A Love of Baking from the Start
I’ve always been a keen baker. From my earliest memories of making fairy cakes with my mum to bringing freshly baked treats into the office, baking has been a big part of my life. One of my first kitchen memories is making bread with my mum, where I insisted on crafting a duck-shaped roll—thanks to the “Bread” episode of Rosie and Jim, in which they bake bread shaped like ducks.
Fast-forward twenty years, and I found myself using cakes, brownies, and cookies to break the ice with new colleagues as I entered the world of work. It was a perfect conversation starter, and I was quite proud that my cupcakes or lemon drizzle cake would disappear within minutes of dropping them off in the office kitchen.
Facing a New Diet: The Unexpected Shift
When I was advised to cut gluten from my diet, along with other ingredients, baking was the last thing on my mind. Adjusting to the new diet became my immediate priority. Cooking, which I once enjoyed, felt like survival instead of pleasure. With the support of my now-husband and family, I navigated the first few weeks carefully, picking up the “rules” of this new way of eating.
But when my thoughts turned to baking, I realised that my entire repertoire was off-limits. Leafing through recipe books and old issues of Good Food Magazine, I struggled to find anything I could safely enjoy—and I felt seriously uninspired.
The First Gluten-Free Baking Disaster
I couldn’t give up on one of my favourite hobbies so easily. Determined to tackle the gluten-free baking challenge, I decided to make myself a gluten-free birthday cake. I found a recipe for an “easy vegan chocolate cake” on the Deliciously Ella app and gathered the ingredients, which included a rather large quantity of maple syrup (a warning sign I missed at the time).
The recipe seemed straightforward enough, but the result was less than ideal. The cake emerged from the oven fragile, wonky, and quickly turned into a claggy mess under the weight of coconut yoghurt “frosting.” Moving the cake while it was still warm only made things worse, as cracks began to appear. The final product reminded me of Hagrid’s infamous cake in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone—it genuinely looked as if it had been sat on, and it didn’t taste much better.
A Turning Point: Finding Inspiration in Madrid
This experience could have put me off gluten-free baking altogether, but fate intervened when we travelled to Madrid for a short holiday. Our hotel happened to be right next to Celicioso, Madrid’s most famous gluten-free bakery. The entire menu was gluten-free, and many options were also vegan, which was perfect as I was trying to avoid lactose and eggs.
In five days, we visited Celicioso four times (including twice in one day!). The cakes were moist, light, and delicious. Though there was something slightly different about them (compared to ‘regular’ cakes), they were still thoroughly enjoyable. After the birthday cake disaster, these treats restored my hope in gluten-free baking.
Recreating Celicioso at Home
Back home, I wondered if I could recreate Celicioso’s magic. Some Googling revealed that Celicioso had a recipe book, available on Kindle in Spanish, which I felt I could manage. I made a quick trip over the border to pick up specific ingredients, and soon I was ready to try gluten-free baking again.
The recipes in the Celicioso book are incredibly precise—measuring ingredients to the gram—but they’ve worked perfectly every time. Many are also vegan, which allowed me to experiment with confidence while still figuring out my dietary needs. Although friends and family could tell the cakes weren’t entirely “normal,” they enjoyed them, and I felt like I was finally heading in the right direction.
Discovering Becky Excell’s Foolproof Recipes
Somewhere along the way, I discovered Becky Excell, a true authority on gluten-free baking. Her blog, Gluten-Free Cuppa Tea, and her recipe books have been absolute game-changers for me and my gluten-free journey. Becky’s meticulous research and dedication make her recipes practically foolproof.
I now have a range of go-to recipes: her G&T drizzle loaf for my mum’s birthday, festive biscotti, shortbread, panettone, and brownies. Each recipe is reliable, even on the first attempt. My favourites include her three-ingredient shortbread (I make it four by adding a generous handful of chocolate chips), her chocolate brownies (which my colleagues were amazed to discover were both gluten- and lactose-free), and her three-ingredient crepes for a weekend breakfast treat (I know pancakes aren’t strictly baking, but they are too good to miss out).
Currently, I’m working my way through Gluten-Free Christmas, and I already have a Christmas cake and pudding ready for the big day. It’s rewarding to think that only a few years ago, I was wondering (admittedly a bit dramatically) if I could ever enjoy baking again.
Looking Ahead: New Challenges in Gluten-Free Baking
Now that I’m back in the kitchen, I’m excited to keep pushing my skills. My stand mixer awaits the challenge of gluten-free bread, and I’m determined to bake a perfect gluten-free scone after tasting incredible biscuits in Nashville. I’d also love to fool the “muggles” with a gluten- and dairy-free Victoria sponge, to see if they can tell the difference.
Rediscovering baking has been a journey of trial, error, and triumph. Some lessons were hard-earned (such as, if a recipe calls for multiple bottles of syrup, it’s probably too sweet for comfort). Yet, each success has boosted my confidence and reminded me why I love baking. I’m eager to adapt some of my old favourite recipes into gluten-free versions and keep experimenting in the kitchen.
Though it hasn’t been easy, the experience has taught me a lot. I’m excited to continue challenging myself and sharing these treats with friends and family. Here’s to many more successful gluten-free bakes—and perhaps a few more memorable kitchen disasters along the way!
My Gluten-Free Kitchen 
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