GLUTEN-FREE WALNUT CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Now you can hear that more and more people are allergic to the gluten, (Gluten is a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease.). During the time that I teach cake decorating one of my students is celiac, and she had to learn how to bake a cake that she can eat and also taste good, because the absence of gluten the texture of the cake is heavy, dry, it doesn't have the fluffy and light texture you can find in regular cake, thanks to the gluten.

I felt curiosity in this kind of cake, because my passion is to bake and part of my job too, that I bought a gluten free cake recipe book, but each cake need a lot of different flours, with weird names and difficult to find, so I decided not to make any of that recipes.

But my husband bought a tablet and it has an app about recipes and I started checking them and I found a gluten free desserts...mmm call my attention.. and it has a Carrot cake... good is exactly what I am looking.... read the ingredients, I have everything, nothing special,, so "hand to bake"... the result... the most delicious cake, moist, great texture that everybody at my family love it.... also I made the frosting, very good but for my taste very very sweet... but at the end I have a winner.... gluten free cake... Here is the recipe, I hope you can try it and enjoy a delicious gluten free cake...

Happy baking.

Ingredients


For the cake

4 eggs, divided and at room temperature
2 eggs whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup shredded carrot (4 medium)
1  20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained and squeezed dry
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnut pieces
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

For the filling

8 oz. cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 (1lb) box confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 F with rack in the center position. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans, (I prefer to use a spray with flour and grease): set aside.
Combine egg yolks with  brown sugar in a medium bowl and beat on high speed 2-3 minutes until very thick  and pale in color. Fold in shredded carrot, pineapple and vanilla extract; set aside.

 Pulse walnut pieces in a food processor until finely ground. Add cornstarch, baking soda, salt and spices; pulse to combine and set aside.

Beat egg whites and cream tartar in a large bowl until foamy. Slowly whisk in sugar and beat whites until stiff and glossy. Fold walnut mixture gently into whites, then fold blended whites gently into carrot mixture.
Spread mixture evenly in prepared pans and bake 20-25 minutes until cakes are lightly browned and have pulled away slightly from the sides of the pans. Allow cakes to cool 30-45 minutes in the pans. Run a knife around the edges of cakes to loosen from pan, and invert onto a wire rack.

Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until well-blended. Slowly beat in confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Place one cake round on stand or serving dish and spread 3/4 cup of frosting evenly over surface, leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of coconut and press lightly into the filling to set. Top with second layer, using remaining frosting to cover surface and sides of cake. Press remaining coconut evenly around sides and over top cake. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

TIP: If the frosting is to soft, chill it at the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes before filling and frosting the cake.

SWEET CORN CAKE WITH GUAVA PASTE

Some days ago I found a post in Facebook about a Corn Cake with guava paste recipe. It called my attention and immediately I started to prepared it.

 

The recipe is from a website called: "Cocina Costarricense" (Costa Rican Cuisine). This website has a lot of recipes from Costa Rica, that are so delicious, easy to make and show the way we cook in this little country of Centro America, Costa Rica.

 

This cake is so easy to make, that you don't need a measure cups, you only need a can of sweet corn and use the same can to measure the rest of ingredients, fools proof.  It doesn't matter the size of the can you cake will be perfect. You decide how big or small cake you want.

 

Now, here is the recipe

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 can of sweet corn drained

1 can of sugar*

1 can of milk*

1 can of all purpose flour*

1/2 can of vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tablespoon of baking powder

Little pieces of guava paste

1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

 

*use the same can of the corn

 

Directions

 

Preheat the oven 350 and grease a pan.

 

Put all the ingredients in the blender, except the baking powder, until have a smooth batter. Add the baking powder and just blend until is incorporated, not over mix.

 

In a small container, put the guava paste, cut in small pieces, and add  the flour to cover very well the guava paste.

 

Pour the batter into a prepared pan and put softly the guava pieces over the batter.

 

Bake for 45 minutes until the toothpick comes clean and the cake is golden brown.

 

The texture of the cake is very similar to a cheesecake but firmer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



HOMEMADE BREAD (PAN CASERO)

Homemade bread or Pan Casero as we call it in Costa Rica is very popular. It is a soft, fluffy bread with a touch of sweetness that allow to eat with butter and jelly, or in this case filled with cream cheese and guava jelly, and of course with a fresh brewed black coffee.

This bread has a very particular flavor of the yeast and the amount of sugar on it make a sweet bread that you can not stop eat it. It is a bread with a soft flavor that you can put on it butter, jelly, honey, cream cheese, even a slice of yellow american cheese, ham or mortadela. Make your own choice and enjoy...

Some days ago I was looking at Facebook's posts, and called my attention of photo of a brown, water mouth home bread (pan casero) that my cousin Edith posted that I couldn't resist to asked her for the recipe. 

 

PAN CASERO

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter
2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 tablespoon of yeast
3 eggs
2.2 lb  (1 kg) of all purpose flour
3 ounces cream cheese
guava paste
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of sugar

Directions

Melt the butter. Put aside.

Heat the milk and the sugar at the microwave until it reached a 120 temperature.
Pour the melt butter and mix.

Transfer the milk mixture to a big bowl, add the yeast and stir until is well combine.

In a small bowl, using a fork beat the eggs just to break the yolks and combine.

