Butterscotch Cake

Sorry, I'm not posting very much any more.  I'm a very busy working mom and have been juggling a lot, so this blog has been put on the back burner.  I think about posting all the time, but just haven't gotten around to it.

Back in January I made a cake for my friend's daughter's 17th birthday party.  She requested a gold cake (don't do a gold cake, it makes it expensive) with a black bow.  And she wanted a caramel cake...well, I haven't ever made a caramel cake from scratch, so I did some searching and found some descent recipes, I decided on trying this butterscotch one and adapting it fit our needs. It is moist and dense and has a fantastic flavor.

Sorry, I don't have a pic of the actual cake, since this one was someone else and all the test cakes were devoured before pictures were taken...if you want to make a sequin cake this is the better tutorial than I would ever be able to give.

Old-fashioned Butterscotch Cake

2 large eggs, at room temp and separated (yolks in a small bowl, egg white in a mixing bowl)
2 1/2 cups GF flour blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk
3/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans and set aside.

Sift together the flour blend, baking powder, and salt.  Add in the brown sugar and make sure there are no large clumps of brown sugar.

Whip the egg whites to soft peaks using a stand mixer, then with mixer running, slowly add the 1/4 cup sugar to the eggs and continue to whip until they are stiff peaks.

Add the egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla to the flour mixture.  Mix by hand until combined.  Fold in the egg whites and divide the batter among the 3 cake pans.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Top with your choice of frosting (I used my buttercream recipe with extra vanilla added).

This post was shared on Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, and Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake

So, it was my birthday yesterday, which means we had birthday cake.  If you follow this blog at all, you know I go all out on birthday cakes.  This one is definitely a keeper...it's a chocolate fudge cake, filled with a peanut butter filling, frosted with a dark chocolate buttercream, and topped off with a peanut butter icing and dairy-free peanut butter cups....yeah, it's divine!

Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup dairy-free margarine, softened (or butter if you can tolerate it)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups GF flour blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour (with GF flour) two 8-9" round cake pans and set aside.

Cream margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy (beat for a few minutes at least).  Add in eggs, one at a time, while mixing, and then mix in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the dairy-free milk.  Add in the melted chocolate and beat thoroughly.  You are looking for a whipped texture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pans and bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Filling
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat ingredients together, then spread (or press, it is thick) the filling on top of one cake layer and place the other cake layer on top of it.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup dairy-free margarine, softened
2/3 cup dutch processed cocoa (or Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup dairy-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat ingredients together until desired consistency is reached and top cake with it. Allow frosting to set, before continuing on with the peanut butter icing.

Peanut Butter Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup dairy-free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together ingredients and pour over the top of the cake, smoothing it and allowing it to drip over the sides.  Top with a few Justin Nut Butter Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cups if desired.


This post was shared on Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, and Gluten-Free Fridays.

Birthday Time: Lego Head Cake

Today is my older son's birthday, 9 years old!  Really where did the time go!  Anyway, he asked for a lego head birthday cake.  So, voila!  Here it is:

Birthday Cake Time

Tomorrow is my hubby's birthday, and as you know from my page of birthday cakes, I really like to overdo it. So here it is, my hubby's two favorite cartoon characters of late, Mordecai and Rigby:

Strawberry Cupcakes

My birthday is this weekend, so I asked my boys what type of cake I should make.  My older son immediately shouted, "Strawberry Cake!" He's since changed his mind and want me to make chocolate cake with strawberry frosting, but it got me thinking that I don't have a good strawberry cake recipe...until now.  

This cake is not you typical pink cake...it's not flavored with strawberry gelatin, so it has a more natural taste.  I absolutely love it and so does my little one.  He just told me last night that it's now his favorite type of cake.

