cheriedevinethecrumpetstrumpet

[cheriedevinethecrumpetstrumpet]

Vanilla Bean Berry Pecan Layer Cake

(Organic, GF, Dairy/Soy-Free, V, Sustainable)

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: Approx. 30 minutes Yield: 2 8-inch round cakes

This layered white cake is Gluten/Soy/Dairy-Free with all organic and sustainable ingredients. There are also vegan subs suggested for our friends who live a 100% cruelty-free lifestyle. <3

Feel free to use your favorite brands… no, they don’t have to be organic… it just makes me feel good. :-)

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I use Organic Arrowhead Mills…already contains xanthan gum)

1 tsp xanthan gum (ONLY if your all-purpose flour blend doesn’t already contain it… Organic Arrowhead Mills does)

¼ cup + 2 tbsps cornstarch (or arrowroot)

½ tsps baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

10 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature (I use Soy/Dairy-Free Earth Balance)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar (I use Organic Florida Crystals)

2 Malagasy vanilla beans (scraped)-or, you can just cheat and use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. :-)

5 egg whites + 2 whole eggs (I use Handsome Brook Farm eggs because their hens are certified to be pasture-raised and fed an organic/non-GMO diet. Please feel free to use an egg substitute if you are vegan, such as vegetable oil, mashed bananas, actual egg-substitute, pumpkin, or any other substitute you know and love.)

1 1/3 cups almond milk (or other plant-based milk) mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar, at room temperature (this is a vegan substitute for buttermilk)

Frosting:

15 oz of organic vegetable shortening (I use Nutiva because the palm fruit oil found in this product is sustainably sourced from small organic and fair trade certified family farms to ensure no habitats are harmed.)

1 Malagasy vanilla bean (scraped) - or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 cups of powdered sugar (I used Organic Simple Truth) or 2 cups of maple syrup (I like to use Organic Amber Simple Truth Syrup)

1/8-¼ cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)

Toppings (optional):

1 1/2 cups of organic mixed berries (frozen or fresh)

2-3 cups of organic pecans

Any other toppings you would like. This cake is obviously customizable to taste. 😊

DIRECTIONS

·         Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper (trace the perimeter of the cake pan on the parchment, then cut out the circle). Set the pans aside.

·         Into a medium-size bowl, sift the dry ingredients. (flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder) Add the salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the dry ingredients aside.

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

·         Combine the egg whites, egg, and almond milk/vinegar mixture in a small bowl and whisk together. To the large bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients in 4 equal portions, alternating with the milk and egg mixture in 3 parts. (So, just begin and ending with the dry ingredients and mix to combine in between additions.) The batter will sometimes look a bit curdled. Once all of the ingredients have been added, beat for another minute or two to make sure everything is mixed.

·         Divide the batter evenly between the two baking pans. Place the baking pans in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and keep on baking until the cakes are lightly golden brown all over and do not jiggle in the middle. (approximately 8-10 minutes)

·         Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto another surface to cool on. After you set the cakes on your cooling surface, feel free to remove the parchment papers. While the cakes are cooling, you can make the frosting. Make sure the cakes are cooled completely before frosting.

Frosting and Toppings

Using a mixer, beat together the shortening, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar (or syrup) for your frosting. As you mix them together, add tiny bits of almond milk to the frosting until you reach your desired consistency. I like my frosting fluffy, almost like a ‘whip’.

Frost the bottom half of the cake first. Set the top half of the cake on top of the frosted half and frost that one.

Wash your organic mixed berries and place them in a circle on top of the frosted cake. Be sure to lightly dried berries with a paper towel before placing on frosting. This is a specially necessary if you have defrosted frozen berries. You don’t want any juices to run down the side of your cake. Take your chopped pecans and carefully add them to the sides of your cake, lightly pushing them into the frosting. You will feel like you are sculpting a vase very lightly. 😉

My little girl likes it, too...

My mom likes to eat her cake pieces with fruit and vanilla ice cream. She has asked me to include this idea with you all several times. She makes a lot of, “Mmmmm,” noises when she’s eating it, so thought I would go ahead and make the suggestion. 😊

Note: I don’t believe this cake requires refrigerating, but some folks prefer to refrigerate everything, and that’s fine. If you put this cake in the fridge, the frosting will harden considerably. If you are just slicing yourself a single serving to enjoy, I suggest placing in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften the frosting up (unless hard frosting is your thing). Likewise, if you are baking this for an event, or to share wit h friends/family, try to let it sit out at room temperature for an hour (maybe even two) to reclaim the fluffy, whip-like consistency.

