wholesome chow gf mixes.
October 12, 2011
Wholesome Chow is a relatively new line of baking mixes we’ve seen hitting shelves, and while all of their mixes are organic and vegan — with fairly-sourced and high-quality ingredients — a handful of these mixes are also gluten free. Twofer!
The first product we wanted to test was the Wholesome Chow Gluten-Free All-Purpose & Pancake Mix. We heart Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix, especially in a cookie-craving pinch, but it contains powdered dairy, which isn’t always convenient we’re cooking for our vegan friends. The Wholesome Chow mix performed adequately in its most basic form — the pancake — although we’re intrigued by The Blissful Chef‘s idea of cutting the mix with a little brown rice flour. “This gave the baked good an excellent texture and crumb, browning the outsides while leaving the inside soft.” The cooked up ‘cakes had nice loft, although the texture tended toward the rubbery side.
Next up? Chocolate chip cookies. Yummers. Again, we used the Wholesome Chow Gluten-Free All-Purpose & Pancake Mix. Since these mixes are vegan, we followed the directions, adding oil to the mix rather than butter. The dough came together in a cinch, but the baked cookies left a little something to be desired both in flavor and in texture.
The cake, though, made from Wholesome Chow’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix, is a shining star. And, oh, how we put it to the test! Imagine the very orderly chaos that is The Gluten Free Lab up in the mountains — WITH spouses & significant others in tow — and with limited ingredients in the cupboard. Quick tally? That’s baking at high-altitude AND being forced to use olive oil in place of a more neutrally-flavored oil like the recipe calls for. And still the cake turned out delicious (GIANT sigh of relief, as this trial dessert doubled as one of our spouse’s birthday cakes!).
Cakes are tricky mixes. They can so easily be too overwhelmingly sweet, too dense, too dry, too crumbly, too…you get the picture. We have a lot of great things to say about this cake with its moist and tender crumb, quality vanilla flavor, and its hold-up-ability to a stiff batch of cream cheese frosting. This is a go-to cake mix when time is tight, when a special birthday is nigh, or just when a cake craving comes on strong.
. . .
Wholesome Chow Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
makes one 9-inch cake
1 package Wholesome Chow’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup Milk (Non Dairy or Dairy)
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar, or other vinegar
1/3 cup Oil (Canola, Coconut, Grapeseed, etc)
1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9″ round pan or cupcake pan.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine milk with apple cider vinegar.
3. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. Add oil and whisk well.
4. Slowly whisk the baking mix into the liquid ingredients and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.
5. Pour the batter into desired pan and bake for 25-30 minutes for cake or 18-23 minutes for cupcakes.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes, top with your favorite frosting and serve!f
Filed under: delicious,kids,on shelves now,recipes,vegan