Strawberry Cupcakes
1 cup evaporated cane juice (or white sugar)
2/3 cup agave nectar or honey
1 cup palm oil shortening
4 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups GF flour blend
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberry powder (I buy whole freeze dried strawberries and pulse them in the blender until it makes a powder)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dairy-free milk
3/4 cup fresh strawberry puree

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease or line muffin tins and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl cream together the evaporated cane juice, agave or honey, and the palm oil shortening.  Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition, then add in the vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  And combine the dairy-free milk and the strawberry puree together.  Add the dry ingredients into the sugar/egg mixture in small batches, alternating with the strawberry/milk mixture, until everything it added.  Mix on medium-high for a couple of minutes to smooth the batter out.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tins and bake for ~20 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

You can frost them with a strawberry buttercream or top with a chocolate ganache (sorry, forgot to take pictures of these ones, but they are good!).

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays. Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

My family loves, and I mean LOVES peanut butter.  My husband and older son are particularly fond of it.  So, I knew it was only time before I swapped the hazelnut butter out of my bundt cake recipe and made a peanut butter cake.  My boys actually love these cupcakes plain...so no frosting required.  This is huge, because they are typical kids and usually prefer the frosting over the cake.  So, here's an incredibly tasty cupcake recipe! :)

Also, in case you missed it yesterday, I'm doing a giveaway thanks to Betty Crocker, so go here to enter. (The Giveaway ends June 1, 2013).
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup palm oil shortening
1 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used a mixture of mega chips and mini chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, shortening, and coconut sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition, then add the vanilla.

In a separate container, mix together the non-dairy milk and the lemon juice, and allow the mixture to stand for 5-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the hazelnut butter mixture, alternating with the milk until everything is incorporated.  Beat well. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop into cupcake liners and bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.  Finish cooling on a cooling rack.

I topped mine with a chocolate buttercream (made with homemade evaporated cane powdered sugar and palm shortening, instead of margarine).

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Allergy Friendly Friday, and Whole Foods Friday.

Roasted Hazelnut Butter Bundt Cake

I am still swamped at work, but I managed to get some recipes tested this weekend, so hopefully I'm set for a little while, or least for today. :)

I am loving my homemade roasted hazelnut butter, and have been finding all sorts of ways to use it.  This weekend I made myself this cake, and it is divine! It's quick to put together, but is elegant enough for special occasions, so enjoy it for anything and everything!

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Whole Foods Friday, Allergy Friendly Fridays, and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.

Roasted Hazelnut Butter Bundt Cake

1 1/4 cups roasted hazelnut butter
3/4 cup palm oil shortening
2 cups coconut sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups gluten free flour blend
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For chocolate ganache:
10oz dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life mini chips)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
sweetener if you want it (I didn't use any, but if you want it sweeter you could add 2-4 tablespoons of honey or agave)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the hazelnut butter, shortening, and coconut sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition, then add the vanilla.

In a separate container, mix together the non-dairy milk and the lemon juice, and allow the mixture to stand for 5-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, baking poweder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the hazelnut butter mixture, alternating with the milk and everything is incorporated.  Beat well.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 325 for ~60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.  Finish cooling on a cooling rack.

To make the chocolate ganache, scald the milk in a medium saucepan.  Remove from heat and add in the chocolate chips.  Whisk until smooth and spoon over the cake.

Blackberry Spice Cupcakes with a Maple and Brown Sugar Meringue

Are you looking for something different?  Not your everyday cupcake?  You found it! 

Okay, I will tell you I love this cake, but when I first tried it I wasn't sure...but after eating more cupcakes then I'd like to admit, I decided that it is pretty dang good.  It's not your every day cake, but it's perfect if you're looking for something different.  My little one absolutely loved these and devoured his faster than I thought was possible. So, if you're looking for something other than your typical chocolate, yellow, or even carrot cake, you're reading the right post!

Blackberry Spice Cupcakes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup coconut oil
2 cups blackberries
2 cups gluten-free flour blend
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and honey.  Add in the blackberries and mix well. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. Scoop into muffin cups.

Bake at 350F for ~20 minutes for cupcakes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the pan then turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Maple and Brown Sugar Meringue 

(i.e. Swiss Meringue)

4 large egg whites

1 cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Prepare a double boiler, if you don't have one use a saucepan filled up to 1" with water.  Heat the pan over medium heat to allow the water to simmer.

