Cakes & Cupcakes Archive

Looking for a wonderful Mother’s Day dessert! How about Coconut Cream Chocolate Gateau? (In case you are not familiar with the word Gateau, it is German word for a rich or fancy cake.)

You probably will not believe me when I tell you that not only is this cake makes from all raw ingredients, it is also a cakes full of healthy ingredients.

The original recipe is from Pamela Vinten’s and is included in her “Amazing Gluten-Free Chocolate” ebook.

Coconut Cream Chocolate Gateau

Coconut Cream Chocolate Gateau

Ingredients

    Chocolate Fudge Ingredients
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 ¼ cup pitted and soaked dates
  • ¼ cup cacao powder
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • Coconut Cream Ingredients
  • 3 cups desiccated (fine) coconut
  • ½ cups coconut oil – melted
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1/8 cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup agave
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Frosting Ingredients
  • 1 ½ avocadoes
  • ½ cup pitted and soaked dates
  • ¼ cup cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon agave
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

    Fudge Instructions:
  1. Process nuts to a fine texture.
  2. Add cacao powder, vanilla and dates and process until the mixture comes together
  3. Line a 15cm (6in) diameter tin with cling wrap. Press 1/3 mixture into base
  4. Coconut Cream Instructions:
  5. Combine coconut with the water.
  6. Add rest of ingredients and mix well
  7. Spread ½ on top of chocolate fudge layer
  8. Take ½ of remaining chocolate fudge and form into a round the same diameter as the tin. Carefully place on top of coconut cream and pat down
  9. Spread with remaining coconut cream
  10. Form another round with the remaining chocolate fudge and again carefully place on top of coconut cream layer
  11. Place in fridge overnight to set
  12. Frosting Instructions
  13. Process all ingredients except oil to a creamy mousse like consistency
  14. Add oil and process to combine. Adjust sweetness if necessary
  15. Frost sides and top of cake, reserving some frosting for decoration
  16. Store in an airtight container in the fridge
http://glutenfreeveganliving.com/coconut-cream-chocolate-gateau-for-mother/

If you like this recipe, you will love  Pamela Vinten’s “Amazing Gluten-Free Chocolate” ebook.  Not only are ALL her recipes Gluten Free and (mostly) vegan, they are also raw and healthy!!

Here are some of the wonderful features you will find in her ebook:

–Pam’s recipes do nAmazing-Gluten-Free-Chocolateot contain any grains at all .. . They are all totally gluten free

–None of Pam’s recipes use processed foods…. In fact they only use natural whole foods as mother nature intended

–None of the recipes include Milk, so avoids the problem of lactose or casein intolerance often associated with celiac disease.

–The recipes are high in anti-oxidants to support good health

–The raw chocolate in each recipe is sweetened with agave or maple syrup. (Or you can use coconut nectar)

–Many recipes use coconut oil which has earned the title “the healthiest oil on the planet” and it is also “fat burning”

Check out the “Amazing Gluten Free Chocolate ebook (and enjoy guilt free desserts)!!

 

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Easy Gluten Free Coffee Cake

Posted November 2, 2012 By Sandy

My husband, Malcolm and I are cooking for our annual Holistic Fair in Clarkston, Washington tomorrow.  This year’s fair is the first that is sponsored by our Center for Spiritual living and we are pretty excited about it!  But the menu planning and cooking is a huge task (of course, we are presenting a Gluten Free Vegan menu — with a few other dishes on the side!)

But before I go to help with the Holistic Fair, I wanted to quickly share a recipe I found:  Easy Gluten Free Coffee Cake.  The original recipe is by Maria and featured in the Wayfaring Teacher blog.

Easy Gluten Free Coffee Cake

Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Maria, Wayfaring Teacher
Serves: 16 small pieces
Ingredients
  • 3/4 c coconut milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/4 c brown rice flour
  • 1/3 c agave nectar
  • 1/3 c melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Ingredients for topping: 1/2 c brown rice flour
  • 1/8 c xylose coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 3-4 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Topping: Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Add the solid oil and start crushing it with fingers. Continue incorporating the oil until a loose crumb forms. If it is too dry, add more oil.
  3. Cake: Mix the milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle.
  4. In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Add the milk mixture, vanilla, oil, and agave nectar. Mix until the batter forms. It will be thick and bubbly.
  6. Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth it out.
  7. Press the topping on top of the batter.
  8. Bake for 40 minutes or do the toothpick test. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting or serving.

 

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Red Velvet Cupcakes for Halloween

Posted October 25, 2012 By Sandy

Holidays are fun times to experiment with different and decorative foods.  Living Without posted this interesting recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes for Halloween.  The cupcakes are gluten free, dairy free and egg free — so are perfect, in my opinion!

Check them out and see what you think!

