Julia Thomas - Cake Angels - Amazing gluten, wheat and dairy free cakes

* Caster sugar is small-grained and blends well in sponges and meringues.

* Granulated sugar is much coarser in texture and can give cakes a gritty texture.

* Icing sugar is very fine in texture and is occasionally used in making pastry bases, but most commonly it is used to make frostings and icings.

* Muscovado sugars are made from raw cane sugar and vary in colour and taste. I use light muscovado sugar in a number of recipes because it provides a lovely light toffee flavour. Dark muscovado sugar works really well in gingerbread and parkin because it has a very strong molasses flavour.

* Demerara sugar has a lower molasses content with larger crystals and is great for sprinkling on top of cakes for a nice crunchy finish.

* Golden syrup and black treacle are made from crystallized sugar. I use both in my recipes.

* Honey has been used as a sweetener for centuries. I use runny honey in my recipes, as it dissolves much faster.

Condensed milk

Condensed milk is milk that has had half the water content removed and sugar added. Until recently this ingredient was out of bounds, but then I discovered I could make my own dairy-free version using dried soya milk. Yippee, I can now make thick caramel for Millionaire’s Shortbread and my Chocolate Nutty Caramels – bliss.

Eggs

I use organic free-range eggs in all my recipes. I have indicated in each recipe whether to use large or medium eggs and it is important you follow the instructions because liquid content can affect the result of your cake.

Chocolate

My favourite ingredient! I always use organic dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free 60% dark, milk and white chocolate drops in my baking as they melt faster and are easier to use. You can now buy them direct from www.cakeangels.co.uk. You can also buy chocolate buttons in good health food shops and supermarkets but they are normally sold in small quantities and are expensive.

When decorating with chocolate I do use bars for curls or grating. You can buy bars of dairy-free chocolate in most good health food shops and all the main supermarkets stock Kinnerton’s dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free chocolate bars, which you will find in the ‘free from’ food sections.

Baking should be a real pleasure and not a chore and if you follow my recipes and tips, you will find that baking without dairy, wheat and gluten is no different to any other type of baking. I have spent some wonderfully exciting and frustrating hours in the kitchen experimenting and developing my recipes, so to help you avoid some of my mistakes, I have devised a few basic rules that you need to follow:

Make sure you have the correct ingredients

Always read a recipe through first

Follow my instructions

Have fun. Cakes always look and taste better

if you have enjoyed yourself baking them

Tips

My recipes include individual instructions for making the perfect cake. However, there are some general tips that will help you get the most out of baking:

* Always weigh your ingredients accurately.

* Take care when transferring cake mixture into a tin. Stiff mixtures need to be levelled and smoothed with a small dip in the middle to ensure a nice level surface once baked.

* When dividing the mixture into two or more tins, do so as evenly as possible. I weigh each tin and adjust accordingly. This ensures even baking times and a uniform appearance.

* Always preheat your oven so it is at the correct temperature when you put the cake in.

* Don’t open the oven door to look at the cake during the first 10 or 15 minutes of baking. If you do, you will have a collapsed cake.

* If you think the cake may be browning too quickly, either turn the oven down a few degrees or slip a piece of foil over the cake to protect it.

* A cake should be cooked when it starts to shrink away from the sides of the tin.

* Always follow the cooling instructions because they vary depending on the type of cake.

* To remove cakes from a loose-bottomed cake tin, stand the base on a large tin so you can slip the sides down. The cake will be left on the tin base.

* Never fill or decorate a cake until it is completely cold.

* To enjoy cakes at their best, eat them as soon as you can. Otherwise, store in an airtight container in a cool place.

* Most of my cakes will freeze well as long as they are wrapped tightly in clingfilm or placed in a freezer bag. If the cake has been iced, open freezing is recommended, after which the cake needs to be sealed in a freezer bag. Remove from the bag before defrosting, otherwise the icing will stick.

* Leave cakes to defrost at room temperature for between three and four hours.

Equipment

You don’t need all the latest equipment to make perfect cakes, but there are a few must haves:

* Electric hand mixer I rely heavily on my hand-held mixer because I like to feel the ingredients coming together, but if you prefer to use a free-standing food mixer, please do. Just remember to constantly scrape the mixture from down the sides of the bowl so it doesn’t get left out of the mixing process.

* Food processor I use my processor only to make condensed milk, chop nuts and create purées because I find gluten- and wheat-free cakes just don’t work if whizzed around in a processor. I’m sure there is a scientific reason for this, but I’m not quite sure what it is!

* Whisks I use a large balloon whisk quite a lot. They are great for getting air into a mixture without over beating.

* Flexible silicone spatula How did we ever cope without silicone? I use my spatula all the time when baking, especially for scraping down the sides of mixing bowls when creaming and beating and for making sure I get every scrap of mixture into the cake tin.

* Scales Baking is as much a science as an art, so scales are essential to achieving a perfect cake. I use battery-operated digital scales that can measure weights as well as volumes in metric and imperial. There are some really good inexpensive ones on the market now, so it’s worth shopping around.

* Measures It really is worth purchasing a set of measuring spoons because the teaspoon in the kitchen drawer might not be the same size as mine!

* Mixing bowls I have lots of bowls in different sizes, but for a first time baker this isn’t necessary. Invest in a couple of heatproof bowls of different sizes, making sure they have a rounded base so you can reach every bit of mixture.

* Tins Always buy the best you can afford. Cheap tins are a false economy because they don’t perform well and don’t last long. Good-quality tins that are looked after will last you a lifetime. Non-stick tins are a lot easier to clean, but it is still important to grease and line as recommended in each recipe. Always use the correct size tin for the recipe. If you don’t have one, why not borrow one from a friend? I would recommend the following sizes, which will cover all the recipes in this book:

1 x 18cm (7 inch) square tin with removable base

1 x 18cm (7 inch) deep round tin with a removable base

2 x 20cm (8 inch) sandwich tins with removable bases

1 x 20cm (8 inch) deep round tin with a removable base

1 x 20cm (8 inch) springform sandwich tin

1 x 20cm (8 inch) square tin with removable base

1 x 23cm (9 inch) springform sandwich tin with a removable base