Oh, for the love of all things gf...

After years of finding myself in varying degrees of discomfort and pain after eating, I was finally diagnosed with Coeliac disease, which is a severe allergy to gluten (found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and their products).

At the time of diagnosis, the most exciting gluten-free flours one could lay your hands on here in South Africa were rice flour or sorghum flour (which tended towards creating muffins which could seriously injure someone).

These days, there are a choice range of gf flours from which to choose, the products of which taste akin to the best glutinous creations that can be offered up for comparison.

However, just like Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in the movie Simply Irresistable whose emotions were poured into her culinary creations, causing those who ate them to exhibit the same - I am of the opinion that a heaping helping of love helps to sweeten any baked good. Enter...my mom.

Now, mom is a baker of note. Every childhood birthday party offered up a new and exciting cakely creation. Upon hearing of my coeliac disease, she was saddened at not being able to bake up a storm for me to enjoy anymore. However, just as the range of gf flours grew, so did my mom's adventurous ways in the kitchen.

Enter...modified versions of the old favourites. Below is just such a recipe. Please bear in mind when baking with gf flours that the consistency often has to be adjusted according to feel (usually just a little more flour or a little more liquid). Use baking intuition, have fun and most of all...born-up-a-tree!

Gluten-free Yoghurt Cake

Rebaked recipe in July 2011 (this one works):

• 175ml yoghurt
• 175ml self-raising gluten-free flour (I used Nature's Choice, which isn't self-raising, and the cake still rose sufficiently...although it is a denser cake)
• 175ml castor or white sugar (not brown)
• 87ml sunflower oil
• 2 large eggs
• pinch of salt (I always leave this out)

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Place in a very, very well greased loaf tin (also dusted with flour), and then bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (sometimes it's best to decrease your oven temp by 5 degrees when trying a new recipe, as oven temps differ....so 175) for 40 to 45 minutes (or until just golden and a cake skewer inserted comes out clean).
   

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Ingredients (original 2009 recipe missing sugar...ignore):

• 175ml gluten-free flour (I use Nature's Choice, which is a mixture of gf flours);

• 175ml full-cream yoghurt (mixed fruit or strawberry is particularly yum);

• 1tsp xanthum gum;

• 1/2 tsp each of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar;

• pinch of salt; and

• 1 egg.

Method:

1. Mix ingredients together (gently) in no particular order.
2. Pour into a greased loaf tin.
   
3. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.

Check out some cool blogs dedicated to gluten-free cooking:
http://gfsouthafrica.blogspot.com
http://milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com
http://glutenfreeday.com
http://www.thespunkycoconut.com