14 Cakes That Prove Wheat-Free Baking Is Not Just a Trend

I'll be the first to admit that I once accepted gluten-free baked goods with no small amount of skepticism. "It's not cake," I whined. But I was wrong: It just wasn't the cake I was accustomed to. Once I stopped comparing a cake with, say, tiger nut flour, to one with all-purpose flour, whole new worlds (shaped like cookies and lemon bars and slices of pie) opened up to me. Rice flour in shortbread? Dorie Greenspan approves. Four different ways to eat a chocolate-chip cookie? Count me in. You don't always need to schlep to a health food store to buy ingredients for gluten-free recipe, but it's a good place to start.

I still adore regular flour and have no plans to stop consuming it. But I'm delighted to have alternative flours in my taste registry, for those moments I'm feeling a bit daring. So, here are some ways to get creative with alternative flours, whether you're gluten-free (by necessity or choice), curious, or just feel like eating a teff chocolate chip cookie.

Note: Some of these recipes contain oat flour, which is naturally gluten-free, but could be processed in the same facilities as wheat flours. Please check the label to see if there is a company warning, or buy gluten-free oat flour.