Combine the egg whites, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and salt in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the saucepan. Whisk the mixture constantly over the simmering water until it is hot to the touch, it takes about 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to your stand mixer and whip the mixture until stiff peaks form, add in the vanilla and mix until combined.  (Note: I have found the the coconut sugar does not lend to light, fluffy, stiff peaks, it continually gives me softer peaks, but still tastes incredible).  Use the meringue immediately...it does not last like frosting.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Fridays, Allergy Friendly Fridays, and Gluten Free Fridays.

Ice Age Birthday Cake

Today is my son's 8th birthday!  I can't believe he is 8 already, where did the time go?!? This year he asked for an Ice Age themed cake...so here it is.  Please know that I am NOT a cake decorator, I've never even have had a cake decorating class before. So please be kind, I know it's not professional, but my boys love my cakes, and that's who I make them for.

You can see our past birthday cakes here.

Brutus Monster Truck Cake

Today is my little one's birthday. Now, if you've been following my blog for long, you'll know that I go all out for birthday cakes.  My boys can ask for anything and I'll do my best to recreate it in cake form. To see my past creations, you can go to my Cake Ideas page. And please note that I've never had a cake decorating class, so I'm not an expert cake decorator, just a mom trying to make my kids' birthday specatular.

My little one asked for a Brutus Monster Truck cake this year, and he's been asking for it since his brother's birthday in January...so, for almost a year he has patiently waited for his turn to have a monster truck cake. (I made my older son a Gravedigger cake for his birthday in January).

And here it is...

Happy 5th Birthday to my baby!



Yogurt Cheescake

One thing I have missed is cheesecake.  It has been years since I've had one, and even though I tell my husband that I don't mind when he orders a slice of cheesecake at a restaurant, I do, I just don't want to be mean in denying him his cheesecake.  So, I finally decided it was well past time in making my own cheesecake.  And it worked!  Now, be warned, you have to plan ahead to make this.  You need at least a good day just to make the yogurt cheese, and then hours to make and cool the cheesecake, so plan ahead.

I have invested in a yogurt cheesemaker...it's basically a fine mesh container that sits over a square container...but it's contained and doesn't take up too much space in my fridge, and I love it.  But, you don't have to have one to make yogurt cheese, a strainer with cheese cloth over a bowl works just fine, too.

Enjoy!


Yogurt Cheesecake
2 cups GF graham cracker crumbs (a batch of my graham crackers makes just over 2 cups of crumbs)
1/4 cup coconut oil (or dairy-free margarine), melted
3 large eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons GF flour blend
2 cups dairy-free yogurt cheese (I used my yogurt and with the cheesemaker, it only took about a day to get the right consistency)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8" springform pan (I only have a 10" and it's way too big).

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the coconut oil together.  Press into the bottom of the pan.

Beat together the eggs and agave nectar.  Add in the vanilla and flour blend, blend thoroughly to make sure there are no lumps.  Gently whisk in the yogurt until just combined.

Pour batter into the pan and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes (for a 10" pan) or 45-50 minutes (for an 8" pan) or until barely set in the center.  Turn off the oven and cool the cake in the oven.  (Let it sit there for a couple of hours).

Bring the cake to room temperature (once again, leave it alone and let it sit for a couple hours), then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Whole Food Fridays and Allergy Friendly Fridays.

Hamburger Cupcakes (for my hubby's bday)

It was my husband's birthday on Monday.  Now, those of you that know me know that I go all out on birthday cakes.  I'm self taught when it comes to cake decorating, but I do try my hardest to make awesome cakes.  Well, I was pooped this weekend.  I shouldn't give excuses, I know if it was one of my kid's birthdays, I would have been killing myself to get their cake done.  But, my husband doesn't care what his cake looks like, or if he even has a cake...so I took the easy way out and made hamburger cupcakes: yellow cupcakes (I had a Better Batter mix I needed to use up), brownie patties, and buttercream toppings.

The kids said that they were the best hamburgers they had ever eaten.  I, myself, got horribly sick from all the sugar...white sugar definitely gives me nasty headaches and gallbladder attacks (I didn't realize it was causing my gallbladder issues were sugar related until I ate the cupcakes). So, it was a fun cupcake to make, but going forward, I'll definitely be making these without refined sugar if I want to actually enjoy them. :)

So, anyway, here's another birthday idea that is super easy to throw together...and was definitely a hit with the family.

