Posts Tagged by cake
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
| January 21, 2013 | Filled under Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, Kid-Friendly |
Do you smile and get giddy like a 2-year old when you see a cupcake that is disguised as an ice cream cone? If you don’t, you may want to check for a pulse, because I probably could have named this post ‘happiness in a cone’. I first made ice cream cone cupcakes back when I was a teen summer camp counsellor looking after pre-school aged kids. The utter joy the campers got from helping to create these and gobbling them up was priceless. As wise and mature teenaged counsellors, we made sure to serve these to the kidlets right before we sent them home with mom and dad so we got to experience the joy, and parents got to deal with the resulting sugar high afterwards *insert evil laughter*.
What’s in it? This simple recipe involves gluten-free cake mix from Pamela’s Products, egg-replacer from Ener-G, homemade frosting, and gluten-free cones from Let’s Do. These cones look just like it’s gluten-filled original except the texture is slightly little less crunchy but still delicious. These cupcakes would be perfect for a birthday party for kids of any age - I actually made these for my own birthday which happens to be next week. You can do just about any combination you would do for a normal cupcake – the options are endless. This version happens to be gluten/nut/egg/dairy-free – so almost allergen free but still super yummy. A rare combo indeed.
Specialty Bakeware Not Required: Now I’m not normally one to acquire too much specialty bakeware, as living in a condo means very limited storage, but I couldn’t resist this ice cream cone baker that was on sale. You don’t need it to make this, you just need some tin foil and a muffin pan – there’s a great tutorial here.
Test one first… I recommend doing one test cupcake before doing the entire batch. The cone only needs to be about 2/3 full with cake batter (using a small ice cream scoop or one tablespoon at a time), however, different cake recipes rise differently. Once you’ve tested one cone, you can fill the rest of the cones with the right amount of batter. Too much batter will result in overflow, look messy, and messy up your oven too. Once these cuties are baked, poke a small hole in the bottom of each cone with a fork to allow the steam to come out so the cones don’t get soggy.
MMmmm Fudgy Frosting… Most people will agree that the best part of a cupcake is the frosting. This fudgy frosting is dairy-free thanks to chocolate chips from Enjoy Life and coconut oil. This recipe is adapted from Elena’s Pantry - a great gluten-free resource. The instant espresso powder gives the frosting a more deeply chocolate-y tasting. The heart-healthy coconut oil allows me to enjoy my birthday cupcakes guilt-free, especially since birthday calories don’t count, right? I chose an unscented coconut oil so the chocolate flavor wouldn’t compete with coconut, but if you wanted a choco-coconut frosting, scented coconut oil would be perfect.
For garnish, I recommend some white chocolate shavings (contains dairy) or shredded coconut to pretty these up even more. I considered putting some sprinkles but all the ones I found had wax or shellac as an ingredient so I passed.
I plan to make these cupcake ice cream cones every year for my birthday from now until infinity, so that I always feel like a kid no matter how much older I get. I hope you enjoy these for your next celebration.
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes (makes 12 ice cream cone cupcakes and 6 extra regular cupcakes) Adapted from Pamela’s Products
Ingredients:
- 12 flat bottomed gluten-free ice cream cones (1 package from Let’s Do)
- 1 package Pamela’s Chocolate Cake Mix (gluten-free)
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup egg replacer (Ener-G brand) or 2 large eggs
- 1 and 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free from Enjoy Life)
Dairy-Free Vegan Chocolate Icing (for 12 cupcakes) Adapted from Elena’s Pantry
- 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free from Enjoy Life)
- 1/3 cup unscented coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
Special Equipment: Muffin pan and foil, or ice cream cone baker from Niftys
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover muffin pan with foil. Poke a hole over holes where cupcake would go and place ice cream cone in. In a large bowl, add cake mix, oil, egg replacer or eggs, water and chocolate chips. Mix all ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Do not over mix. Using a small ice cream scoop, fill ice cream cones until 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes on center rack or when toothpick comes out with slight crumbs. (Place a clean cookie sheet on bottom rack in case of spills.) Place on baking rack to cool. Poke a small hole in the bottom of each cone with a fork to release steam.
- For remaining batter, fill paper lined muffin tin until 2/3 full. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Place on baking rack to cool. Reserve or freeze for future use.
- Prepare frosting. In a small saucepan on very low heat, melt chocolate and coconut oil. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in espresso powder (if using), vanilla and soy milk. Stir and place in fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and beat with hand mixer until light and fluffy. Ice cooled cupcakes and garnish as desired.
