Vegan Gluten-Free Citrus Bliss Cake

So I just created a Lemon Spearmint Cake but I had some of my Vegan customers BEGGING me to create an option for them! So after a session with my thinking cap I came up with this little number. I hope you enjoy my summer citrus creation Gluten-Free and Vegan friendly!

You'll need:

1 cup Nutiva Coconut Oil

2 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

4 tsp Lemon Extract

1/2  tbsp Orange Extract

Lemon Zest- 2 Large Lemons

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

3 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All purpose Flour

1 ½ tsp Xanathan Gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup Coconut Milk

1 Cup Macadamia Nuts

1 Cup Coconut Shreds –Unsweetened  

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two round 9” pans by greasing and flouring with gluten-free flour.

       In a medium bowl using an fancy spoontula (every baker needs one!), cream the Coconut oil and sugar add in the extracts then continue whipping until fully creamed, Gradually add the pumpkin.

       Now fold the lemon zest into the creamed mixture.

       In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Then stir into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the coconut milk. Fold Coconut and Nuts.

       Pour batter into prepared pans then Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center and the tops are a light golden brown. Allow to cool fully before frosting.

  

Citrus Frosting

1 1/2 Cup Palm Shortening

3 Cups powdered sugar

3 tsp Orange Extract

1 tsp Vanilla

       In a medium bowl with an electric mixer cream palm shortening Add in a cup of powdered sugar and extracts . Whip in another two cups of powdered Sugar a cup at a time and mix until smooth.

     To assemble spread a generous amount of cream onto the top of one of the cakes. Stack the next cake on top of the cream filling. Fully frost the cake with cream topping. Serve and Enjoy!...

Gluten-Free Lemon Mint Cake

       Okay, call me crazy but this weekend I decided to combine two refreshing flavors that you might not automatically think of putting together: lemon and spearmint!  One of my customers begged me to bring back my (somewhat) famous mascarpone whipped cream frosting and that seemed like the perfect complement to this bright cake.  I hope you enjoy this summery treat!      

You'll need:

1 cup Kerrygold unsalted butter, softened

2 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 tsp butter flavor

4 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp almond extract

Zest of two large lemons

4 eggs

3 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two round 9” pans by greasing and flouring with gluten-free flour.

       In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in the sugar and extracts then continue whipping until fully creamed.

       Gradually add the eggs one at a time and mix well between each addition.

       In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then stir into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Finally fold in the lemon zest. 

       Pour batter into prepared pans then Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center and the tops are a light golden brown.  Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. 

Spearmint Crème Frosting

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 tbsp powdered sugar

1 4oz container mascarpone cheese

1 tsp vanilla

10 drops spearmint oil

1/2 Tbsp white chocolate syrup

       In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and one-third of the mascarpone cheese, then whip on high until blended.  Mix in the white chocolate syrup and another third of the cheese.  Then add in the remaining cheese and whip until everything is fully combined and the icing is smooth.

       To assemble, spread a generous amount of cream onto the top of one of the cakes and drizzle with additional white chocolate syrup.  Stack the second cake on top of the cream filling, then finish frosting the sides and top of the cakes.  After you have used all of the cream, drizzle the top of the cake with white chocolate syrup and sprinkle with sparkling sugar for a nice finishing touch.

        Serve and Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Classic Marble Cake

I love a good chocolate cake and...let's be real, I also love a classic vanilla cake.  Okay, okay!  So maybe I just love cake period!  And some days, I just don't wanna have to choose between them.  That's why today I’m bringing you the best of both worlds: a marble vanilla and chocolate cake!  It's the perfect solution for those days when you just don't feel like making the hard decisions.  I hope you enjoy!

       Here’s what you’ll need…

Vanilla Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cups sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp butter extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free all-purpose flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2  tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two 9" round cake pans.

       In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in the sugar and extracts then continue whipping.

       Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time.  Mix well between each addition.

       In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients then stir into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the milk.

       Pour evenly into the prepared pans.  Now it's time to make the chocolate cake batter.

Chocolate Cake:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/2  cup dark cocoa powder

1  tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 Egg

1/2 cup Buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup Lily’s Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup hot water

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

       In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, Egg, Buttermilk, and vanilla extract.  Then slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Next, fold in the chocolate chips.

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

 

     Pour this batter evenly over of the vanilla cake batter that is already in the prepared pans.

       Take a butter knife and swirl the chocolate cake batter into the vanilla cake batter.  You don't want to over-stir here otherwise you'll lose the pretty marble effect.

       Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

       You can create any frosting you might like to ice this cake with!  Get creative and come up with your own flavor combination.  I'm including a recipe below for a if you'd like to stick with the classics...a rich Creamy Vanilla butter cream.  You can't go wrong with that!

Creamy Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

1 ½ cups of Kerrygold Salted Butter

3 cups Powdered Sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

 Heavy Whipping Cream, as needed

       In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Next, whip in one cup of powdered sugar, then add in the Vanilla extract.  To finish, whip in the remaining two cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time.  Beat well between each addition and alternate with the heavy cream as needed. 

       Spread the frosting over the bottom layer of cake for the filling, then place the second cake on top.  Finish frosting the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

       You can dress up this cake with any garnishes you would like or simply enjoy it as is!

