Spiced Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake

So earlier this year, I came up with a blackberry coffee cake that became a big summer hit on my blog!  Turns out people really like having something a little sweet to go along with their coffee, so now I’ve decided to bring you an autumn-inspired coffee cake with the wonderful combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, and pecan!  (You can never have too much pumpkin in the fall, right?  Nope, no way.)  

        Also earlier this year, I might have posted a Berries N' Cream Cupcake recipe that I forgot to take pictures of the final product for.  Well, I didn't forget exactly, but I ran into some technical difficulties.  The one nice thing about technical issues...you have a good reason for why you don't have the pictures.  You know, battery failure, battery backup failure, power outage, the dog ate my camera, that type of stuff.  Not such a funny story when you actually just plumb forget to take pictures of the finished recipe.  I think my fellow bloggers can relate to balancing blogging, working, and everyday life!  I hope you will enjoy this wonderful recipe with or without a finished product photo.  And hey, if you'd like to send me a picture of your finished coffee cake, the best photo will be posted on the blog with full credit going to you!

Here’s what you’ll need… 

Cake:

2 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour 

1 tsp xanthan gum 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp nutmeg 

1/2 clove 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup sugar 

1 stick unsalted butter , softened  

2 eggs  

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp almond extract 

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 

1/3 cup sour cream 

1/4 cup half and half cream.

 

 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9X11 glass baking pan and set aside.

   

  In a large bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, baking

powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and sugar.  Stir in the butter, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk, mixing well after adding each ingredient. 

  Fold in chopped pecans then Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, and spread until evenly distributed.  Set aside until you are ready to add the topping.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Topping

1/2 cup almond meal

 2 tsp cinnamon

 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp palm Shortening  

1 tsp vanilla extract

   In a medium bowl, combine almond meal, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, vanilla, and palm shortening, mixing well.  The mixture will be relatively thick but soft. 

 

 Spread the topping over the batter .  

  Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 

  Allow the cake to cool completely then enjoy!  Cup of coffee not required...but highly recommended. 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

        Okay everyone, it's time to get ready for Thanksgiving and what is the first thing that comes to mind (besides turkey, of course)?  Pumpkin pie!  It's not Thanksgiving without a great pumpkin pie recipe!  But what if you or a person you're cooking for is sensitive to gluten?  Fear not, I have come up with an awesome pumpkin pie recipe that utilizes a coconut flour crust!  If you've ever worked with coconut flour before, you know it can sometimes be a little tricky to get the texture just right.  I was excited about the way it turned out and I hope you enjoy this wonderful seasonal recipe! 

Crust:

3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Coconut flour 

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp salt

Pumpkin Filling:

3 eggs

1  tsp clove

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 12oz can of evaporated milk

        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9” spring form pan.

To make the pie crust, mix together the eggs, butter, sugar, and salt.  Stir in coconut flour and continue mixing until all the ingredients are fully combined and have reached a doughy texture.

Press the pie dough into the bottom of the prepared spring form pan and set aside till needed. 

        To make the filling, in a small bowl combine sugar, spices, and salt then set aside.

        In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, whip eggs until slightly foamy.  Add in pumpkin puree and the spiced sugar mixture and whip until fully combined.  Whip in the evaporated milk then pour mixture over the prepared crust.

        Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a butter knife comes out clean.  Allow to cool fully before releasing the spring form pan and cutting the pie.   

Then serve and ENJOY!

Classic Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

       A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for German Chocolate Cake, and in some people's opinion, that is the go-to recipe for a classic cake. But today I wanted to bring you what to me is one of the top classics when it comes to baking: CARROT CAKE!!!  I know there are about a million different versions of this old stand-by...some have coconut or raisins or even pineapple.  But I say, why not stick with the tried-and-true classic: carrots and pecans.  Oh and, by the way, I made this one gluten-free! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

You'll need: 

4 eggs 

1 ¼ cups coconut oil, melted 

2 cups sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract

-

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

2 tsp xanathan gum

2  tsp baking powder

2  tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tsp cinnamon

-

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup pecans, chopped

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two 9” round pans by greasing and flouring.

       In a medium bowl, combine together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla.

       In a separate bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Then slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

 

      Next, fold in the carrots, followed by the pecans.  

     Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

       Once the cakes have finished baking, allow them to cool either at room temperature or you can place the pans in the refrigerator on hot pads to cool them faster. This is the method I generally use...hmm, does this make me impatient or practical???   

 

Savory Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

 

1 8oz block of Kerrygold salted butter

3 cups powdered sugar

 2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp heavy whipping cream

       In a bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add in one cup of powdered sugar and cream together until the butter is thick and crumbly. Add in a tablespoon of cream and vanilla then whip until smooth.  Add in another cup of  powdered sugar followed by one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.  Repeat this step, using the last of the cream and sugar.  The extra steps are well worth it because the finished result will be an AMAZING frosting that easily replaces the normal cream cheese frosting you associate with carrot cake.

       *Brian’s tip:  Don’t skip the Kerrygold butter!  I’m not saying that this recipe won’t still be absolutely delicious without it, but the Kerrygold really takes it over the top and gives it an incredible flavor.

       Assemble the two-layer cake by placing a generous amount of frosting on the bottom layer, followed by placing the second cake on top of it.  Then use the rest of the frosting to cover the whole cake. Yes, it’s that easy!  Enjoy!

 

Top 10 Dessert Recipes of 2014

 

Exciting news from the Delectably Different Kitchen!

