My 30th Birthday Cake -- S'mores Cake

I wasn't going to post my birthday cake, because it's kind of sad looking.  It did turn out cuter than I thought, but I tried to put it together to quickly and it kind of fell apart.  The chocolate covered up most of it, but still, it made me sad.  And then, I got sick for my birthday and couldn't fully enjoy the cake, so yeah, oh well.  I decided if I wrap a cake in chocolate again, I'm using semi-sweet chips or dark chocolate.  I used milk chocolate (Enjoy Like Rice Milk Chocolate Bars) with this cake and the combination of that with the marshmallow fluff frosting was almost too much.  It was good, but you couldn't eat very much, not nearly was much as you'd want to eat.

S'mores Cake

Graham Cracker Cake

1 cup dairy free margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups gf flour blend

1 cup gf graham cracker crumbs (I used Kinnikinnick Smoreables )

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 cup dairy-free milk (I use So Delicious Original Coconut Milk)

1 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Grease to 9" round cake pans and preheat oven to 350F.  Cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture, alternating with the milk.

Once mixture has come together, mix on high for 2 minutes.  Fold in chocolate chips and pour into the two greased cake pans.  Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow cakes to cool in cake pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting. Layer cakes with Marshmallow Fluff frosting (recipe also below, doubled from the cupcake recipe) and finish frosting the entire cake. 

For the chocolate 'wrap' around the cake, measure around the circumference of the cake and add about another 1", cut a piece of  foil or parchment paper that length and the desired height.  Lay the paper over some more parchment paper or foil (that is larger, to keep your counters clean). Melt ~1 cup of dairy free chocolate and cover the entire cut length of parchment paper with a thin layer of the chocolate.  Allow to cool until it is starting to set, but still soft and flexible.  Carefully peel the chocolate covered paper off and press it against the sides of the cake, keeping it in line with the bottom of the cake.  Place the cake in a the fridge until the chocolate is set, then peel off the paper.  For a jagged looking top (like mine) break off pieces from around the top.

Finish topping the cake with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate shavings, marshmallows, etc.

Marshmallow Fluff Frosting

1 cup palm oil shortening

1 cup dairy free margarine

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2  7oz containers marshmallow fluff

Mix together shortening, butter and sugar and fold in marshmallow fluff.

This post is featured on Cybele Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

Rainbow Cupcakes with Marshmallow Fluff Frosting

I have been wanting to make these cupcakes for ages and finally had the chance to do it...now I probably won't be motivated to ever do it again, it was a lot of work.  Everyone loved them, but when I make it again, it will be in cake not cupcake form. :)

 

For the cupcakes, I used Cybele Pascal's Vanilla Cupcake recipe from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook. I then divided the batter into 6 equal portions. I used McCormick Food Coloring drops to color each portion a different color.  For purple the ratio of red and blue of 5:1, with about 18 drops total. For orange, the ratio for red and yellow was 2:3, with 20 drops total.  The other colors used about 20 drops each to color the batter.

To create the rainbow look, start with purple and add ~1 teaspoon into each cupcake cup, follow with blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.  Yes, it takes time. :)  Follow the recipes instructions for baking.  Once cooled frost with the Marshmallow Fluff frosting and sprinkle with gold sugar sprinkles. (I used Betty Crocker)

Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
1 cup palm oil shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 7oz container marshmallow fluff

Mix together shortening and sugar and fold in marshmallow fluff.

This post is featured on Cybele Pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday.

Book Review + Easy Strawberry Frosting

So, I splurged and bought 4 new cookbooks that I have been wanting: Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, Gluten-Free Baking Classics, The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook, and The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes.  This would be the reason I haven't been posting, I have been trying their recipes, instead of creating my own.  But I just made some really fantastic cupcakes using Cybele Pascal's recipe in her Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook.  I really love this book, because I don't have to convert anything for my family, she has our bases covered.  THANK YOU, Cybele!  I can't leave well enough alone, so I did use my flour blend, instead of her's, but they were amazing chocolate cupcakes--amazing, they were really that good!  I love this book so far, and this recipe is proof enough for me to keep trying her recipes, because they work and they are delicious.