Carrot Cake with Coconut Butter Frosting (Refined Sugar-Free)

My birthday is this week, and my son told me that I can only make chocolate cake...which promptly made me crave carrot cake.  Funny how that works.  I decided to make a tiered cake, with one layer chocolate and one carrot cake, so everyone is happy. But, I needed to figure out a good carrot cake recipe first.  So...here it is. 

I'm trying to use less refined sugars in my cooking...it's going to be a slow process, but I feel better when I'm not eating white sugar, so we are going to definitely transition away from the white sugar. This recipe is free of refined sugars.  It was easy to convert the cake to being refined sugar-free, but when the time came to make frosting, I had no idea where to start.  So, originally, I said to heck with it I'll make my usual buttercream frosting, with a little pumpkin spice added, which are the pictures of cupcakes with the white frosting. 

But, it was still bugging me that I didn't know how to make a frosting without powdered white sugar...I finally came up with this one, and it's good!



By the way, isn't this cutting board the cupcake are on fantastic?  I got it at our farmer's market on Saturday as an early birthday present to myself. :)

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Allergy Friendly Wednesdays.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup coconut sugar*

1/2 cup agave nectar*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups gluten-free flour blend

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 large carrots, grated (about 3 cups)

1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans or line muffin tins with liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, coconut sugar, agave, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine the flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. Stir in carrots, then fold in the pecans. Pour into prepared pan or scoop into muffin cups.

Bake at 350F for ~30 minutes for 9" cakes or ~20 minutes for cupcakes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool for a few minutes in the pan then turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

*You could use 2 cups of white sugar in the place of the coconut sugar and agave nectar.

Coconut Butter Frosting

3 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (like So Delicious Coconut Milk)

1/4 cup coconut butter**

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Whisk together flour blend and milk in a small saucepan, and heat over medium heat, stirring continously, until it starts to thicken.  Cook the mixture until it have the consistency of a thick pudding or paste.

Put the mixture in the fridge and let it cool completely...it can be cold for the next step.

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix together the coconut butter, coconut oil, and sugar until combined well, about 1-2 minutes.  Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla.  Beat for 7-8 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture resembling frosting.

**To make coconut butter, place unsweetened shredded coconut in a blender and blend until it turns into a butter.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

So, this was my second strawberry baking experiment, at first I wasn't sure about the texture of the cupcakes...they are more like a sponge cake then a regular cupcake.  But, once they fully cooled they were much better.  So, let the cupcakes cool!  

This month is Celiac Awareness Month and the American Celiac Disease Alliance is hosting 'Cupcakes for a Cause' to help raise awareness.  We are supposed to share a photo of our cupcakes with the number of cupcakes the number of years we've been gluten free. I've been gluten free for just over 1 1/2 years (so have my boys):

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

2 cups GF flour blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup strawberry puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water

Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F.  In a mixing bowl combine the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.  In a separate bowl combine the strawberry puree, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, and water (not the lemon juice)  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add in the lemon juice and mix.  The mixture will expand.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and cook at 375F for ~20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 

Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup strawberry puree
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and use to top cupcakes.

Max's Earthworm Cake

I am so stinkin excited for this month's 'Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free' event...it's fictional food.  Z from Z's cup of tea is hosting it and I love her theme! So fictional food would basically be all the food we read about in books, specifically children's stories.  Oh, the possibilities are endless!

I decided I wanted to make something that would be special to my boys, so Harry Potter and the Hunger Games were out--they aren't old enough to care about those yet. There was really one book that stood out to me and I knew I had to use it as my inspiration: Bunny Cakes.

Now, for those of you that don't know Bunny Cakes, I'm sorry. :)  My boys have grown up on Max and Ruby books and this one is their favorite.  Max and Ruby make birthday cakes for their Grandma...Ruby's is an Angel Surprise Cake with Raspberry Fluff Frosting, and Max makes her an Earthworm cake with Caterpiller Icing, topped with Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters.  Now, I have boys, so you can guess which cake they wanted me to make, right?  So, obviously, we made an edible version of Max's cake...chocolate cake covered in chocolate frosting, cookie crumbs, peppermint glaze and of course, gummy worms and for the marshmallow squirters we used fruit gushers. Enjoy!