A note about substitutions: I know many of my readers do not necessarily have gluten allergies or have varied food sensitivities. This post can be used as a guideline to inspire you to create ice cream cone cupcakes with your favourite options. My version is the most stripped down version and serves as a jumping off point for your own creations. I love hearing from you so if you end up tinkering with the recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Happy baking!
Zucchini Muffins
| May 28, 2012 | Filled under Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes |
Do you ever stand in line at a coffee shop and get tempted by the bountiful displays of baked goods only to end up leaving with some crazy awesome donut/danish/cookie/muffin you didn’t plan on getting? I guess one of the blessings/curses of being gluten-free is that I can’t ever succumb to my desire for those delish gluten-filled goodies. So to compensate, I try to satisfy my cravings by baking.
Now I fully admit that gluten-free baking can be a challenge, however, when I come across an easy and fool-proof version, I have to share. This muffin is adapted from Erin McKenna’s Babycakes cookbook and it was moist, delicious, chocolate-y and gluten/guilt-free. So good, that it makes me forget all about those high-priced gluten-filled sugary sweets in the coffee shops. Great for my wallet and my body.
Just remember everything in moderation – too many muffins will lead to ‘Muffin Top” which “is a… slang term used to describe the phenomenon of overhanging fat when it spills over the waistline of pants or skirts in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing.’ Thanks to Wikipedia for that informative and graphic definition.
Zucchini Muffins Adapted from Babycakes by Erin McKenna (Makes 12)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour
- ½ cup flax meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ¾ cup agave nectar
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk (or non-dairy milk alternative)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup mini gluten-free vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon. Add oil, agave, soy milk, and vanilla to dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Using a plastic spatula, gently fold in zucchini and chocolate chips (if using) just until evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Do not over mix.
- Pour half cup of batter into each prepared liner, almost filling it. Bake the muffins on the centre rack for 25 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 15 minutes. To check doneness, a wooden toothpick will come out clean after being inserted into the centre of a muffin.
- Let the muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store muffins in airtight container in the fridge or freeze.
Triple Chocolate Torte
| February 7, 2012 | Filled under Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts |
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and whipping up this luscious triple chocolate torte is a sure-fire way to show your sweetie that you care. It’s undoubtedly a show stopper, covered in a glossy dark chocolate ganache and enrobed in white chocolate slices. Not into V-Day? Me either (sort of). You can totally whip up this crowd-pleasing dessert to celebrate just about anything, from a new job, birthdays, showers, housewarming, festivus, you name it; it’s definitely a special occasion dessert.
As much as I go to baking mixes to help me create gluten-free desserts, this one was an easy adaptation of a recipe I found in the Globe and Mail over the holidays. It’s got a such a small amount of flour in proportion to the chocolate and other ingredients so it was easy to swap in GF flour. That being said, this dessert requires a) time b) planning and c) patience. All in all, it’s a pretty straight-forward recipe to make, Ie. it LOOKS way harder to make than it really is. And if you want to simplify, you can always make it a double chocolate torte and skip the white chocolate slices.
To break it down, this cake takes 3 steps. Step 1 is make the cake. Step 2 is to make the white chocolate slices. Step 3 is to make a ganache and assemble. Basically this cake involves a lot of chopping and melting chocolate (fun) and dish washing (not so fun which – I suggest outsourcing this piece to husbands/boyfriends/roommates/other parties who want to eventually eat this masterpiece).
Making the white chocolate slices is so simple and gives the cake its ‘wow!youmadethatyourself?’ look. Melt the white chocolate chunks and spread it onto a lined baking sheet to chill in the fridge. Once it’s chilled, simply remove and break into pieces and let your inner pastry chef/artist decorate. The more variations in the pieces, the better the cake looks.
The last part of the cake to make is the ganache which is dead simple to do. Seriously, just boil milk, pour it over chopped chocolate and stir to create a smooth and glossy chocolate spread. Pour onto the cooled prepared cake and spread around. It’s so much easier to make than icing or frosting and I love the silky rich taste so much that I just might ‘ganache’ all my cupcakes from now on.
So the next time you have a special occasion and 4 hours to spare, why not try making this amazing dessert? It’s so worth it and remember, after you serve this, you get to relish in all the adoring compliments while enjoy this decadent treat.
Triple Chocolate Torte (serves 8 to 10) Adapted from Lucy Waverman’s Triple Chocolate Torte for Globe and Mail
Ingredients
Cake
• 4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• ½ cup unsalted butter or dairy-free vegan butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 8 oz dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
• ½ cup unsweetened soy milk or regular milk
White Chocolate Pieces
• 6 oz white chocolate
Special Equipment: 9” round springform pan, off-set spatula, parchment paper
Directions:
1. Make cake. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Invert the base of a 9” round springform pan so that it is lip side down (avoids having an indent in the base of the cake). Grease bottom and sides of pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
2. Melt chocolate in a small heavy pot over low heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.
3. Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl until like and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.