[cheriedevinethecrumpetstrumpet]

Sandy Sea Lion Vanilla Bean Graham Cracker Layer Cake

(Organic, GF, Dairy/Soy-Free, V, Sustainable)

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: Approx. 30 minutes Yield: 2 8-inch round cakes

This layered white cake is Gluten/Soy/Dairy-Free with all organic and sustainable ingredients. There are also vegan subs suggested for our friends who live a 100% cruelty-free lifestyle. <3

Feel free to use your favorite brands… no, they don’t have to be organic… it just makes me feel good. :-)

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I use Organic Arrowhead Mills…already contains xanthan gum)

1 tsp xanthan gum (ONLY if your all-purpose flour blend doesn’t already contain it… Organic Arrowhead Mills does)

¼ cup + 2 tbsps cornstarch (or arrowroot)

½ tsps baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

10 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature (I use Soy/Dairy-Free Earth Balance)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar (I use Organic Florida Crystals)

2 Malagasy vanilla beans (scraped)-or, you can just cheat and use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. :-)

5 egg whites + 2 whole eggs (I use Handsome Brook Farm eggs because their hens are certified to be pasture-raised and fed an organic/non-GMO diet. Please feel free to use an egg substitute if you are vegan, such as vegetable oil, mashed bananas, actual egg-substitute, pumpkin, or any other substitute you know and love.)

1 1/3 cups almond milk (or other plant-based milk) mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar, at room temperature (this is a vegan substitute for buttermilk)

Frosting:

15 oz of organic vegetable shortening (I use Nutiva because the palm fruit oil found in this product is sustainably sourced from small organic and fair trade certified family farms to ensure no habitats are harmed.)

1 Malagasy vanilla bean (scraped) - or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 cups of powdered sugar (I used Organic Simple Truth) or 2 cups of maple syrup (I like to use Organic Amber Simple Truth Syrup)

1/8-¼ cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)

Toppings (optional):

1 1/2 cups of gluten-free, organic graham cracker crumbles

Sea Lion action figures w/toothpick flags!

Any other toppings you would like. This cake is obviously customizable to taste. 😊

DIRECTIONS

·         Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper (trace the perimeter of the cake pan on the parchment, then cut out the circle). Set the pans aside.

·         Into a medium-size bowl, sift the dry ingredients. (flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder) Add the salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the dry ingredients aside.

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

·         Combine the egg whites, egg, and almond milk/vinegar mixture in a small bowl and whisk together. To the large bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients in 4 equal portions, alternating with the milk and egg mixture in 3 parts. (So, just begin and ending with the dry ingredients and mix to combine in between additions.) The batter will sometimes look a bit curdled. Once all of the ingredients have been added, beat for another minute or two to make sure everything is mixed.

·         Divide the batter evenly between the two baking pans. Place the baking pans in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and keep on baking until the cakes are lightly golden brown all over and do not jiggle in the middle. (approximately 8-10 minutes)

·         Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto another surface to cool on. After you set the cakes on your cooling surface, feel free to remove the parchment papers. While the cakes are cooling, you can make the frosting. Make sure the cakes are cooled completely before frosting.

Frosting and Toppings

Using a mixer, beat together the shortening, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar (or syrup) for your frosting. As you mix them together, add tiny bits of almond milk to the frosting until you reach your desired consistency. I like my frosting fluffy, almost like a ‘whip’.

Frost the bottom half of the cake first. Set the top half of the cake on top of the frosted half and frost that one.

Place Graham crackers in blender or food processor to make into crumbles.

Sprinkle graham cracker crumbles around the frosting of the cake to imitate sand. After that, your sea lion action figures will be much happier placed atop. ;-)

My mom likes to eat her cake pieces with fruit and vanilla ice cream. She has asked me to include this idea with you all several times. She makes a lot of, “Mmmmm,” noises when she’s eating it, so thought I would go ahead and make the suggestion. 😊

Note: I don’t believe this cake requires refrigerating, but some folks prefer to refrigerate everything, and that’s fine. If you put this cake in the fridge, the frosting will harden considerably. If you are just slicing yourself a single serving to enjoy, I suggest placing in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften the frosting up (unless hard frosting is your thing). Likewise, if you are baking this for an event, or to share wit h friends/family, try to let it sit out at room temperature for an hour (maybe even two) to reclaim the fluffy, whip-like consistency.