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Halloween

Recipe Type: Holiday Desserts
Author: Cybele Pascal on Living Without website
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum
  • ¾ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup rice milk
  • ¾ teaspoon cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2¼ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 3 tablespoons rice milk
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon natural red food coloring
  • 1 recipe Velvet Frosting
  • – Natural orange food coloring
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
  2. Measure out flour mix by spooning flour into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife. (Do not scoop the flour directly with the measuring cup or you’ll wind up with too much flour for the recipe). Whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Combine the rice milk and cider vinegar. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the natural red food coloring and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Sift in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the rice milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  5. Divide batter equally among muffin liners, smoothing down the surface with a frosting spatula or butter knife.
  6. Bake cupcakes in the center of preheated oven for 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time.
  7. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack about 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
  8. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with Velvet Frosting. Top each with a Halloween party favor. Once frosting has set, store covered at room temperature. Extras can be frozen for eating later.

 

Photo courtesy of Living Without online magazine

To find out how to make the icing, check out the original recipe!

What I like about this recipe is you can make it for any holiday and decorate it accordingly.  Cupcakes are so fun and kids, especially, really like them.  The ingredients are good healthy ingredients — just as long as you don’t get too carried away with the icing!

What is your favorite Halloween dish?  Do you have a special dessert or dish that you serve?  If so, please share it with us!

 

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Raw Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Posted October 23, 2012 By Sandy

Remember last week when we talked about the Raw Food Movement?  Well, I have found another excellent recipe for Raw Blueberry Chocolate Cake (actually, it looks more like pie!) from one of the referenced sites:  Raw Power Australia

Notice the way many of the items are processed — still keeping the “raw” distinction.

Here is the recipe she sent me from her email list:

Raw Blueberry Chocolate Cake

Recipe Type: Desset
Author: Michelle Ovens, Raw Power Australia
Serves: 8 generous portions
Ingredients
  • Pastry: 1 cup oat grouts
  • 1 cup almonds (dry)
  • 1 cup dried apricots, soaked in water for 4 hours
  • Filling: 2 cups cashews dry
  • 2 -3 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons raw dark agave nectar
  • 3 tablespoons raw chocolate powder made from crushed cacao beans or nibs
Instructions
  1. To make the pastry: Grind the almonds and oat grouts into a fine flour using a coffee mill or a Vita Mix or Vitacrush dry jug.
  2. Transfer to a food processor saving about 1 tablespoon for rolling out the pastry. Switch on the processor and drop the apricots down the chute. As the apricots become blended, a dough like consistency should form. If it doesn’t, add some soaked apricot water. Once the mixture forms a ball, switch the machine off and remove the dough.
  3. Place some of the saved flour onto a chopping board. Put the dough on this and then add more flour onto the dough. Start to flatten and roll the pastry as you would any other pastry. Make it wide enough to add to an eight inch (20cm) tart dish. One rolled, line your tart dish with cling film (though I prefer to use baking paper) and place the pastry on top of that. Press the pastry into the dish and cut the edges off.
  4. Place the tart in a dehydrator for 2 hours. The pastry will harden slightly. Carefully remove the pastry from the dish by turning it upside down. Remove the cling film/baking paper. Put the formed shell back on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 2 more hours. Removing it from the dish like this enables more warm air to reach the underside of the pastry and crisps it up.
  5. When the pastry shell is ready, remove it from the dehydrator and put it to one side.
  6. To make the filling: Remove the remaining ingredients, except one cup of blueberries to a Vita Mix or high powdered blender. Blend all the ingredients until the cashews are completely broken down and the mixture is smooth.
  7. Pour this mix into your pastry and spread it to the edges. Place the remaining blueberries on top. Put this into a freezer for at least one hour before serving.
  8. This keeps for many weeks in a freezer: just defrost it for half an hour before cutting and serving.

 

Sounds incredibly yummy!  Of course, living near the Rocky Mountains, I would use huckleberries rather than blueberries — but then you could probably use all kinds of different fruits or berries to make this dessert.

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Raw Chocolate Cake

Posted October 18, 2012 By Sandy

If you have not been introduced the the “Raw Movement”, you are going to be surprised  by this Raw Chocolate Cake.

But before we get to the Raw Chocolate Cake recipe, I want to introduce you a few people and places that promote raw food:

Of course they are numerous folks in the Raw Food Movement, but these two are my favorites to read and follow on the internet. (Notice:  Both are from California which is another subject all in itself!)

So what exactly is raw food:  Well it is what it says, raw foods, but it also means non-processed or not cooked over 105 degrees.  It is believed that essential nutrients and enzymes in foods are destroyed or at least compromised when they are heated over 105 degrees.