All of her recipes are free from the top 8 allergens and gluten, she also goes through and helps you with how to use the substitutes for them, I actually really appreciated the eggs and dairy section.  No, we don't have an egg issue, but I know someone who does, and I want a better understanding of how to cook without eggs, so I can. :)  She has great explanations and great pictures that make you want to try the food right then, and this recipe (chocolate cupcakes) worked, which makes me excited to try more.  This book gets 5 stars from me.  Thank you, Cybele, for making my life more enjoyable!

To go along with these delicious cupcakes, I made a simple strawberry buttercream frosting:

Strawberry Frosting

1 cup palm oil shortening
1/4-1/2 cup strawberry puree
1 16 oz package powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together until smooth, pipe or spread on cupcakes or eat straight out of the bowl . ;)

Gingerbread House and Cookies

What's Christmas without the gingerbread house?  This is one tradition that I didn't want my boys to miss out on, so I set out to make gingerbread cookies for the first time.  Yes, I was one of those lazy moms before, that either used graham crackers or bought the kit from the store, so I have never made gingerbread cookies/houses from scratch before.  But after looking at a bunch of recipes, I found one that made it seem foolproof, and it was, of course her recipe isn't gluten, dairy, or soy-free, so that's where I come in.... :)  We haven't decorated the house or cookies yet, but when we do I'll post the pictures.

Gingerbread House and Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup palm oil shortening 
1 egg, beaten

3 1/2 cups all-purpose cookie flour 

Directions 
 







In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; stir in soda (it will foam up). Stir in shortening till melted. With a fork, stir in egg, then flour.

On a floured surface, knead dough till mixed. Divide dough in half, wrap half with plastic wrap; set aside. Roll half the dough, with a rolling pin, slightly thinner than 1/4 inch. Cut with cutters. Repeat with other half of dough.


Bake at 325F on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen 3" gingerbread people. I made one gingerbread house and 10 3" cookies with my batch.


NOTE: Make houses by cutting out a house design (the 2 sides of the roof, two sides, a front and a back of the house), and then placing the paper shapes on the dough and cutting the dough shapes out with a knife. There are several templates online, if you don't want to design your own.

Also, plan on constructing the house the day before you want to decorate it, to allow the icing to harden and keep the house together.  I've learned this one the hard way. :) Below is the recipe for royal icing that I use for my houses and cookies. :)

Royal Icing

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Whisk together egg whites and lemon juice on low/medium low speed until frothy. Add sugar and whisk until well mixed, then whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. Put icing into a icing or ziploc bag, and use it to construct and decorate the house.  Icing that is not being used should be covered with a damp cloth, so it won't dry out.

King Arthur's Chocolate Cake Mix -- Review (and gfcf frosting recipe)

My husband's birthday was yesterday, and though we are not huge cake eaters, I always make a big deal about birthday cakes, and that tradition is not about to die just because our cakes are now gfcf!  I was originally going to make a cake from scratch, but I won a $10 gift card to Fresh Market at my GIG meeting, so I spent part of it on the King Arthur's Chocolate Cake Mix, because I heard it was fantastic.  And can I say, it is fantastic! It's moist and holds together well, and it's actually easier to shape than the cakes I've used in past birthday cake experiments...I think this may be our 'birthday cake' cake!  The mix was around $5.50, so not cheap, but considering we have cake 4 times a year, I think the price is just fine, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying one at a gluten-free bakery!

Below is our end result, my older son chose what the cake would be this time (because I decorate the cakes more for the boys than for my husband.) :)

I made one 9" round cake and 12 cupcakes.  The cupcakes I froze for those times that we need a gfcf cupcake to replace what's being handed out at daycare or birthday parties. :)

Rating: 10 out of 10 definitely worth the price, the quality is good and it is simply delicious!

Below I have the recipe I used for my frosting:

GFCF Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C (1 stick) dairy-free margarine (I use Nucoa)
1/4 C almond milk (other non-dairy milk)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 16 oz package powdered sugar

Directions
1. Combine margarine and vanilla in bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add milk and powdered sugar.  Beat until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Note: if you want chocolate frosting add about 1/4 C cocoa and a tiny bit more almond milk to the mixture above.