The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free Book

Thirty million Americans are gluten-intolerant or have a gluten sensitivity, eliminating it from their diets because gluten—a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley—has been implicated in health issues ranging from respiratory problems and abdominal discomfort to anemia, anxiety, and infertility. The food industry has bullishly taken notice. Gluten-free baking products, including cake mixes from Betty Crocker, King Arthur, Whole Foods, and others, have increased sevenfold on grocery shelves in recent years, and the number of other gluten-free products has grown as well—832 were introduced in 2008 alone. And gluten-free options are on the menu of national restaurants like Boston Market, Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday, Outback Steakhouse, and others.

Now comes even sweeter news for people looking to cut gluten from their diets: Anne Byrn shows how to transform gluten-free cake mixes into 76 rich, decadent, easy-to-make, impossible-to-resist desserts. Performing the magic that’s made her a bestselling baking author with over 33 million copies of her books in print, she doctors mixes with additions like almond extract, fresh berries, cocoa powder, grated coconut, cinnamon, lime zest, and more—naturally, all gluten-free ingredients—and voilà: Tres Leches Cake with Whipped Cream and Summer Berries, Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Chocolate Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Ganache, Caramel Melted Ice Cream Cake, Warm Tarte Tatin Apple Cake, plus brownies, bars, muffins, and cookies. Dessert is back on the menu.

Library Journal

Byrn's newest book in her best-selling "Cake Mix Doctor" series aims to minimize the difficulty of gluten-free cake making and reintroduce favorites such as carrot cake and Boston cream pie into the lives of millions who live with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Byrn's recipes begin with a box of gluten-free commercial cake mix and then incorporate other ingredients in an attempt to replicate a homemade taste. Each recipe is accompanied by full-color photographs of the finished product, always a welcome addition. Passionate bakers and food purists may find that this book lacks surprises and pales in comparison to similar gluten-free baking books like Annalise G. Roberts's Gluten-Free Baking Classics. VERDICT This title will be most at home in a collection of other cookbooks geared toward busy or casual bakers. Those with limited resources for specialty baking books should look elsewhere. [Twenty-city tour.]—Carolyn M. Schwartz, Westfield State Univ. Lib., MA