Personally, I think there is lots to be said about raw foods:  First they are in there nature form, second, they are not altered by heating or changing their natural form in any manner.  Raw food diets may include a selection of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains and legumes.  For more information, check out either of the sites above or Wikipedia‘s article on Raw Food.

Now, on to our featured recipe:  The Road Not Processed By Bridge

Photo courtesy of The Road Not Processed

Raw Chocolate Cake

Recipe Type: Raw Dessert
Author: Bridge from The Road Not Processed
Ingredients
  • Inside layers/crust: 1 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup whole flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1/4 cup raw wildflower honey
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Frosting: 1 small ripe hass avocado
  • 2 very ripe large bananas
  • 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/4 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Toppings: goji berries, cacao nibs, mulberries, kiwi berries, hemp seeds, etc. (optional, but nice)
Instructions
  1. Blend all the ingredients for the crust in a food processor until all is mixed and the texture is pliable. Place crust in a baking dish, pan, anything really that can form about 1 inch thick of crust. Pat down and store in fridge while you move on to the next step..
  2. Place all ingredients for frosting in food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
  3. Take the crust out of fridge and cut into even sections of your preferred amount. For example, 4 sections will make two pieces of cake.
  4. Spread frosting onto each cake piece and stack on top of each other.
  5. Add toppings to preference.
  6. Store in fridge, the frosting thickens up a bit from the coconut oil.

If this looks really interesting, and you are looking for similar dessert recipes, check out the Amazing Gluten Free Chocolate book.  The recipes are fantastic and use mostly raw foods!

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Gluten Free Vegan Dessert Day!

Posted September 20, 2012 By Sandy

What is more fun than a Gluten Free Vegan Dessert Day!!

I have found several recipes on a couple different sites that offer some wonderful Gluten Free Vegan Desserts!

First is Living Without’s Gluten Free Pound Cake!  To give you a quick look at what is in this Pound Cake, check out the ingredients below:

3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons guar gum or xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter or dairy-free margarine of choice
2 large eggs or egg replacement*
1 cup milk or dairy-free milk of choice (coconut milk works well)
3-4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or other gluten-free flavoring extract

If you want to see the rest of the recipe and the extra tips, read the full recipe!

————————-

I also found a wonderful site/post called Shape with ELEVEN luscious Gluten Free Vegan Desserts!

Here is the list of what they have:

  • Chocolate Panna Cotta (very decadent!)
  • Chunky Monkey Ice Cream (great with the pound cake above!)
  • Raw Cookie Dough (that is good for you!)
  • Key Lime Pie (you won’t believe what is in this pie!)
  • Gooey Louie Bean Brownies (unbelievably good)
  • Peppermint Patties (lots of coconut ingredients)
  • Lime Raspberry Cheesecake (contains tofu)
  • Thin Mint Cookies (like the Girl Scout cookies, only GF and Vegan)
  • Herbal Lemon Sorbet (for adults only!)
  • Blueberry Apple Pie (lovely Gluten Free crust)
  • Fondue Dip (dates, avocado and maple syrup!)

Check out the recipes and pictures on Shape’s Healthy Eating Section.

————————————-

If those Gluten Free Vegan Dessert dishes are not enough for you, check out my Squidoo page on Lover’s Blush Tart  for the most decadent dessert!

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Gluten Free Honey Cakes

Posted September 10, 2012 By Sandy

Finding a good Gluten Free Vegan cake is not so easy to find.  But I found this recipe for Honey Cakes that is Gluten Free, Eggless and uses Buckwheat flour.

Check this out and tell me what you think:

Picture courtesy of http://elrasbaking.blogspot.com/2012/09/vegan-gluten-free-honey-cake-using.html?showComment=1346864585541

Gluten Free Honey Cakes
Recipe Type: Cakes, desserts
Author: Inspired by Chef Chloe’s vegan cake recipes
Serves: 14 ‘cakes’
Eggless, Gluten Free Honey Cake Using Buckwheat and Coconut Milk Recipe. Originally posted here: http://elrasbaking.blogspot.com/2012/09/vegan-gluten-free-honey-cake-using.html?showComment=1346864585541
Ingredients
  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/4 rice flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamoms
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
  2. In a medium size bowl, mixed together the following dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamoms, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix using a hand whisk. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl add honey (or maple sugar), turbinado sugar, brown sugar, coconut milk, canola oil, and brown rice vinegar. Using a hand whisk, mix until well blend.
  4. Pour this mixture into flour mixture, mix just enough to blend the ingredients together.
  5. Spoon into prepared cup cake paper molds.
  6. Bake in the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes (depending the size of mold you are using). Or, until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs cling to it.
  7. Remove from oven, and cool for a two minutes in the molds, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, drenched the cooled cake into cinnamon sugar if desire.

 

As you can probably guess, I would use coconut oil instead of the canola oil.

