apple Glaze from Keto Adapted.

Recipe

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Small Gluten Free Applesauce Bundt Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Wilton FLUTED TUBE PAN 6, Gray, 6.58 x 17.1 x 17.1 cm
• Wilton Small and Tall Aluminum 2 x 6-inch Layer Cake Pan Set, 2- Piece
• DASH Safe Slice® Mandoline Slicer, Julienne + Dicer for Vegetables, Meal Prep & More with 30+ Presets & Thickness Adjuster – Grey

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 3/4 c. gluten free flour I used King Arthur for this recipe.
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice

Mix Ins

• 3/4 c. thinly sliced apples cut into thirds (3/4 of a small apple)
• 1/4 c. cinnamon chips I used these instead of the butterscotch chips Cindy used.

Wet Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 tbsp applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. granulated brown sugar

For the Glaze

• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp apple cider

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil your bundt pan. This recipe is 1/4 of Vegetarian Mamma’s original. I used a Wilton’s Copper Retro Round Fluted 6″ Pan, which is only 2 1/2 in. deep and holds approximately 3 cups of batter.
• In a large batter bowl, combine oil, applesauce, egg and sugar. Whisk together, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to fully blend. 
• Thinly slice and quarter apples of your choice. VegetarianMamma prefers Granny Smith while I prefer Gala apples. The apples do not need to be peeled, but you may do so if you wish. Add sliced and quartered apples and cinnamon chips to the dry ingredients.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and thoroughly combine. The batter will be very thick. Allow to rest while preheating the oven.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. (This is shorter than VegetarianMamma’s recipe as I’m using a smaller pan. Allow cake to cool before removing from pan. Serve with a coating of powdered sugar or a simple glaze of your preference. It’s tasty with ice cream too!

What’s your favorite cake recipe? What recipes have you converted by substituting applesauce? Please share your tips with me below!

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally Published June 2017

The post Small Gluten Free Applesauce Bundt Cake appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

What is a Trifle?

I love a good trifle for all sorts of reasons. One, they might be the easiest dessert to put together. Secondly, they often use ingredients I have laying around the house. Possibly the best thing abut a trifle is the layers. I love a good layered dessert, don’t you? All the layers get repeated so you get to savor each taste over and over again.

After making this easy gluten-free Black Forest Trifle I found on the internet, it got me thinking. What exactly IS a trifle? What makes it different from a parfait? How are they both different from a fool? (Who even knew there was a dish called a fool?!?!) All desserts have cake of some sort, and layers of custard or pudding, and whipped cream.

Liqueur (or Liquor) is The Key Ingredient

Apparently, what sets a trifle apart from the rest is soaking liquid. Apparently, most trifles contain cake soaked in liqueur. Well, I was serving this easy gluten-free Black Forest Trifle at a church funeral dinner. Yeah, choosing to leave the alcohol out of this one. However, the chocolate cake could be soaked in cherry juice. Noted for next time.

Make This Easy Trifle with a Gluten Free Cake Mix

I used Better Batter’s chocolate cake mix as base of this easy gluten-free Black Forest Trifle. They generously sent me free product to try this past summer, and I still had their chocolate cake mix sitting down in my pantry.

Better Batter mixes contain NONE of the 8 most common allergens. Even their powdered sugar is corn-free! This mix is easy to whip together. Simply add water, oil and eggs, mix well and bake! Doesn’t get much easier than that.

I baked my cake one day before I needed the dessert. Therefore it would be completely cooled when it came time to assemble. The original Black Forest Trifle recipe I found on the internet, by The Novice Chef, called for chocolate pudding.

However, I had an extra box of vanilla pudding mix in my cupboard I wanted to use. So I improvised, made the vanilla pudding, and added homemade chocolate syrup I had in fridge. Voila, chocolate pudding! Need it dairy-free? Use my recipe for dairy-free pudding!

How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream

This recipe calls for whipped cream. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of Cool Whip. It works great in a pinch, but it’s not REALLY whipped cream. Besides, homemade whipped cream is so easy to make.

Want to know my secret trick? Freeze the bowl you intend to whip the cream in overnight. I use a metal mixing bowl for this. It dramatically cuts down the amount of time you need to whip your cream. I whipped mine for less than three minutes. Oh, and I also added sugar to the cream prior to whipping.

Other Gluten Free Trifle Recipes

Well, I’m happy to report that this easy gluten-free Black Forest Trifle was a success. The head of the kitchen committee at church messaged me to say “It was excellent!” They consumed every last bit, down to the last crumb.” Score one for gluten-free baking!

