Cinnamon, sugar, icing, sprinkles, plastic babies … and psyllium husk?
The soluble fiber might not be a common king cake element. But, for CounterspaceBR owner Sarah Joy Hays, it’s the key ingredient for a gluten-free version.
Hays regularly offers gluten-free cupcake, cookie and breakfast burrito tortilla options. So naturally, the requests for a modified king cake eventually came rolling in. Hays started experimenting a few years ago. But after an honest and unfavorable review of a test cake from a friend with celiac disease, Hays knew mastering the gluten-free recipe would be anything but a cakewalk.
CounterspaceBR makes vegan and gluten-free versions of its king cake.
“The vegan one’s actually a lot easier for us. We’re just able to make a couple of swaps,” she explains. “The gluten-free one is not even just a straight cup-for-cup blend. We blend four or five different types of gluten-free flour and add in the psyllium husk.”
Last season, Hays debuted CounterspaceBR’s gluten-free cakes after she stumbled upon psyllium husk on a gluten-free baking blog. She says a small amount mixed with water creates a gelatinous mixture to give the delicate dough the structure it needs to mimic that gluten-filled texture. The result is a king cake sans gluten—that still tastes like a regular one.
“We’re hoping to be able to meet the dietary needs of more people in town,” Hays says. “Not everything gluten-free is good. So, we want to make sure that we’re making not just a gluten-free option but a good gluten-free option.”
In the gluten-free cakes, a small amount of psyllium husk is mixed with water.
It produces a gelatinous mixture that helps the dough’s texture.
In 2024, CounterspaceBR pumped out over 1,700 festive cakes. Somewhere between eight to 12 of those per day were gluten-free—and they always sold. Hays and her team also ship a ton of cakes, including vegan and gluten-free ones. Last year, CounterspaceBR’s king cakes made it to all 50 states along with Mexico, and some European countries.
This long Carnival season, Hays encourages customers, especially those needing a special king cake, to order ahead online to ensure they can nab one, regardless of restrictions or allergies.
“This is the season of gluttony and eating it all and drinking it all and wild revelry,” Hays says. “And so to make sure that everyone can be included in that, it’s really exciting. Because no one should have to be giving up king cake during the most festive season of the year.”