Max's Earthworm Cake (i.e. chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and peppermint glaze)
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups GF flour blend
1 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup dairy-free yogurt (I use my homemade yogurt)**
1/2 cup dairy-free milk**
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups hot water

1/2 package Kinnikinnick Chocolate Sandwich cookies
~6 gummy worms
1-2 individual packages of red fruit gushers

Chocolate Frosting:
Combine the following in a bowl and set aside:
1/2 C dairy-free margarine
1/4 C dairy-free milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 16 oz package powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa

Pepperimint Glaze:
Combine the following a bowl and set aside:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 T dairy-free milk
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
green food coloring

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease two 9-inch pans and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour blend, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add in eggs, yogurt, milk, canola oil, and vanilla.  Slowly add in the hot water and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.

Pour batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, before removing them from the pan.  Allow the cakes to cool completely before moving on to the next step.

Place the bottom layer onto a large dish or covered cardboard cover the top with chocolate frosting and place the second layer on top.  Take a serrated knife and sculpt the cake to look more domed.  If need take the some of the cut pieces and place them on top to give the cake the domed look. Below is what mine looked like at this point.

 Frost the cake with the chocolate frosting (this is one time it's okay if you get crumbs all over your frosting).

Crush the sandwich cookies (or place them in a food processor and pulse it a few times) and cover the frosted cake with the cookie crumbs. Take about 6 or so gummy worms and roll them in cocoa (this is optional, but not in my house, my boys wanted the worms as realistic as possible!) and place them in various locations on the cake.

Drizzle the top with the peppermint glaze and top it off with the fruit gushers.

**I know that dairy-free yogurt can be expensive, so you can use 1 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in place of the 3/4 cup yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk

Gravedigger Monster Truck Birthday Cake

It's my son's birthday tomorrow, and he requested a Gravedigger birthday cake.  For those of you that have know me, know that I go all out for birthday cakes, if you didn't know, like the Birthday Cake tab above to see my past cakes. :)  This one I'm quite proud of, it turned out awesome!

Below is kind of a step by step for you, so you know how I did it. Anyone can do this, if I did.  I've never taken a cake decorating class, I just want to make my boys cakes as amazing as possible.

What you need:

2 batches of rice crispy treats (using Erewhon GF Brown Rice Cereal, 8 cups of cereal to one 10oz bag of marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of margarine)

2 batches of chocolate marshmallow fondant (I used 1/2-3/4 cup of cocoa, mixed right in with the powdered sugar, to make it chocolate)

1 cake, cooked in 2 loaf pans (I used King Arthur's GF Chocolate Cake, because I had a box in the pantry)

1 batch of buttercream frosting

Various food colorings, I used Wilton Icing Colors

Paintbrushes (one's that haven't been used before, or used for food projects)

 Make the rice crispy treats and form into 4 large wheels, and engine base (above) and the mud ramp (below).

 Bake the cake, let it cool, and then freeze it. It's much easier to cut and shape when it's frozen.

Cover the rice crispy treats with rolled fondant.  Rub with extra cocoa to make it look 'dirty'

 I did the green suspension by pipe some colored buttercream into the engine block.

 To shape the cake, it's a lot of freehand.  And patience, I wish I could better explain what I did, but it's nothing fantastic it, it's just looking at a toy car and shaping a two layer loaf pan cake to resemble it.  Once it's shaped frost it with the buttercream. (I actually have the cake sitting on a piece of cardboard the same shape for extra support, too)

 Cover the frosted cake with rolled fondant and place on top of the engine block.

 Then with all of the patience you can muster, sit down and paint the truck.  I created paints by combining the icing colors with mint extract.  You want alcohol not water to dilute the colors, the water will melt the fondant and make it sticky.

 When you are finally done, no matter how it turns out, enjoy the shock and joy on your kid's face when they get to enjoy the coolest cake ever!