I know the point of this website is to talk about great recipes but here is where you find out, I’m really NOT a cook. Okay, so I can blame what happened on a sundry of issues including a sick sister, a seriously injured child, and lack of time but the end result will not change.
What could be so horrible that I had to post about it on a blog? How about ruining your son’s birthday cupcakes? Yep. That’s what happened.
In all fairness, we had a few er…catastrophes in my house, leading up to my son’s birthday party on Sunday. Not the least of which required an overnight stay in the hospital for my other son who nearly lost a finger in a freak accident with a television tray.
But I digress.
Before I had to go Gluten-Free I fought it for one reason. I hate food. Okay not all food, just tasteless, cardboard-is-more-appetizing, stuff that passes for food. But since going Gluten-Free, I’ve learned to prepare my own meals. Most of which, I’ve shared here because they turned out very well. But baking does not equal cooking.
Paperweight Gluten-Free Cupcakes. Cute to look at but dangerous for your teeth.
Normally, I’m a diehard baker. Even before going Gluten-Free, I preferred to make things from scratch.
But with the craziness in my house, I bought a boxed Gluten-Free cake mix to save time.
Ugh! Super-huge mistake!
I knew I was in trouble when the cupcakes came out of the oven.
Despite being properly prepared, they mimicked paperweights. Still, I decorated them and even took them with me to the party.
I had the sinking feeling they were going to be as yummy as eating rocks, so I swung by the local grocery store and bought a cookie cake.
Cookie Cake With Gluten-Free Icing
The only part of the cookie cake I could eat were the icing balloons, but everyone else could enjoy them. At the end of the party, there were cupcakes left but not a single slice of cookie cake.
So, I turn to you.
Do you have any delicious Gluten-Free cake/cupcake recipes you’d like to share?
I have six months before I have to serve up another cake for a child’s birthday. And next time, I’d really prefer not hear my son say, “Momma, why didn’t you just bake it. This boxed stuff is yucky.” 
I usually bake gluten free from scratch, too, but I got a copy of The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free and everything I’ve made from it has been absolutely delicious. I’m talking, feed them to gluten-eaters and they don’t know the difference delicious.
Also, the King Arthur Gluten Free chocolate cake mix is really, really good. It’s a little more expensive than the regular boxed mixes but it makes twice as much, so it evens out.
Finally, you might look into keeping some of the replacement AP flours around, like Jules Gluten Free or Better Batter. I have good luck subbing those into my old recipes cup for cup.
Eliza,
Thanks for the tips. I like to have a box or two of cake mix in the house for emergencies. (As a preschool teacher by day, I do have emergency cupcake situations!)
Based on your recommendation, I’ve already ordered the Cake Mix Doctor’s Gluten-Free book. Hooray!
I use different flours, but the texture I like the best so far, is chickpea. Still, that’s one cookie dough flour you don’t want to eat raw. Nas-ty! But baked, it’s yummy!
Thanks again for commenting!
Eeek! Sorry you’ve had such a tough week and that the cupcakes didn’t turn out! My nephew is on a restricted diet, so I always like to snap up recipes for good treats to pass along to my sister. I’ll let her know what *not* to do
Hope your week starts looking up…
Any week not spent in the ER is an improvement!
Thanks for commenting, Kimberly!
Sorry to hear about your week….sheesh!
Hope your son is doing better. =)
Not sure what I can tell you except that Liza’s suggestion about King Arthur Gluten Free chocolate cake mix is true. We had that at a party and it was tasty.
Also my son’s MIL has that same cookbook and she loves it.
Have a great day!
I’m definitely looking for King Arthur’s Gluten Free chocolate cake mix when I make it into town again!
I like that your kids are go-with-the-flow kind of people. And through every kitchen a little (chick-pea) flour must fall. Or something like that.
Happy Birthday, Nick!
Thanks Abigail!
Is it only flour that has gluten in it, or do other ingredients too? And what is it about gluten that makes it bad for some people?
Wheat, barley and hopps are gluten. Honestly, wheat it’s is natural form before being genetically-engineered can be consumed by people with a gluten intolerance with no side effects, but it’s hard to find that product anymore.
And gluten is everywhere. The biggest thing is flour. But you need to read the labels of everything to figure out if there’ s gluten in there. Bread and pie crusts you’d expect, but “corn chips” and soy sauce can have it too.
People over time can develop an intolerance to gluten. It can cause mild to severe stomach aches, and other issues you don’t want to discuss on a foodie site.
Gluten Intolerance mimics Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Lactose Intolerance. But essentially it’s this… Imagine going for twenty years with a non-stop stomach ache. Some days were worse than others, but literally twenty-years.
Okay, so that’s kind of a quick look gluten’s effects. Thanks for asking, Lis!
I wondered and it was easier to ask you than do a google search!
Thank you, Jess!