Cakes and cookies are yummy desserts one cannot resist. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or on a strict diet, cakes are always an exception. They are not only delicious, but the whole process of baking them is a joy and the aroma of a freshly baked cake is heavenly.

But the joy is short lived when you find that you are allergic to gluten and have to avoid all food containing it.

Gluten is a mixture of proteins naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye and barley. It is the presence of gluten in wheat flour, which raises the cake batter and imparts structure to the cake. It also gives a chewy taste to the cake which we all love. Now how at all can we have all this without using wheat flour to bake? Is there an alternative to wheat flour, which can be used to bake these heavenly goodies? Or will we have to stop eating cakes altogether?

No worries! Thankfully, people have already done a lot of experimenting in baking using different flours and the good news is that the results are not only satisfactory but working with substitutes has driven away the monotony of working with only one type of flour.

Let us classify gluten free flours into 3 main categories:

 Grain flours – These include flour of white rice, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum and others.

Nut flours – Almond, peanut and hazelnut flour can be used in baking.

Grain free and Nut free flours – Coconut, soy and chickpea flour fall under this category.

You can make combinations of different flours at home or can get them through cake delivery services.

Let us see how some of these flours can be used in baking.

Soy Flour

Soy flour is rich in protein containing all essential amino acids required by our body. It also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and fibre. This makes it an excellent choice. Baked goods turn brown quickly when soy flour is used. Hence, it is better to keep an eye on the oven while your cake is getting baked. Use this flour in recipes designed especially for it.

Almond Flour

Touted as one of the healthiest foods, almonds are loaded with nutritious monounsaturated fats and phytonutrients. In addition, they also contain Vitamin E, magnesium and potassium. Almond flour is full of fat and moisture and it is not as powdery and fine like wheat flour. Hence while swapping stick to tried and tested recipes. Using it gives a sweet and nutty flavour to the cake.

Rice Flour

One of the key ingredients in gluten free baking, white rice flour is bland in taste. Hence, it goes along well with any type of flavour and turns out light coloured cakes with delicate texture.

A variation of white rice flour is brown rice flour which is made from unhulled rice grains.

Coconut Flour

The coconut flour, which is ground from dried coconut meat, is soft in texture and highly nutritious. It is loaded with proteins, fibre and lauric acid, a saturated fat, which is good for skin. Since this flour is dense and clumpy, the batter has to be beaten well. Be sure to add more eggs and fruits to increase moisture. Surprise your friend by sending cakes by post which you have baked using coconut flour.

When baking with gluten free flours remember that one type of flour cannot replace wheat flour. You need to use them in combination. The techniques and proportions used are different and you have to either do trial and error or bake recipes which have been tried.