Also, I agree with the author that coconut milk is the best (Almond milk is also good, but unfortunately, I am allergic to almonds!! 🙁 )

For more tips, check out the original post!

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Gluten Free Coffee Cake in a Coffee Mug

Posted August 3, 2012 By Sandy

This recipe, Gluten Free Coffee Cake in a Coffee Mug, was too cute to pass up!  Great snack for one person with lots of good Gluten Free Vegan ingredients.

I especially like this concept because there is just me and my husband.  If I make a whole cake pan full of coffee cake,  … guess what happens!!  So a one coffee mug serving would be perfect!  I might even make two and share with him!!

“All For One” Coffee Cake

For the crumb topping:

1 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut (I used reduced fat coconut.)
1/2 Tablespoon almond meal
1 teaspoon applesauce
pinch salt
sweetener to taste (I used 1/2 packet of stevia.)

For the cake:

2 Tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon egg replacer plus 4 Tablespoons of water
1/4 cup applesauce
sweetener to taste (I use 1-2 packets of stevia.)

Preparation:

1.  Mix all the ingredients for the cake in a bowl and stir until completely combined. Pour into a large, greased, microwave-safe mug and set aside.
2.   Now mix all the ingredients for the crumb topping until completely combined, and sprinkle on top of the coconut flour mixture in the mug. Microwave for about 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on it to cook it shorter or longer as needed because microwave cooking times vary so greatly. (Just note: It took 2:30 in my microwave, but my microwave is older than I am.) Let cool for a few minutes.

READ FULL POST

Do you make any one serve Gluten Free Vegan ‘goodies’ such as the Coffee Cake above?  Please share if you do!!

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Gluten Free Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

Posted July 31, 2012 By Sandy

Chocolate cupcakes are the best!  But what about Gluten Free Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes?  The Gluten Free (and Vegan) option is obvious, but what is Mexican Chocolate?

You are in for a treat with these Chipotle-spiced Chocolate Cupcakes:

Gluten Free Vegan Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Chipotle Chocolate Cupcakes

*½ cup superfine white rice flour
*1/3 cup superfine brown rice flour
*1/3 cup superfine sweet rice flour
*1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unflavored rice milk
½ cup Chipotle Vegenaise (for less spicy cut half and half with regular Vegenaise)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*in place of the flours and starch you can use 1½ cups all-purpose gluten free flour

Vegan Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting

1 cup all vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
3 cups powdered sugar
2 – 4 tablespoons rice milk

READ FULL RECIPE — including the directions!

I am not much of a ‘heat’ lover, so I would probably use just plain vegenaise!  But for those of you who live a little on the wild side, this recipe sounds just perfect!!

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Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

Posted June 29, 2012 By Sandy

Strawberries are some of the first new fruits of the season.  And along with strawberries is, of course, Strawberry Shortcake!  Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake cupcakes are even more fun!

The following recipe is especially interesting because the author, The Daily Dietribe blog, has avoided many of the “questionable” ingredients that are allergy triggers.

 Strawberry Shortcakes

(Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan)

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups white rice flour (422 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup coconut cream*
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon NuNaturals Liquid Stevia

Filling: 
Coconut cream**
Sliced strawberries

*For coconut cream, get a can of full-fat coconut milk. The cream rises to the top, so you can simply skim that off the top. There’s just about 1/2 cup of coconut cream on top generally.

*To get enough coconut cream for all 12 shortcakes, you’ll need a few cans. I’m not sure how many because it was too expensive for me to purchase that much. So I generally made a batch of cream from one can, made as many shortcakes as I could from that, and then ate the rest of the cupcakes plain or with Earth Balance Coconut Spread. To make the cream, I skimmed the cream off the top of the can, added a few drops of vanilla stevia to taste, and whipped it with a hand mixer until it resembled the texture of regular whipping cream.

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 12 muffin cupcake tin or use cupcake liners.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the orange juice, coconut cream, applesauce, vanilla extract and stevia with a hand mixer on medium for about 30 seconds. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, continuing to beat until completely mixed.
  4. Spoon batter into cups, filling each one completely. Bake for 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool a few minutes before removing cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool completely, then slice in half, filling with coconut cream and strawberries.

READ FULL POST — and make sure to check out the contest listed on the site!

We have made “whipped cream” from coconut milk many times.  Our method is to put the unopened cans in the refrigerator for several hours.  Once they are very cold, scoop the milk into a mixing bowl, add a bit of maple syrup and vanilla to the mix and beat well.  We use our Vitamix.  The cream is a bit runner than conventional whipped cream, but you don’t waste half the can with this method.

If you try this recipe, we find that Thai Kitchen Pure Coconut Milk works the best!

Do you have a unique recipe for non-dairy whipped cream that you would like to share with us?

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