Tuesday 19 March 2013

Triple Chocolate Fat Pants Cake (or just an ordinary day)

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. - Jimmy Johnson

In my attempts to prepare more healthy foods for my family, a friend recommended the cookbook, Babycakes, by Erin McKenna.  It is a Vegan, Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar Free Recipe Book.  I am not Vegan...I do not need to eat a Gluten Free Diet...but...hmmm...these recipes were REALLY GOOD!
As I Flipped through her book...I was caught by one sentence in particular...
"The greatest misconception about cake is that making them requires an event-a birthday, a wedding, a long-awaited divorce.  But I am a firm believer in the idea that a cake is the occasion..."
Erin continues on to say that cakes can be made on any random day...and why not?

I was sold.

So I commenced to make my first Babycakes Cake...

My daughter made the cookie topping...
                                        My son made the icing...
                                                                I made the cake.
(And yes...it did turn a random day...into a bit of an adventure..and an occasion.)
(PS...I have links to more cake ideas at the bottom of this post.)

Erin's Babycakes Book was full of wonderful recipes.  It was nice to enjoy a dessert...and to know that it was healthier for us.

Check out Erin's Website:
Babycakes NYC

Triple Chocolate Fat Pants Cake 
(from Babycakes by Erin McKenna)

Directions in three parts:  cake, frosting, cookie topping

Ingredients for the cake:
3/4 cup Garbanzo-Fava Bean Flour
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 cups Evaporated Cane Juice
1/2 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Arrowroot
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
2 teaspoons Salt
1 cup Coconut Oil
1 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1 cup Hot Water or Hot Coffee
2 cups Vegan Chocolate Chips
Directions for cake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Line bottom of three 9 x 3 inch pans with parchment paper and lightly coat with oil
1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, evaporated cane juice, potato starch, arrowroot, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.
2.  Add coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth.
3.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
4.  Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
5.  Bake cakes on the centre rack for 24 minutes, rotating 180 degrees after 12 minutes.
(finished cakes will be firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean)
6.  Let cakes stand in the pans for 20 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:
1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Soy Milk
3/4 cup Dry Soy Milk Powder
1 Tablespoon Coconut Flour
1/4 Agave Nectar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
(plus natural food colouring if desired)
Directions for frosting:
1.  In a blender or food processor, combine soy milk, soy powder, coconut flour, agave nectar, and vanilla.  Blend for 2 minutes.
2. With the machine on low speed, slowly add the coconut oil and the lemon juice, until fully incorporated.
3.  Pour the frosting into an airtight container and refrigerate for 6 hours...or up to 1 month.

Ingredients for cookie topping:
1 cup Coconut Oil
6 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 cups Evaporated Cane Juice
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1/4 cup Flax Meal
1 1/2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
Directions for cookie topping:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and evaporated cane juice.  In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum.
2.  Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir unitl a grainy dough is formed.
3.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
4.  Using a melon baller or small spoons, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
5.  Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes.
6.  Let the cookies stand on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7.  Store any unused cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

If you, too, would like to make any day an extra special day with a homemade cake.  Give the babycakes cake a try....

OR...

I have provided links below to some more very delicious (sugar-full and not gluten-free) cakes that would be sure to impress as well.
Happy Baking!

Chocolate Malt Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Ruffled Lemon Cake
Strawberry Charlotte
Hungarian Cake
Raspberry Freeze Cake
Cream Puff Dessert
German Chocolate Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Fresh Strawberry Cake

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