I’m not a big fan of prepackaged mixes, gluten-free or not, but I want to know how these packaged versions compare to scratched-baked goodies, so I’m giving some of the gluten-free products a test spin. This one hits the mark, taste-wise. It’s the Namaste Foods Spice Cake Mix, which is free of gluten, soy, nuts, corn, dairy, casein, and potato. Wow, what’s left? Well . . . that does leave a lot of room for sweet stuff.
The first ingredient on the list is evaporated cane juice. Sounds better than sugar, but let’s face it, that’s what it is. Sugar, sugar. At least the evaporated cane juice version is less refined and more “natural” than basic white table sugar and it also comes with a decent amount of riboflavin (that’s about it though). The next ingredient on the cake mix label list is sweet brown rice flour and the third is brown sugar. Sweet! No wonder this spice cake tastes so good.
The package suggests adding 1 cup of shredded carrots, some pecans, and a handful of raisins to the blend to make a carrot cake variation. I didn’t do that, but I will next time.
I baked it in a 9 x 13 inch sheet cake pan, cooled it, and topped it with lemon cream cheese frosting (see below). It was a big hit and no one knew it was a “special” cake. I have to admit, it was delicious and looked wonderful as well. Nice treat, but hard to resist, so you might want to save it for special occasions when you know the whole thing will be eaten in one sitting by lots of people and not just you and you alone.
namaste spice cake with lemon cream cheese frosting
what you need
1 package Namaste Foods Gluten Free Spice Cake Mix
3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
3/4 cup water
what you do
follow package directions
lemon cream cheese frosting (adapted from different recipes)
what you need
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 stick Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
what you do
• beat cream cheese and softened butter until light and fluffy
• add sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, beat on low speed to combine well
• spread on cake and refrigerate
Namaste is a Sanskrit word used as a reverential greeting. The general meaning is translated as, “the divine spirit in me honors the divine spirit in you.”
Namaste,
Melissa
