Hello, Chris here. I’m the lead product developer for the new Gluten-free Orange Valencia Cake. Today, I’d like to share a behind the scenes look into the development of a delicious and gluten-free cake. We start with just seven simple ingredients (eggs, Valencia orange pulp, almonds, sugar, orange peel, gluten-free baking powder, and orange oil) and carefully blend them together in small batches at our partner bakery. Because gluten can easily contaminate through pans, tools and even in the air, the bakery has a special gluten-free zone with dedicated equipment, pans and washing stations.
After the cake batter is made, it’s transferred to the batter depositor that pushes batter into baking cups (think of a hose nozzle, but instead of water, batter comes out). The cakes are then hand-sprinkled with slivered almonds baked. Just 35 minutes later, little golden orange cakes emerge. When the cakes are cooled, they are put through a machine called a “doughboy” wrapper. This machine individually wraps the cakes to prevent gluten contamination during transit and handling. We ensure the product is gluten-free by lab testing the cakes every day (less than 20 parts per million) before they are shipped to our stores. Our partners have been trained to serve the cake in their wrappers to protect our gluten-sensitive customers.
As you can see, a lot of care and attention goes into each and every cake we make. I hope you enjoy this moist and delicious Valencia Orange Cake as much as I do (and I am not even gluten-sensitive)!