 

 

 

Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookie Cake

       So I made a Cookies n’ Cream Cake a while ago and it was quite popular.  In fact, I was commissioned by several local customers to bake that cake for their parties.  Apparently people love cookies and people love cake, but they love them even more when they are combined.  That's why  I decided to take that recipe and make a few changes to give us another spin on those flavors!  I hope you enjoy the new twist on an old classic.

    

You'll need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

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

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 cup dark cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

10 Gluten-Free Oreo Cookies, chopped

1/4 cup Lily’s Chocolate Chips

1 cup hot water

       Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease two 9" round cake pans.

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

 In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, pumpkin, coconut milk, vinegar, and vanilla.  Then slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Next, fold in the chopped cookies and chocolate chips.

       Add the hot water to the batter and mix well, until batter thins out.  Pour evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.

        Once the cakes have finished baking, let them cool completely before frosting.

 

Chocolate Cream Frosting

 

1 1/2 cups coconut palm shortening

1/4 cup cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

       In a bowl using an electric mixer, cream the shortening until smooth.  Add in one cup of powdered sugar and all of the cocoa, then cream until thick and crumbly.

        Add in the vanilla extract and another cup of powdered sugar.  Continue mixing until creamy.

       Assemble the layers, then fill and frost the cakes.  Serve and enjoy!

Gluten-Free French Toast Cake with Maplenut Cream Cheese Frosting...YUM!

       You can call me crazy for putting this recipe together if you'd like, but it's pretty awesome anyway!  One night, I was getting ready to bake but wasn’t really feeling any creative juices flowing.  Then suddenly I realized...I was seriously craving me some maple syrup-smothered French toast!  So I thought, "hey, why not create a dessert inspired by one of my favorite breakfast treats?"
       I hope you enjoy eating this as much as I enjoyed coming up with it!

 You'll need:

1 cup Kerrygold salted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp hazelnut extract

 

1 tbsp Maple Syrup

4 eggs

3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup Hazelnuts, chopped

Streusel

1/4 cup Coconut Flour

1/2 cup Maple Sugar

1/2 tbsp Cinnamon

2 tbsp Maple Syrup  

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour two round 9” cake pans.

        In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in the sugar and extracts then continue whipping until creamed.

       Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.

       In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Then stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.  

 

    Fold in the hazelnuts then Scoop the batter into prepared pans.  Set aside until you finish the streusel.

      In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  slowly fold in the maple syrup a half tablespoon at a time until the streusel reaches the texture of wet sand (sounds appetizing, doesn't it?).  

       Sprinkle the streusel evenly across both cakes.  Then use a butter knife to gently fold the streusel into the cake with a swirling motion.

       bake for  25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center and the tops are a light golden brown.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

 

Maplenut Cream cheese Frosting!

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup palm shortening

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tbsp maple Syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp hazelnut extract

       In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and palm shortening with an electric mixer.  Whip in two cups of powdered sugar.  Next, add in the maple syrup and the extracts, then whip in the final cup of powdered sugar.  Continue blending until smooth and creamy.

       Now just ice and assemble the cake layers, then enjoy the Breakfast-y goodness!

 

Vegan Gluten-Free Loaded Brownies

      Who doesn’t like a loaded brownie???  I mean we're talking about warm, gooey chocolate, crunchy nuts, and decadent chocolate chips!  Oh yeah!  Well, today I decided to bring you a vegan and Gluten-Free version of a loaded brownie…ENJOY!

You'll need:

1 Cup Nutiva Coconut oil

1  Cup Wholesome Sugar

1 Cup pumpkin puree

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp hazelnut Extract

2  Cups bob’s Redmill Gluten-Free Flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 Cup cacao powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 Cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 Cup Enjoy Life Mega Chocolate Chips

1/4 Cup Lily’s Chocolate Chips

       Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease two 9” round pans and set aside until needed

    In a mixing bowl, cream together coconut oil and sugar followed by the pumpkin.  Then whip in the extracts and set aside.

       In a separate bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, cacao and salt.  Next, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients.

gently fold in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.  Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Vegan Cacao Fudge Frosting

1 Heaping cup of palm shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cacao

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp hazelnut extract

Coconut Milk, as needed

In a medium bowl, whip shortening until fluffy.  Mix in one cup of powdered sugar followed by the cacao and extracts.  Mix in the second cup of powdered sugar and a splash of coconut milk.  Continue mixing until smooth.

 Spread Frosting across brownies, serve, and enjoy!

Notta-Colada Protein Smoothie!

Okay…so everyone knows how to make a smoothie, right?  Not so much!  I’ve managed a health food store for over eight years now and you’d be surprised at how many people get confused or frustrated with the concept of making a tasty smoothie.  Plus, every once in awhile, we just need a break from the same ol' chocolate or vanilla, but aren't sure where to start.  So today I bring you my recipe for a beachy, summer-inspired piña colada smoothie!

 1 ½ cups Lakewood Piña Colada Juice

1 tray of ice

1 scoop of Bluebonnet Vanilla Protein

½ tbsp Salba chia seeds

¼ cup dehydrated pineapple dices

¼ cup shredded coconut

Throw all of the ingredients into a Vitamix blender and blend on high until all the ice is blended and it reaches the perfect thick, creamy smoothie texture.

  Pour into two glasses then top with a sprinkle of coconut and a slice of pineapple! Now how hard was that?  Not hard at all so get creative and have some fun!  If you come up with your own amazing creation, I’d love to hear about it, so please share your ideas by leaving a comment below.  Or email me and you just might get featured on my blog!