I’ll add that to my list of other successful trifles, such as this peppermint Christmas Chocolate Trifle. Looking for something similar, but in a smaller portion size? Check out Eat At Our Table’s recipe for an adorable Gluten Free Midnight Brownie Cookie Parfait.

Check out this list of 50 trifle recipes for parties for more inspiration! 

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Easy Gluten-Free Black Forest Trifle

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 box gluten-free chocolate cake mix prepared
• 1 box chocolate Jello pudding 5.9 oz (6 serving) size
• 1 can cherry pie filling If you like a lot of cherry, you might want a second can.
• 1 16 oz carton heavy whipping cream whipped, with 2 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 cup fresh cherries pitted
• 1/2 c kirsch brandy or cherry juice – optional

Instructions

• Prepare gluten-free chocolate cake mix according to directions. Allow to cool, preferably overnight. If desired, soak cake with 1/2 cup kirsch cherry brandy or cherry juice. 
• Prepare pudding. You can use instant or cooked, but it needs to be thoroughly chilled which ever you choose. 
• Whip the cream. This is easier to accomplish if whisked in a metal bowl that has been stored in the freezer for a few hours. (But not absolutely necessary.) Whip cream until soft peaks form, approximately 2.5 minutes. Be careful not to overwhip, as it will start to turn to butter. 
• Cut cooled cake into chunks, and layer 1/3 of the prepared cake into a large glass bowl. Top with 1/3 of the pudding, then 1/2 of the cherry pie filling, and finally 1/3 of the whip cream. Repeat layers until ingredients are used.
• Adorn the top of the trifle with the fresh cherries, and shaved chocolate if desired. Refrigerate at least an hour prior to serving.  . 

This easy gluten-free Black Forest Trifle would be perfect for a Christmas dinner. Let me know if you make it, by tagging it with #miglutenfreegal.

Originally Published November 2017

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What Gluten Free Cake Mix Should I Use? 

This recipe for Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes isn’t so much a recipe. It’s really more of a tutorial. You can use any brand of gluten free yellow cake mix you desire. Heck, you can even make the cake from scratch if you have need or want.

When it comes to recipes for my site, I like to make things as allergen free as possible. Better Batter mixes contain NONE of the top 9 allergens, nor gluten. No corn or gmo’s, either! That’s why I’ve used it in my easy gluten-free black forest trifle and my easy gluten-free mocha donuts.

What Pan Should I Use To Bake These?

The baking pan you use depends on what size cake mix you choose. If you have a 15 oz cake mix, like Betty Crocker or Aldi, I’d use two 10 x 15 jelly roll pans. (Or bake half the batter, and then reuse the pan.)

If you have an 18 oz cake mix or larger, such as Better Batter or King Arthur, I’d use two 11.5 x 17.25 jelly roll pans. (Or a half sheet cake pan.) You can bake all the batter on one sheet if you wish. However, then you’ll have to cut the cut out cake down the middle. Bake your cake for ONLY 10 MINUTES! It’s a very thin layer of cake, so it bakes quickly. 

How Do I Build a Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cake?

To make a these gluten free Christmas Tree Cakes, you’ll pour your batter into a flat rimmed baking sheet. (See sizes above.) You want to split the batter between two pans. This will allow you to have two thin layers of cake. After baking your flat layer of cake, you’ll use a christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out individual cake shapes. You can use the excess cake scraps to make cake pops. 

Next, you will sandwich two chrismas tree cake cutouts together with a marshmallow cream filling, and then dunk the whole thing in Vanilla Almond Bark. (Or chocolate, if you prefer.) **Prior to coating in vanilla candy melts, you will need to freeze the tree cake sandwiches. 

What Filling Do You Use for Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes?

Next comes the filling. This marshmallow fluff based filling is the best thing ever. I used it with my Gluten Free Valentine Cakes, as well as for peanut butter cookie sandwiches. You could also use it as the filling for homemade gluten free oreos! (Give these Gluten Free Copy Cat Oreos from The Frugal Wife a whirl.)

How Do You Fill a Piping Bag? 

I highly suggest using a piping bag for evenly distributing the filling on these cakes Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes. To fill the piping bag, open the bag and slide it over the top of a tall drinking glass. (Don’t cut the tip before doing this!) This way, the bag is standing up, sans hands, and it makes depositing the filling a breeze.

Once filled, use scissors to cut a tiny hole at the bottom of the bag. Then pipe away! I prefer to outline the cake sides, then fill in the centers. This assures that there is filling throughout the entire snack cake. Don’t skimp on the frosting filling!