    I’ve launched my first book through Amazon Kindle. I’ve put together my TOP 10 blog recipes of 2014. I’ve placed them in a easy to use form that can be downloaded on any Kindle friendly device. I hope you enjoy this combination of recipes.

 

Gluten-Free 'Reeses' Cupcakes!

       Okay, just recently I made a Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcake and it was a hit!  So today's recipe may or may not be using the same base for the cupcake.  But in my opinion, the best thing about having a good base recipe is being able to build upon it to create a variety of amazing recipes. 

       For this week, I combine the classic flavors of Peanut Butter and Chocolate…I know you will enjoy this combination!

You'll need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free All purpose Flour 

2 tsp Xanathan Gum 

1 cup cocoa powder 

1 ½ tsp baking powder 

1 ½  tsp baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

2 large eggs 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 tsp butter flavor 

1 cup hot water 

Makes 12 Cupcakes

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease two 6-cup jumbo muffin tins and set aside. 

       In a medium bowl, combine sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

        In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, eggs, buttermilk, butter flavor, and vanilla. Once the liquid ingredients are fully combined, slowly pour into the dry ingredients and mix together. 

       Add hot water to the batter and mix well until the batter is thin.

       Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

       Once the cupcakes have finished baking, let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

 

       Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, core out the centers using either a coring tool or a butter knife.

Peanut Butter Cream Filling

½ cup creamy peanut butter 

½ cup powdered sugar 

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream      

       In a bowl, combine all three ingredients and mix until it's a smooth creamy texture.  Scoop into a piping bag and squeeze cream into the centers of the cupcakes.  Then serve and enjoy!

Autumn Spice No-Bake Fudge Bites

    This creation came to me just the other evening while I was waiting for one of my cakes to finish baking.  We happened to be having a particularly chilly night here in Florida (a nice brisk 50-something degrees) and it felt like autumn was in the evening air. 

 

   So I decided to come up with an autumn-inspired fudgy dessert.  The combination may seem a little odd...after all, who puts spices and pumpkin together with peanut butter? But I promise, this unexpected combo had a delicious result and there wasn't one person complaining when I sampled it.  I hope you enjoy this unique creation! 

Here’s what you’ll need…  

1 Cup Brown Sugar 

1 Cup Sugar 

½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream 

1 tbsp Pumpkin puree 

4 tbs Butter (half stick) 

2 tsp Cinnamon 

2 tsp Nutmeg 

1 tsp Clove 

2 Cups Whole Oats 

¾ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter 

   In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the sugars, pumpkin, butter, and spices in the cream.  The ingredients will begin to combine as it gets warmer.  Then raise the heat until the mixture begins to boil and stir continuously so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.  

   Once it has boiled for three minutes, take off the heat and stir in the oats and peanut butter.  

 *Brian’s tip after you have added in the oats and peanut butter you can also add in an additional 2/3 to 1 cup of powdered sugar. This will insure that your fudge set up correctly, and I don’t know about you but I personally like my fudge to be a little sweeter than my average dessert. 

   Scoop mixture either on to a cookie sheet or into cube silicon molds.  I suggest using the molds personally, because it makes the perfect little bites of fudge.  If using a cookie sheet, you can cut it into pieces after it has set up.  Place the fudge straight into the fridge and allow to harden, which usually takes about an hour.  Serve and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Dark Mocha Cupcake

       Let's face it, some things just go together, like peanut butter and jelly or rock and roll.  Another one of those perfect combinations?  Chocolate and coffee!  I’m a sucker for a good chocolate cupcake and not only is this recipe gluten-free, it’s also one of the moistest and most delicious I’ve made yet.  I mean, c'mon, how can you not love a moist chocolate cupcake and a rich coffee frosting?!  I truly hope you enjoy this recipe!        

You'll need:

 

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour 

2 tsp xanathan gum 

1 cup dark cocoa powder 

1 ½ tsp baking powder 

1 ½  tsp baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

2 large eggs 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 tbsp vanilla extract 

2 tsp butter flavor 

½ cup dark chocolate chips 

1 cup of hot water 

Makes 12 large cupcakes

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two jumbo six-cup muffin tins by greasing. 

       In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

       In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, eggs, buttermilk, butter flavor, and vanilla.  Then slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients until both mixtures are fully combined.  Next, fold in the chocolate chips.

       Add hot water to the batter and mix well, until the batter is thin.  Pour evenly into the prepared muffin pans and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

       Once the cupcakes have finished baking, allow to cool for about five minutes in the pans before transferring to a cooling rack.

       After they have completely cooled, core out the centers with either a coring tool or a butter knife. Then it's time to frost them!

 

Mocha Butter Cream Frosting 

1 8oz block of Kerrygold Salted Butter 

3 cup powdered sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tsp instant espresso  

3 tbsp heavy whipping cream      

       In a bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until its smooth. Add in one cup of powdered sugar and cream together until the butter is thick and crumbly. 

       In a small cup, dissolve the espresso into one tablespoon of heavy cream and the vanilla extract.  Whip the espresso mixture into the butter.  Add in another cup of  powdered sugar followed by one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.  Repeat this step, using the last of the cream and sugar.  The extra steps are well worth it because the finished result will be an AMAZING mocha frosting that pairs perfectly with the dark chocolate cupcake.

       *Brian’s note:  Don’t skip the Kerrygold butter!  I’m not saying that this recipe won’t still be absolutely delicious without it, but the Kerrygold really takes it over the top and gives it an incredible flavor.

       Fill and frost the cooled cupcakes.  Then serve and enjoy!