4. In a separate bowl, sift cocoa powder and add gluten-free flour, and salt and whisk until well combined. Beat into butter mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Pour into springform pan and spread into an even layer.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set and slightly puffed in the centre. Let cool in the pan.
6. Make ganache. Place dark chocolate in a bowl. Place soy milk in a small pot and bring to boil over medium heat. Pour over chocolate and stir to melt.
7. Remove cake from pan and pour ganache over cake, ensuring the ganache spreads to the edge. Use a spatula to help spread evenly over the top and sides. Chill in the fridge to set.
8. Make white chocolate rectangles. Place white chocolate in a small, heavy pot over low heat. Melt slowly, stirring occasionally. When melted, use an off-set spatula to spread evenly on a parchment paper or Silpat sheet lined baking sheet. Place in fridge to harden.
9. Remove white chocolate from parchment paper and break into large pieces and press white chocolate against the sides of the cake, overlapping slightly. Stick leftover white chocolate pieces vertically into the middle of the cake to create a pattern. Chill again until ready to serve. Remove from fridge for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutella Marbled Cupcakes (Gluten Free)
| May 30, 2011 | Filled under Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts |
Before going gluten free a few years ago, I used to bake this amazing marble cake using a Martha Stewart recipe. It was such a huge hit that one year I made a whole bunch of them and gave them to my aunt’s and grannies and mom for Mother’s Day. The marbling of the chocolate and vanilla cake batters were so pretty and the perfectly sweet snack for afternoon tea. I thought I’d try doing a GF cupcake version and use a crunchy hazelnut spread for the marbling. They are so decadent that frosting is completely optional.
Now that I’m GF, baking is a new experience which requires patience and an open mind to bake with GF flours instead instead of regular flours. There are so many: amaranth, arrowroot, potato starch, xanthum gum, sweet rice, brown rice, and sorghum to name a few. Stocking up a pantry with the ingredients to make a GF cake requires ample cupboard space and a commitment to baking several GF goodies from scratch.
Determined to bake great GF cupcakes, I bought Erin McKenna’s BabyCakesNYC cookbook. She’s the ultimate gluten-free goddess – gorgeous and witty and glam to boot. Plus her recipes all turned out great. Her enthusiastic writing and clear directions made the daunting task of measuring out no less than a dozen or so ingredients more enjoyable. After a successful attempt at the chocolate cupcakes, I tried making her carrot cupcakes and lemon poppyseed tea cakes too which turned out great (the lemon poppyseed was a little to lemon-y and sweet for me though). So I’ve had some success in baking GF from scratch but the sheer variety of ingredients still leaves me feeling a little overwhelmed. And it left me with a pantry full of flours that went stale after my baking spree.
So to satisfy my need to bake occasionally, my dislike for waste (ie. GF flours), and to overcome my GF baking apprehension, I have been using GF baking mixes. Now some might argue that it’s ‘cheating’ or ‘fake baking’ but to those naysayers I say hey, the results are beautiful baked goodies perfect for sharing. And to make them more ‘outside the box’ (get it? outside the box? sorry, I couldn’t resist) I try and put my own spin on the recipes, like adding Nutella. I’m obsessed with all things chocolately and hazelnutty and decided to jazz up Cherrybrook Kitchens Gluten Free Dreams cake mix using Martha’s marbling technique. They were the perfect dessert to bring to our Scottsdale farewell bash hosted by our dear friend C (PS – have relocated to Toronto now, thus the temporary hiatus in posting). To make this nut-free, replace the hazelnut spread with a dark chocolate spread.
So you may have noticed that I didn’t post any pictures of the cupcakes frosted and that is because I tried making frosting using Trader Joes frosting mix and replaced the butter with coconut oil which was a huge flop. It turned out lumpy and unappetizing and I had to make a mad dash to the store to get some Duncan Hine’s frosting in a can. I was running late for the party and had to frost these bad boys at lightning speed. They were rough homemade looking at best and I didn’t have time to take pictures. But they were yummy nonetheless and people seemed to enjoy them even if they weren’t perfectly frosted. I’ve had much better luck with Pamela’s Dark Chocolate Frosting which I will use faithfully from now on. Plus with the moving I haven’t had a chance for a do-over and hope these photos will suffice.
