Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Ganache

This moist cake is a chocolate lovers dream!  The zucchini creates a perfect texture, without revealing any zucchini flavor.  I'm not sure I'll make a chocolate cake any other way.  I love it best served with chocolate ganache.  You could also call it a brownie, and serve it as is.  

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla 

2 cups gluten free flour (I like featherlight best!)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups finely shredded zucchini (do NOT drain!)

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk, chips or chunks)

3/4 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar and vanilla.  Mix until fully incorporated.  Add GF flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until combined.  Batter will be very dry.  Fold in zucchini.  Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.  Add in chocolate chips and stir again.  Batter should appear more wet.  If not, let it rest for 5 more minutes and stir again.  Spread cake mixture into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking prepare the ganache.  Combine the Ghirrardelli milk chocolate chips and the heavy whipping cream in a small pan.  Stir over medium heat until chips melt and combine well with the cream.  Let it cool.

Cut individual pieces of cake, and spoon ganache over top.  Serve.  

Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes

These cupcakes are refreshingly delicious!  The fresh lemon flavored cupcakes with the sweet strawberry frosting is super yummy!  The homemade strawberry freezer jam in the frosting makes it taste really fresh!

3 cups featherlight flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 pint buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325º.  Line muffin tins with 24 liners.
In a small bowl combine GF flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer.  Add eggs, beating one at a time until combined.  Add lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and buttermilk.  Mix until combined.  Add flour a little at a time, until combined.
Divide batter among cupcake liners.  Bake at 325º for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Strawberry Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Strawberry Freezer Jam
3 tablespoons milk
6 cups powdered sugar

Add softened butter, vanilla and strawberry jam to a mixing bowl and mix until completely combined.  Add half the powdered sugar and mix until it's incorporated, then add the rest.  Mix until incorporated and add milk a tablespoon at a time, until it's the right consistency.  Spoon into a frosting bag using a 1 M tip.  Swirl frosting around on top of each cupcake.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

This is my all time favorite frosting!  In fact when my mom would make me German Chocolate Cake for my birthday, she would double or even triple the recipe, so there would be more frosting than cake.  I can eat this by the spoonful!

There was one day she made this and I remember it sitting on the counter all day.  Every time I'd walk by I'd swipe my finger across the top and lick the frosting off!  I remember thinking I was only taking a little here and a little there.  Unfortunately, by the end of the day the frosting was nearly gone.  Oops!

Last night was my son's half birthday!  Yes - 17 1/2!  Where did the time go?  Anyway, I made him 1/2 a cake!  We used King Arthur's Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix, and topped it with this recipe!

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 12 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add coconut and chopped pecans.  Stir well until thick enough to spread.  Let it cool then top your cake!

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Okay so can I just say, I have the most awesome husband on the planet?  He called me from work today and asked if we had vanilla pudding and whipping cream.  I wondered what he was up to and he just said it was a surprise!  I love surprises!

He came home from work and started whipping up these cupcakes!  Wow was I impressed!!  His mad cooking skills skills are admirable!  He adapted a regular recipe, to make it gluten free and it turned out amazing!  The cupcakes were delicious!  The cake was light and spongy, with the yummy pudding inside and the rich chocolaty ganache on top!

3/4 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups gluten free featherlight flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
5.1 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding
1 12 ounce bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350º.  In a mixing bowl cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  In a small bowl combine flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.  Pour dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix well.  Add the milk and the sour cream and mix well.

Pour batter into paper-lined muffin cups until they are about 2/3 full, filling all 24 cupcakes.  Bake at 350º for 15 - 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the instant vanilla pudding according to the instructions on the package.  Pour pudding into a pastry bag with a size 3 or 4 plain tip (or whatever you have).  Push the tip through the top of each cupcake until you can't see the tip anymore and fill each cupcake with 1 - 2 tablespoons pudding.

Place chocolate chips in a small bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil.  Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth.  Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.  Spoon over cupcakes.   Let stand until set.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield:  2 dozen

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

This is probably is most delicious gluten free chocolate cake recipe EVER!  I know that's quite a statement but you truly have to try it to believe it!  My sister introduced this recipe to me and WOW it's yummy!  The peanut butter cup inside and peanut butter frosting is to die for!  Just a warning:  it's sweet and rich - and ohhhh we love it!  I would totally make the homemade buttermilk with whipping cream!  I think it really makes a difference!

1 3/4 cup featherlight flour
1 scant teaspoon xanthan gum
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (1 tablespoon vinegar, almost 1 cup heavy whipping cream)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup hot water
24 Mini Reece's Peanut Butter cups (You'll need more for the top of the cupcake!)

Start by making the homemade buttermilk.  Put 1 tablespoon vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill the rest of the cup with heavy whipping cream.  Let it sit for at least 5 minutes.

Combine dry ingredients in your mixer.  In a small bowl add buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and mix with a fork.  Turn the mixer on low speed and gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stop and scrape down the bowl.  Return to low speed and gradually beat in hot water.  Mixture will be very thin.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.  While baking, remove foil from 24 peanut butter cups.  After the 10 minutes, open the oven and pull the rack out so you can place peanut butter cups in the center of the batter.  Push down until flush with batter.  Slide back in the oven and bake for another 8 - 10 minutes.  As it bakes, the batter will puff up around the peanut butter cups.   Test the side of the cupcake (where there is no peanut butter cup) to see if cupcake is done.

Cool on wire racks.  When completely cool, frost the cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting, using a large star piping tip.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cubes butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
12 Mini Reece's Peanut Butter cups

Cream peanut butter and butter together.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Whip on high speed until light and fluffy.  Transfer icing into a piping bag with a large star piping tip.  Pipe around the cooled cupcake, working towards the center.  Top with half a mini Reece's Peanut butter cup.

Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake!  It's so moist and delicious - especially with the cream cheese frosting!  Yum!

1 1/2 cups featherlight flour
1/2 cup gluten free flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded carrot
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs

In a bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Add carrot, oil, and eggs  Beat with an electric mixer till combined.

Pour into 2 greased and floured round baking pans.  Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans.  Cool thoroughly on racks.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.


Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
about 1 pound powdered sugar (maybe a little more)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend cream cheese and butter well.  Beat in powdered sugar.  And vanilla and beat.

Strawberry Shortcake

This is my mother-in-law's recipe!  It's a summer favorite and a huge hit at family gatherings!  The fresh strawberries combined with the cake and cream cheese topping are delish!
Just use my Gluten Free White Cake recipe!

White sheet cake
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, mostly thawed
1 package Strawberry Danish Dessert
5 - 6 cups strawberries, sliced

Make white cake and bake in a cookie sheet (13 x 18 inches) for 20 minutes.  Cool completely.  Whip together cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Add whipped topping and mix completely.  Spread on cooled cake.  Cook Danish Dessert according to package directions, using the Pie Glaze recipe on the box (1 3/4 cup water to 1 package Danish Dessert.)  Let cool.  Stir in strawberries.  Spread berry mixture over top of cake.  Chill.  Store in refrigerator.

White Cake

This white cake is delicious!  I like it best cooked in a cookie sheet.  It's a moist cake that is a little bit dense.  It's very good!  I like to use this recipe for Strawberry Shortcake!

3 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cup rice flour

¼ cup tapioca starch

½ cup potato starch

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and lemon yellow  Add butter and mix.  Mix dry ingredients, add to egg mixture, and stir to combine.  Add yogurt and vanilla and mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 - 20 minutes in a cookie sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes for 9 x 13, 30-35 minutes for 2 round 9” cake pans, and 15 – 20 minutes for cupcakes.