Adapted from Erin McKenna’s Recipe in Babycakes, a vegan, gluten-free cookbook.
When my son’s girlfriend comes to visit, I have a partner in crime in the kitchen. We both enjoy cooking and eating. The only difference is that she’s tall and thin– and I’m not! The challenge is creating the stuff we love that she can eat. She needs to eat gluten-free. It’s not a life-style choice. Many of our successes are posted elsewhere in this blog. A lot of what we’ve done has been blind experimentation. We found some good conceptual recipes, too, that provide information on how these unusual ingredients work.
Christmas afforded time to really experiment. Here’s one we adapted from the Babycakes cookbook. With no need to be vegan, we used eggs and butter with abandon. The recipe requires faith. If you lick your fingers when you flip the finished cake out of the pan, you may want to throw it out– just keep going!How bad can any cake recipe be that starts with — Bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies!
Chocolate Chip Cookies (italicized ingredients are our modifications)
- 1 c. corn oil
- 6 tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp almond extract
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 c. Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 c. chocolate chips
Preheat over to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, sugar, and egg. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Using rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed through the dough.
Using a melon scoop or one of those small ice cream scoops, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 1 inch apart. Gently press each with the hell of your hand to help spread them. Back the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, rotating sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center.
Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Now– don’t stop here. Have a glass of milk and a couple of cookies and get ready for the cake.
The Illustrious Triple Chocolate Fat Pants Cake
- 3/4 c. Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
- 1 c. white rice flour
- 1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. potato starch
- 1/4 c. arrowroot
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 2 tsps. salt
- idea: 1 egg
- 1 c. corn oil (plus more for the pans)
- 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsps. pure vanilla extract
- 1 c. hot, instant coffee
- 2 c. chocolate chips
- chocolate frosting
- 12 chocolate chip cookies
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line the bottoms of three 9 x 3-inch round cake pans with circles of parchment paper and coat lightly with oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, sugar, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add 1 cup oil, the egg, and the applesauce, vanilla, and coffee to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake the cake on the center rake for 24 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees after 12 minutes. The finished cakes will be firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Let the cakes stand in the pans for 20 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges. Cover the top of each pan with a cutting board and flip over. Carefully lift the pan away and invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Transfer one layer to a serving plate or a cake stand. Using a frosting spatula, gently spread a thick layer of frosting over the top of the cake. Break the cookies and crumble some evenly over the frosting. Place the second layer on top. Repeat the frosting/crumbling process. Set the third layer on top of the second layer and repeat the frosting/crumbling process one last time. Frost the sides. Cover the cake with a dome and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This cake is good the first day and even better the next– or as long as it lasts.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 lbs confectioner sugar
- 1/2 c. cocoa regular or special dark
- 1/2 c strong coffee or milk
In your mixer, cream the butter until it’s light and fluffy. Carefully add the cocoa into the butter, then begin to add the confectioner’s sugar slowly. When the mixture gets too stiff, add some coffee or milk a tsp at a time, beating after each addition. The goal is a big bowl of chocolate frosting of the perfect spreading consistency. This requires repeated sampling by the baker!
The Babycakes cookbook is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307408833/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=3048091961&ref=pd_sl_70gl60xkfq_b