Carrot Cake-Birthday Cake

recipe inspired by Elana's Pantry

  When trying to decide what kind of cake I wanted to make for my birthday, I first wished for a light, fluffy, vanilla bean cake covered in cinnamon nutmeg frosting, then a chocolate cake with whipped buttercream frosting, and ultimately decided on carrot cake.  My Grandma Flint makes the BEST carrot cake and it is one of the few things that I miss being Paleo and Gluten Free.  Changing a recipe from wheat to gluten free is not as easy as switching out the flour.  Since it is my birthday, and some things are worth cheating, frosting was worth it for me, for today. (only on special occasions do I really cheat, but never with gluten)

ingredients

3 c blanched almond flour

2 t sea salt

1 t baking soda

1 T ground cinnamon

1 t ground nutmeg

1/8 c applesauce

1/8 c grapeseed oil

1/4 c agave nectar

1/4 c honey

5 large eggs

3 c grated carrots

1 c raisins

1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped

Next time I will add 1 c shredded coconut to the mix as well.

Pre-heat oven to 325 F.  Grease 2 9-inch cake pans with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, applesauce, agave, honey, and eggs.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Fold in the carrots, raisins, and walnuts.  Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.  Let the cakes cool in the pans 1 hour, then frost.

ingredients- Coconut Butter Cream Frosting NOT PALEO

1 cube unsalted butter, softened

3 3/4 c powdered sugar

a dash of salt

4 T half & half

2 t vanilla extract, or to taste

1 t coconut extract

Cream butter, slowly add powdered sugar, salt, half & half, vanilla and coconut.  When cakes have cooled completely frost and layer on eachother.  Top cakes with coconut flakes.

I am Jessie, a modern-day CaveWoman. You can contact me at thecavewomanskitchen @ gmail (dot) com, if you are on twitter you can find my tweets here.

Apple Crisp

When we were invited to play games with some neighbors, I offered to bring something to snack on. (If I can control the food, I can make healthy lifestyle choices, and not rely on my self control).  Lucky for me our new friends are familiar with a gluten free lifestyle, and were excited to try something new.  This was a great dessert to warm us on a snowy night.

                                               

ingredients-filling

8 tart apples-Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into cubes

4 TBS grapeseed oil

2 TBS. honey

1 TBS arrowroot powder or 2 TBS cornstarch

1 tsp. cinnamon 

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla

To make the filling place apples in 9x9 baking dish.  Combine, grapeseed oil, honey and vanilla, toss with apples, making sure to evenly coat all the apples.  In a small bowl mix together arrowroot powder and cinnamon, sprinkle over apples.  Top with lemon zest.

ingredients-topping

2 c. blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 c. grapeseed oil, I use 1/2 grapeseed oil, 1/2 applesauce

1/4 c. agave nectar/honey

1 TBS. vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350.  To make the topping combine the almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.  In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the grapeseed oil, honey/agave nectar, and vanilla extract.  Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until coarsely blended and crumbly.  

At this point in will look more like throw up than a crumble.

Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, cover with aluminum foil.  Bake 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling.  Let the crisp cool for 30 minutes before serving.

I am Jessie, a modern-day CaveWoman. You can contact me at thecavewomanskitchen @ gmail (dot) com, if you are on twitter you can find my tweets here.