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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    One Year with Celiac Disease

    Published: Jan 15, 2019 · Updated: Jul 19, 2020 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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    sour cream coffee cake bundt with slice being removed

    It's been one year since my celiac disease diagnosis. A quick reflection and the recipe that gave hope.

    sour cream coffee cake, bundt cake on a plate, icing dripping down sides
    Pamela's Sour Cream Coffee Cake - This is the first thing I baked that was gluten-free. I still remember how I felt as I bought that bag Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix, as I made the recipe on the back. I was afraid. Not just that it wouldn't turn out, but that life was never going to feel the same as it did before.

    *This post contains affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

    It’s been one year. One year with celiac disease (officially). One year gluten-free. It’s my gluten antiversary.... if you will. (Click here to read about my celiac diagnosis.)

    In many ways, this year was easier than I thought it would be...

    In some ways it was harder.

    The Easy Part

    The gluten-free diet was easy to accept. I went gluten-free and never looked back. The concrete nature of the diagnosis gave me instant resolve.

    I don’t crave anything with gluten. I don’t even want to be near it, really. If I have to touch it, I feel... germy. The thought of cheating makes me shudder. I’m thankful for that because I know it's much harder for some people. To me, gluten is like poison ivy.

    steps to making the cake: mixing filling ingredients, creaming butter sugar and eggs, mix in sour cream, then baking mix.
    Mixing up the cake, just like any other cake.

    The Hard Parts

    One of the hardest parts has been social situations. I get nervous about the food. Even if something might be safe, even if I know in my brain it probably is, I just won’t eat if I feel unsure. That means I end up hungry if I don't plan ahead.

    Eating out is pretty much gone. I’m an introvert and I don’t really like being a bother. The thought of going to a restaurant, explaining my dietary restrictions, and still not really knowing if the food was handled safely is honestly enough to keep me at home. It’s just easier and safe. If the carefree nature of eating out is gone, why bother? Why have the stress of the unknown?

    I'm not proud of these things. Those are areas to work on for sure. I know I can’t live in a bubble forever.

    steps to layer the cake, batter, filling, batter, filling, swirl
    Layering the cake and swirling the top.

    The weirdest side effect has been nightmares. I dream constantly that I am eating gluten. In my dreams, I don't want to be eating gluten but I do it anyway. It's weird and I always wake up a little creeped out! It's been a year and I'm still getting these nightmares... hopefully they go away eventually!

    sour cream coffee cake, bundt cake on a plate, slice being removed
    As I cut the first slice, apprehension started to fade. It looks like cake, it smells delicious... but how would it taste?

    A Year of Healing

    I feel stronger. Healthier. A year of healing can do a lot. I think I'm so comfortable in my bubble because I know that I feel good. I know that just one bloated stomach means I've undone some healing. That's just not worth it for food.

    Even though my body feels stronger and healthier, I also learned it was much weaker than I even realized.

    A bone density scan revealed osteoporosis/low bone mass. While the specialist I saw seemed optimistic about recovery, it made me realize just how damaging this disease is. How it wreaked havoc. It made me wonder... what else? What if?

    What else is deficient? What other parts of my body are hurting? What if I had fallen and broken a bone or a hip? I say that last one somewhat sarcastically, but also in complete seriousness. What if I had never been diagnosed? How much longer could my body have sustained itself?

    Thankfully I was diagnosed. Thankfully I know. Thankfully I’m strong enough in mind to say no. Thankfully, I’m healing.

    I'm thankful I found a doctor that knows celiac disease. I'm thankful to have a supportive husband who stands unwaveringly by my side. I'm thankful for a supportive family that tries, that babysits for appointments, that listens. I'm thankful for my cute kids who always ask when they see me eating something good, "is that gluten-free?!"

    a half eaten slice of sour cream coffee cake on a white plate.
    I sat in the kitchen, by myself, eating this piece of cake almost in tears. It was delicious! I knew right then, this might be hard but not impossible. I knew I could find normal again.
    a slice of sour cream coffee cake on a white plate

    Pamela's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside.com
    The most delicious coffee cake.  The cake that makes it all seem ok. Recipe from Pamela's.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Course Dessert
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 16 Servings
    Calories 380 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    Ingredients
      

    Filling

    • 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces, optional
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup light brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

    Batter

    • ⅔ cup butter
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix, 350 g
    • 1 cup sour cream

    Glaze

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 2-3 Tablespoons milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 10-cup Bundt pan.
    • Combine filling ingredients and set aside.
    • Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Mix in sour cream then baking mix.
    • Spoon half of the batter into pan. Then half of the filling. Repeat with the rest of batter and filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the filling with the batter in the pan.
    • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

    Glaze

    • Mix together glaze ingredients.  Drizzle the glaze over cooled cake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 380kcal
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!
    sour cream coffee cake, bundt cake on a plate, icing dripping down sides

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    • Gluten-Free Peach Upside Down Cake with Almond Flour
    • Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

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    1. Kathy

      January 15, 2019 at 6:53 am

      5 stars
      This one brought me to tears, because of your struggles and your strength. What a year! You’ve come through a victoriously! Well done.

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        January 15, 2019 at 7:00 am

        ❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
    2. Kathy McCue-O'Leary

      May 21, 2019 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      Hello Katie,
      I truly enjoyed reading your story. I too can relate, since I was diagnosed in 2002 with Celiac Disease. It certainly is not a prison sentence as there is worse illnesses that we could have. I feel this is a very healthy lifestyle, way to eat and gluten is a source of inflammation for many people. My husband and son, basically eat gluten free and have learned a great deal about the foods we eat. Restaurants have come a long way since I was diagnosed. I don't hesitate to eat dinner out and there are many restaurants that are very good at creating alternatives and offer gluten free options as well. I am so excited I have found your website and looking forward to making many of your recipes. My goal is to cook and bake with very little salt, create recipes that don't used sugars and eat a low carb and low sugar diet. It's not easy since I am truly a chocoholic. Welcome to our Gluten Free World! Thank you for sharing your story and all of your wonderful recipes! 🙂

      Reply
      • Katie Olesen

        May 21, 2019 at 3:47 pm

        Thank you for your kind words, Kathy! I'm excited you have found my blog as well and I can't wait for you to try some recipes! Everyday I'm thankful for my diagnosis, even with it's challenges, at least I'm happy and healthy! Have a great day!

        Reply
        • schatzi

          April 07, 2022 at 11:36 am

          5 stars
          I've been making this for years (and using monkfruit sweetener as we're gluten and sugar free) and I'm going to attempt making this without the sugars and nuts as a Torta Rustica with meats, cheeses, and spinach for Easter.

          Reply
    3. Deanna

      June 13, 2022 at 9:52 pm

      Can I freeze the coffee cake?

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        July 02, 2022 at 10:20 pm

        Yes, there should be no problem with that.

        Reply
    4. Margo Almeida

      September 24, 2022 at 10:21 am

      Yes I did. I made it gluten free with cup 4 cup gluten free flour mix. It is so delicious. I made it twice already in one week and I’m making again in a few minutes. It doesn’t last 24 hours. And it’s just me and my brother eating it. So delicious I can even give a piece to my wheaten terriers. They love it! I notice Pamela’s flour mix has removed this lovely recipe from the back of their new packaging. So thank you for posting it.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

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