[cheriedevinethecrumpetstrumpet]

Layered White Sweet Almond Cake (w/frosting recipe) (D/S/GF/V)

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: Approx. 30 minutes Yield: 2 8-inch round cakes

This layered white cake is Gluten/Soy/Dairy-Free with all organic and sustainable ingredients. There are also vegan subs suggested for our friends who live a 100% cruelty-free lifestyle. <3

Feel free to use your favorite brands… no, they don’t have to be organic… it just makes me feel good. :-)

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (I use Organic Arrowhead Mills…already contains xanthan gum)

1 tsp xanthan gum (ONLY if your all-purpose flour blend doesn’t already contain it… Organic Arrowhead Mills does)

1/4 cup + 2 tbsps cornstarch (or arrowroot)

1/2 tsps baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

10 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature (I use Soy/Dairy-Free Earth Balance)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I use Organic Florida Crystals)

2 tsps organic almond extract (or any extract of your choice… hazelnut is also delicious and vanilla is a classic)

5 egg whites + 2 whole eggs (I use Handsome Brook Farm eggs because their hens are certified to be pasture-raised and fed an organic/non-GMO diet. Please feel free to use an egg substitute if you are vegan, such as vegetable oil, mashed bananas, actual egg-substitute, pumpkin, or any other substitute you know and love.)

1 1/3 cups almond milk (or other plant-based milk) mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar, at room temperature (this is a vegan substitute for buttermilk)

Frosting:

15 oz of organic vegetable shortening (I use Nutiva because the palm fruit oil found in this product is sustainably sourced from small organic and fair trade certified family farms to ensure no habitats are harmed.)

1 tsp almond extract

3 cups of powdered sugar (I used Organic Simple Truth) or 2 cups of maple syrup (I like to use Organic Amber Simple Truth Syrup)

1/8-1/4 cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)

Toppings (optional):

2-3 tbsps cinnamon

5-6 pecans for décor

Any other toppings you would like. This cake is obviously customizable to taste. 😊

DIRECTIONS

·         Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper (trace the perimeter of the cake pan on the parchment, then cut out the circle). Set the pans aside.

·         Into a medium-size bowl, sift the dry ingredients. (flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder) Add the salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the dry ingredients aside.

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and almond (or other) extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

·         Combine the egg whites, egg, and almond milk/vinegar mixture in a small bowl and whisk together. To the large bowl with the butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients in 4 equal portions, alternating with the milk and egg mixture in 3 parts. (So, just begin and ending with the dry ingredients and mix to combine in between additions.) The batter will sometimes look a bit curdled. Once all of the ingredients have been added, beat for another minute or two to make sure everything is mixed.

·         Divide the batter evenly between the two baking pans. Place the baking pans in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and keep on baking until the cakes are lightly golden brown all over and do not jiggle in the middle. (approximately 8-10 minutes)

·         Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto another surface to cool on. After you set the cakes on your cooling surface, feel free to remove the parchment papers. While the cakes are cooling, you can make the frosting. Make sure the cakes are cooled completely before frosting.

Frosting and Toppings

Using a mixer, beat together the shortening, extract, and sugar (or syrup) for your frosting. As you mix them together, add tiny bits of almond milk to the frosting until you reach your desired consistency. I like my frosting fluffy, almost like a ‘whip’.

Frost the bottom half of the cake first. Set the top half of the cake on top of the frosted half and frost that one.

Sprinkle cinnamon around the edges of the cake and decorate with pecans (or any other nut you like).

My mom likes to eat her cake pieces with fruit and vanilla ice cream. She has asked me to include this idea with you all several times. She makes a lot of, “Mmmmm,” noises when she’s eating it, so thought I would go ahead and make the suggestion. 😊

Note: I don’t believe this cake requires refrigerating, but some folks prefer to refrigerate everything, and that’s fine. If you put this cake in the fridge, the frosting will harden considerably. If you are just slicing yourself a single serving to enjoy, I suggest placing in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften the frosting up (unless hard frosting is your thing). Likewise, if you are baking this for an event, or to share wit h friends/family, try to let it sit out at room temperature for an hour (maybe even two) to reclaim the fluffy, whip-like consistency.