What Kind of Coating Do You Use? 

I use Kroger Vanilla Candy Coating. This product is specifically labeled gluten free. It does contain soy and milk. The ingredients for this product are: “Sugar, Plam Kernel Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Palm Oil, Whole Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Natural Flavor, Vanilla Extract.” 

Can I Use Melted White Chocolate Chips?

I don’t recommend it. The consistency of melted candy coating is much thinner than melted white chocolate. I definitely do NOT recommend melting Enjoy Life White Baking Chips. It turns into a horrible mess.

If you want to use melted chocolate chips, you can add shortening to thin the chocolate. In her recipe for gluten free cake pops, Chef Janet K uses 1 tbsp of coconut oil or shortening for every cup of chocolate chips. 

How Do You Coat the Christmas Tree Cakes?

I made these again in 2022, after watching them being made at Bake Me Happy in Ohio. I placed the candy coating in a medium sized glass bowl, placed a cake “sandwich” on a fork, and submerged the whole cake in the white chocolate coating. You’ll need to tap or “bounce” the finished cake to get rid of the excess coating, Then, placed the finished cake on parchment paper and allow the coating to set. 

How Do You Decorate The Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes?

You can decorate these Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes however you like. Being the math geek that I am, I actually bought a box of the Little Debbie cakes, opened the box, and photographed how they were decorated. (Green sprinkles and red stripes.) Then I taped the box shut and sent them off to work with my husband. The things we do for science.

Therefore, when I made my Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes, I made some with green sprinkles and red stripes. However, I made some with just red stripes. And some I didn’t decorate at all.

That’s the beauty of homemade treats. You get to decide! Heck, you could even make these with chocolate cake or a spiced cake if you want. Let the kids on the deal, and include making these treats as part of your holiday memories! (And turn those cake scraps into cake pops / snowballs!)

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Gluten Free Christmas Tree Cakes

Course Recipes

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 + cakes

Author Margaret Clegg

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 box gluten free cake mix batter prepared according to directions
• **BAKE FOR ONLY 10 MINUTES in 2 jelly roll pans**

For the Filling

• 4 oz butter softened
• 4 oz marshmallow fluff
• 2 oz powdered sugar

For the Coating

• 16 oz vanilla candy coating I used Kroger
• 1 tsp shortening to thin if needed

Instructions

• Prepare the batter for your gluten free cake mix according to directions. If using a 15 – 16 oz cake mix, bake in TWO 10 x 15 jelly roll pans. (Or bake one batch and then reuse. If using a 18-22 oz cake mix, I recommend using 2 11×17 pans.
• ONLY BAKE FOR 10 minutes. Longer than this, and you'll have burnt cake on your hands. Remove baked cake from pans and allow to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare your marshmallow cream filling. Make sure your butter is room temperature and soft, before starting. Mix using a hand mizxer, or a Kitchenaid stand mixer. (I like the stand mixer, because I can walk away.)
• Stretch the mouth of a piping bag over a tall glass, then fill the piping bag with filling mixture. Set aside.
• Once cake is cooled, cut cake into tree shapes, using a cookie cutter. Pipe filling on to the bottom piece of cake. Don't be afraid to be generous with the filling. You have plenty of filling! Place another tree cake cutout on top of filling
• Once all tree cake bottoms have been topped with filling and a top cake, place in freezer for 20 minutes, before coating.
• Meanwhile, melt candy coating / almond bark in a glass bowl, set over a hot pot of water. To that, add your shortening, if needed. I used 16 oz of vanilla candy coaring, and added a tsp of shortening. You can make your coating thinner if you like, but I would test that out with a small portion of melted bark, and not a whole bowl of melted white chocolate. 
• Place christmas tree cake on fork, and dunk completely in bowl of melted candy coating. Use spoon to fully coat, if needed. Tap / bounce cake over bowl, to get rid of excess coating.
• Place finished cake on parchment and allow to coating to set. **Note- If you want to add sprinkles or colored sugar, you need to do this BEFORE the coating sets.
• **Note – If you have leftover filling, this can last in the fridge for 5 days. I used my leftover filling to the cake scraps to make cake balls. I don't have an exact measurement of frosting to tell you to add. Use just enough for the cake to hold together. Dip chilled cake balls in remaining melted candy coating.

