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A close friend just found out she was diagnosed with celiac disease. She called me up in tears and told me how she could no longer eat any of her favorite foods. She was reluctantly preparing herself to say goodbye to pizza, pasta, bread, cookies and cakes. Ironically, the upcoming weekend was my annual holiday cookie exchange. The thought of not being able to indulge made my friend toy with the idea of skipping the party. It saddened me to see a close friend so upset and I wanted to do something to make her feel better. I called and requested my guests to try finding a gluten-free alternative to whatever cookie, pastry or cake they were planning to bring to the party. Finding and baking gluten-free dessert recipes took a lot of time; not to mention the multiple run-throughs that a few guests and I had to endure to get the right consistency and ratio of gluten-free flours. In the end everyone brought their creations to the party. To my friend’s surprise she realized that eating gluten-free was not as difficult as she had thought. I am sharing this coconut cake recipes because it was super easy and most importantly super delicious. I would choose this gluten-free cake over another cake made with wheat flour any time!
Further Food Commentary:
Finding gluten-free substitutes for traditional baked treats is a challenge, yet alone creating them in your own kitchen. Many gluten-free recipes require multiple types of flour substitutes. This recipe is easy in that coconut takes the spotlight and only one type of flour is used. Coconut was once perceived as a “bad” fat due to its high saturated fat content. Research is now finding that the saturated fat in coconut is not as detrimental as was once thought. Coconut is made up of medium chain triglycerides, which are absorbed and processed differently than regular fats. It also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Remember, although coconut has beneficial properties, going overboard on calories and fat can still lead to negative health effects, such as weight gain. It’s a good idea to follow the USDA’s recommendations to keep saturated fats between 7-10% of your overall fat intake. A good way to incorporate coconut products such as coconut oil is to use it in place of butter, as is done in this recipe.