Recipe (makes 12 cupcakes)
Gluten Free Nutella Marbled Cupcakes
- 1 box GF Yellow Cake Mix (Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Gluten Free Dreams is available at WholeFoods)
- 1/2 cup or about 12 tsp chocolate hazelnut spread (I used a crunchy version)
- 1 container chocolate frosting mix (Pamela’s Dark Chocolate Frosting Mix is awesome)
- Frangellico hazelnut liqueur or hazelnut coffee
- 12 whole hazelnuts for garnish (optional)
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Place about 1/3 cup of batter into lined cupcake pan. Microwave hazelnut spread for about 30 seconds or until softened slightly. Add 1 teaspoon of hazelnut spread to the center of the batter. Using a toothpick, swirl the hazelnut spread to creat a marble pattern. Repeat until all 12 cupcakes are prepared and bake according to package directions. Place on baking rack to cool before frosting.
Meanwhile, prepare chocolate frosting. Replace water with either Frangellico or hazelnut coffee. Frost each cupcake using an offset spatula. Garnish with a hazelnut in the middle and serve.
Strawberry Tea Cake
| April 13, 2011 | Filled under Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, Fruits |
I love lots of things, but my short list includes: my hubby, family/friends/dog Pucci, shoes, animal prints, and cake. Seriously, there are few cakes I have encountered in my life that I have not devoured and loved. Frozen Sarah Lee cakes as a kid, mom’s homemade apple cake, fancy restaurant chocolate cake… you get it. So now that I’m gluten free, my cake eating is limited to basically cake I make myself. And too much cake = too much muffin top. Since summer is around the corner (actually it’s here already in Scottsdale), I better make a figure friendly cake without fatty oils and butters like this strawberry cake. With this cake, I get to indulge in its berry cakey goodness without the guilt of say a cake from anywhere else.
This recipe is adapted from the muffin recipe on the back of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix bag and is super easy to make. Important note: do not over mix the batter or you will end up with strawberry bricks. Be really delicate with the batter and only stir until ingredients are just combined.
I layered the strawberries between the batter but if you don’t feel like it, you can just mix the berries in the with batter and bake in the pan - it’s equally delicious and cuts down the prep time. And you can make this cake with any berries you like or even throw in some nuts for a little protein and crunch.
Strawberry Tea Cake (egg-free)
Recipe (makes 2 mini cakes)
- 1 1/4 cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix*
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg replacer (I use Ener-G brand)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sliced organic strawberries
Special Equipment: two 2″x5″ mini loaf pans (store bought disposables are great too)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except strawberries. Gently mix together until just combined. Line loaf pans with parchment paper. Scoop one quarter of the batter into each of the tins and smooth to cover bottom. Place a single layer of sliced berries over batter. Divide remaining batter between cakes and smooth. Place a layer of berries down the middle. Bake for 30 – 32 minutes. Place on racks to cool.
*Note about Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix: this product contains cultured buttermilk and almond meal. so not dairy or nut-free. This stuff is also kind of amazing for whipping up just about anything and it’s my go to pantry item.
I love lots of things, but my short list includes: my hubby, family/friends/dog Pucci, shoes, animal prints, and cake. Seriously, there are few cakes I have encountered in my life that I have not devoured and loved. Frozen Sarah Lee cakes as a kid, mom’s homemade apple cake, fancy restaurant chocolate cake… you get it. So now that I’m gluten free, my cake eating is limited to basically cake I make myself. And too much cake = too much muffin top. Since summer is around the corner (actually it’s here already in Scottsdale), I better make a figure friendly cake without fatty oils and butters like this strawberry cake. With this cake, I get to indulge in its berry cakey goodness without the guilt of say a cake from anywhere else.
This recipe is adapted from the muffin recipe on the back of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix bag and is super easy to make. Important note: do not over mix the batter or you will end up with strawberry bricks. Be really delicate with the batter and only stir until ingredients are just combined.
I layered the strawberries between the batter but if you don’t feel like it, you can just mix the berries in the with batter and bake in the pan - it’s equally delicious and cuts down the prep time. And you can make this cake with any berries you like or even throw in some nuts for a little protein and crunch.
Strawberry Tea Cake (egg-free)
Recipe (makes 2 mini cakes)
- 1 1/4 cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix*
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg replacer (I use Ener-G brand)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sliced organic strawberries
Special Equipment: two 2″x5″ mini loaf pans (store bought disposables are great too)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except strawberries. Gently mix together until just combined. Line loaf pans with parchment paper. Scoop one quarter of the batter into each of the tins and smooth to cover bottom. Place a single layer of sliced berries over batter. Divide remaining batter between cakes and smooth. Place a layer of berries down the middle. Bake for 30 – 32 minutes. Place on racks to cool.
*Note about Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix: this product contains cultured buttermilk and almond meal. so not dairy or nut-free. This stuff is also kind of amazing for whipping up just about anything and it’s my go to pantry item.
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