I felt yucky. My health issues were getting in the way of my day-to-day activities and I knew I had to do something about it. It had been eight months and it was time to admit there was a problem. I finally (and reluctantly) went to see my doctor. After a month-long process of tests, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in February. When I tell people about my health issue and my new diet restrictions I get two reactions. The first is a horrified look, and something along the lines of ‘Oh my God, I could NEVER live without pasta’. Followed by, ‘Wait, don’t you run a bakery out of your home?’ Ok, first. Yes, you can live without gluten-infused pasta. There are a lot of substitutions available and I am lucky to live in a country where they are so readily available. And second, yes, I do run a bakery out of my home and it is a big challenge. This is why I am slowly but surely transforming all of my products to be gluten free. While I am busy morphing my product line, there are still other very important items to attend to. Like cravings. This week I really, really wanted some Pineapple Up Side Down Cake, and it didn’t help that  this came in the mail. So I got to work… and this happened… Pineapple Up Side Down Cake (Gluten Free*)

*Make this from scratch like I did, or use a boxed gluten free yellow cake mix. The method remains the same.

Topping

1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored

3/4 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Batter

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into four pieces

5 1/2 ounces gluten free flour blend**

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon xanthun gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs, separated

Pinch cream of tarter

3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup sour cream

 

**Gluten Free Flour Blend

24 ounces white rice flour (4 ½ cups, plus 1/3 cup) (one bag of Bob’s Red Mill brand)

7 ½ ounces brown rice flour (1 2/3 cups)

7 ounces potato starch (not potato flour) (1 1/3 cup)

3 ounces tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour) (3/4 cup)

¾ ounce nonfat milk powder (3 tablespoons)

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, set oven rack to middle position and grease a 9″ cake pan.

Make Topping

Use the handy dandy pineapple corer/slicer, or cut pineapple crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.

Melt butter in sauce pan.

Add brown sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring, five minutes. Pour caramel mixture into prepared cake pan. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in desired pattern.

Make Batter

Microwave chocolate and butter together in a bowl, thirty seconds at a time until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes). Set aside to slightly cool.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour blend, baking powder, xanthun gum, salt and baking soda.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tarter on medium speed for 1 minute. Turn speed up to high and whip for another 1 minute.

While the mixer is running, slowly add 1/4 cup sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form. This will take 2-3 minutes.

Transfer egg whites to clean bowl.

Put (your now empty) bowl back and add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds.

While mixer is running, add 1/4 cup sugar, then turn the speed up to high. Whip for 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium and add chocolate mixture and sour cream. Mix for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold egg white mixture into batter until no streaks remain. Spread batter over pineapple/caramel mixture in baking pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center should bounce back slightly when touched.

Cool on a rack for one hour. Invert cake onto serving plate. Some puddles of caramel might be visible. These will be absorbed by the cake within minutes.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to two days.