**This post is NOT sponsored by Better Batter. This post does however include Amazon Affiliate Links. Purchases made through those links provide me a small commission. However, this does not influence the cost of your purchases. Thank you for helping to support this website!**

Originally Published December 2018

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Super Simple – Just One Special Ingredient

So my aunt messaged me on Instagram wanting the recipe for these gluten free mocha donuts. The thing is, this recipe is super simple.  If you count this Better Batter Chocolate Cake mix as one ingredient, this recipe has 8 ingredients total. No dairy. Zero soy. No nuts.  So only 8 ingredients stand between you and gluten free mocha donuts. So let’s get started, shall we?

The trick from turning this chocolate cake mix into gluten free mocha donuts is one special ingredient. Coffee.(Duh, right?) You can use any coffee you like. Espresso. Dark Roast. Breakfast Blend. I used the Simple Truth Dark Roast Cold Brew Coffee my husband bought at our local Kroger. (Wow, that was a mouthful.)

The Better Batter Chocolate Cake mix calls for 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Instead, I used 3/4 cup of Cold Brew and 3/4 cup of water. (You can use regular brewed coffee.) Then I added the rest of the ingredients as directed, and mixed it in my stand mixer. Easy Peasy. Dump the batter into a gallon-sized plastic bag, snip the tip, pipe into a donut pan, and you’re in business.

Why You Should Never Add Liquid to Melted Chocolate

As you may have read in my Gluten-Free Mocha Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache recipe, my husband loves coffee. So when I made another batch of ganache for these gluten free mocha donuts, I again added espresso powder to the coconut cream. DO NOT ADD BREWED COFFEE.

Why? Because coffee is made with water, and water makes melted chocolate seize. Nobody wants that. Trust me. To keep my ganache dairy-free, I use Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate morsels. Have you seen their new teal packaging in the store? I LOVE that they’re using the official color for food allergies for their brand. Bold and brave. Just like all of us living with food restrictions.

Ethically Sourced Chocolate

While I love talking about these easy gluten free mocha donuts, I want to take a moment to talk about ethics. When possible, I like to choose chocolate and coffee that are both ethically raised and cultivated. Coffee and chocolate are two crops that are notorious for using child and slave labor. My favorite ethically sourced chocolate is Guittard Chocolate. (It’s peanut free, too!)

That is why when I buy coffee I look for Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade Certified. It makes what we buy a little more expensive on our end. However, by doing so we are investing in farms and families that are raising crops the right way. If we all use our dollars to support those that make the world a better place, imagine how much we can accomplish.

Ganache and Dairy Free Chocolate Truffles

Want to know what else you can make with the ganache you made for these easy gluten free mocha donuts? TRUFFLES. Deep, rich, dark chocolate truffles. The ratio of for the ganache for the donuts is one-to-one, in ounces. (4 oz chocolate to 4 ounces coconut cream) However, if you’d like to make truffles, you need double the chocolate. Therefore, I would recommend 8 ounces of chocolate and 4 ounces of cream for truffles. You can still add the espresso powder to the cream if you want mocha truffles.

So there you have it. A recipe for super easy gluten free mocha donuts, AND an idea for super easy chocolate truffles. If you’d like other donut recipes, you can try my two-ingredient pumpkin donuts or my mini donut muffins. If you’re looking for more creative donut flavors, I highly suggest checking out these from gluten-free gingerbread donuts from Gluten Free Palate.

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Gluten Free Mocha Donuts (Dairy Free)

Ingredients

For the donuts

• 1 box chocolate cake mix prepared according to directions
• EXCEPT subbing half of water/milk with coffee

For the mocha ganache

• 4 oz Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels
• 4 oz Thai Kitchen Coconut Cream in a can
• 1/2 tsp DeLallo Espresso Powde

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Combine cake mix according to directions, substituting half of the water called for with coffee of your choosing. Mix well and dump abtter into a gallon size plastic bag. Snip the tip and pipe batter into a donut pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 
• Bake donuts for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool in pan 3-5 minutes, and carefully remove to cooling rack. 
• While donuts are cooling, warm 4 oz of coconut cream in a small microwaveable bowl. (If you can only find coconut milk, i would suggest using 3 oz of full fat coconut milk instead of 4.) 
• Add chocolate chips to warmed coconut cream and allow to set for 5 minutes. (I usually cover the bowl with a small bread plate. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. 
• Dunk cooled donuts halfway into ganache and allow excess to drip off. Flip over and place on cooling rack or parchment paper. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired. 

Who would you share these gluten-free mocha donuts with today? Do you intentionally shop for products that are ethically sourced? Share your story below! 

**I was provided free product form from Better Batter. I was not otherwise compensated for this post. I highly appreciate the care they take to make products free of the 8 most common allergens, as well as powdered sugar free from corn. This page contains affiliate links.**

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