Category: Dessert

Carrot Cake

Created on 8/16/2024

Ingredients:

Bread Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar¹ firmly packed
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (235 ml) cooking oil use canola, avocado, or vegetable oil
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (340 g) grated carrots² peel before grating
  • 1 cup (125 g) chopped walnuts or pecans optional

Cream Cheese

  • ½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) unsalted butter softened
  • 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar

Baking Instructions:

Step One: Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 9×13″ pan by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides

Step Two: In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

Step Three: Add your canola oil and melted butter and stir well (batter will be pretty stiff and thick at this point, I usually use an electric mixer or my stand mixer to combine everything nicely)

Step Four: Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Then stir in vanilla extract. Then Stir in carrots and nuts (if using) until ingredients are well-combined

Step Five: Evenly divide carrot cake batter into prepared baking pans and bake on 350F for approximately 45-50 minutes

Step Six: Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto cooling rack to cool completely

Cream Cheese Instructions:

Step One: Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free

Step Two: Add vanilla extract and sprinkle salt into the bowl and stir well to combine

Step Three: With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until ingredients are completely combined (be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula)

Step Four: Once your cake has cooled completely, cover with frosting

Gluten Free Cinnamon Bread

Created on 7/8/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blends)
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
  • 10 tablespoons (54 g) cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk at room temperature
  • 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CINNAMON-SUGAR MIXTURE

  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

FOR THE (OPTIONAL) GLAZE

  • 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk plus more by the 1/4 teaspoonful as needed

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line with unbleached parchment paper a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan and set it aside

Step Two: In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well

Step Three: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The batter will be thick and fluffy

Step Four: In a small bowl, place the granulated sugar and cinnamon, and mix to combine well

Step Five: Scrape half of the quick bread batter into the prepared loaf pan, and spread into an even layer with a wet spatula

Step Six: Place half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top and shake into an even layer

Step Seven: Place the remaining batter on top followed by the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture, in the same manner

Step Eight: Using a wet butter knife at an angle perpendicular to the bottom of the loaf pan, carefully swirl the batter in all directions. The top of the batter should be craggy and uneven

Step Nine: Place the loaf pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F

Step Ten: Lower the oven temperature to 325°F, rotate the loaf pan 180°, and continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached, and the top is light golden brown and firm to the touch (about another 15 minutes)

Step Eleven: Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the baking pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Created on 5/28/2024

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (without xanthan gum)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt

Step Two: In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla

Step Three: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened

Step Four: Pour the batter into two greased 8×4-inch loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops of each with the walnuts

Step Five: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool the loaves in their pans for 10 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and put them on wire racks. Let them cool completely to room temperature

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Created on 5/24/2024

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cups (225g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
  • 1/4 cup (25g) almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) butter
  • 1 tablespoon milk of choice
  • 3/4 cup (160g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
  • sea salt for sprinkling optional

Instructions:
Step One: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside

Step Two: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally

Step Three: Once the butter is melted and begins to foam, stir continuously to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the skillet. The butter will change from yellow to golden brown quickly and will have a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a medium bowl

Step Four: Add the milk, brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter. Whisk to combine.

Step Five: Whisk in the egg and vanilla until smooth and creamy

Step Six: Using a rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips

Step Seven: Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 5 days

Step Eight: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats

Step Nine: Scoop the cookie dough into round balls, about 2 tablespoons per ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart

Step Ten: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set

Step Eleven: Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Notes:

Gluten-Free Flour: Be sure to use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I use King Arthur Flour Measure-for-Measure Flour. Other 1:1 gluten-free flours that contain xanthan gum such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour will also work. Dairy-Free: Skip steps 2-3 and simply use melted dairy-free butter (note that dairy-free butter will not brown). Omit the milk. Use dairy-free chocolate chips. 

Coffee Cake

Created on 12/23/2022

Ingredients:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 box instant Jello French Vanilla (do NOT use Cook and Serve Jello)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 box yellow cake mix, I recommend Betty Crocker
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • Baker’s Joy non stick spray (this is the only spray I’ve used that successfully keeps the cake from sticking, Pam doesn’t not work)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Hersey’s cocoa special dark mix
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Step One: Preheat over to 350 degrees

Step Two: Mix all ingredients in a standing mixer. Spray Baker’s Joy on the inside of the coffee cake pan. Add mixture to the coffee cake pan

Step Three: Allow the cake to cook for about 35 minutes. Use a wooden skewer, and stick it into the middle part of the cake. If the cake mixture comes out on the wooden stick, then keep cooking the cake for an additional five minutes and repeat with the wooden stick. If the the wooden stick comes out of the cake clean, then the cake is ready to take out of the oven

Step Four: Mix together the sugar, cocoa mix, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake and enjoy!