Add the eggs to the milk yeast mixture and stir until is well combine.

In one addition, add all the flour. With a wooden spoon, mix all the flour with the milk until you have a soft, sticky dough.

Cover with a clean towel and let to rise to double the size. Put the bowl in the off oven and turn on only the light to heat the oven enough the dough can rise. It can take a 1 1/2 or 2 hours.

 

When the dough has risen put it on a floured surface and cut 2 ounces pieces to make a ball. Flatten it and  fill with a little piece of the cream cheese and guava paste. Close to make a ball again and put seam down onto a grease baking sheet.

In a small bowl melt the butter at the microwave and add the sugar. With a pastry brush, paint the bread.

Turn your oven to 170 and put the baking sheet with the bread and let to rise again for 15 to 20 minutes until it double the size.

Without removing the bread from the oven, put the temperature to 350 and bake it for 25 minutes or until is golden brown.

CRANBERRY RICE PUDDING

For a cold day nothing better that a warm dessert, like a rice pudding with a special touch of orange zest and cranberries, perfect after a delicious dinner to warm the soul.

This is another recipe that I modified. Originally was with cherries, but I am a cranberry fan so I decided to change it. Looking at my pantry I found a bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, that I bought in December, and I thought it will be a good flavor for the rice..
but also I made it with regular vanilla or a bean vanilla and the result is very good too.

Because I like the rice pudding white as possible I put the cloves and cinnamon in a Stainless Steal Tea Ball Infuser, or also you can use a coffee filter. You put the species into the coffee filter and tie it to hold the spices. When you rice is ready put away the filter and you have a white rice with the flavor of the spices.

CRANBERRY RICE PUDDING

 Ingredients

2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 tablespoon of sugar
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 orange zest
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
ground nutmeg, for garnish, optional

Directions

In a medium pot, put the rice, water, milk, and sugar. Bring to boiled on medium heat. Stir to prevent to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Cover and cook until the rice is tender.

In a bowl pour the condensed milk with a half of water to dilute it. Set aside.

Add to the rice the cranberries, heavy cream and cooked for a 10 minutes stirring frequently until the pudding thickens slightly.

Add the condensed milk mixture to the rice and stir until is well combined. Cook for a minute. If it is to thick you can add more milk, as desired.

Turn the heat off and add the vanilla. Serve into individual bowls and garnish with nutmeg.

COCONUT BROWNIES

Sunday, my husband arrived from the supermarket with a magazine full of amazing recipes. One of them is this delicious coconut brownies.. (I think this week was, the Brownies Week, jaja). I couldn't resist the temptation and I jumped from the sofa and I started to make them. As always, I made a little changes to the recipe, but the result was awesome, chewy brownies filled with sweet coconut and a touch of almonds... Incredible delicious brownies..

COCONUT BROWNIES

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 bag (1lb) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup toasted silvered almonds, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to extend over the sides of the pan and spay the parchment paper with baking spray. Set aside.

In a large microwave-safe bowl combine butter and chocolate. Melt them at the microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Add the sugar stirring until is well combine. Add vanilla and eggs, one at the time, beating well after each addition.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stirring to combine. Pour the half of batter in the prepared pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together coconut, condensed milk and almonds, Spread coconut mixture over the batter in the pan. Evenly spread the remaining batter over the coconut mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool complete in pan on a wire rack. Using the excess of parchment paper as handles, lift the brownies out of the pan and cut into squares.

ORANGE CAKE

My sister, Ivannia, who lives in Costa Rica sent me this recipe. And here is our conversation.

Ivannia: "do it, it is delicious, but you need to use the whole orange included the peel"..

Me: " The peel?? I asked,

Ivannia: " yes, you need the peel, don't worry it tastes delicious and the orange flavor is wonderful".

Me: "But, does not it taste bitter?.

Ivannia: "No at all. Trust me do it.. "

Me: "Ok, I will try it"

and I did...

I found this is a very very easy and delicious recipe. I was afraid that the peel makes a bitter flavor to the cake, but I was wrong, the cake has a very good orange flavor that you can identify that you are eating an orange cake... Wonderful, amazing...

Try this cake, that the only thing you don't need is the seeds.. 

Here is the recipe.

ORANGE CAKE

 

 

Ingredients:

For the cake

1 medium orange unpeeled, (use orange with a thin peel) washed and chopped into squares, discard the seeds
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder

For the glaze

1 orange juice
2 full tablespoons of confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven 350 F, and prepared a bundt pan with baking spray.

At the blender, pour the orange, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and blend until is well combined and the peel is in very small pieces .

Pour this mixture into a ball and add the flour mixed with the baking powder. Gently stir until is well combined.

Pour this batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until you insert a baking tester and it comes clean.

Let the cake cool but still warm, and glaze it.

For the glaze: combined the orange juice with the confectioner's sugar until the sugar melts. Let the cake cool complete before cut it.

EDIBLE GLUE

 

Edible Glue is so easy to make, in a small container with lid,  just add two tablespoons of warm water to a quarter of Tylose Powder (also you can use Gumtex from Wilton) and mix.

The powder doesn't melt at all, but put the container with the lid at the refrigerator overnight and the next day it will be clearly and ready to use.

Use only a little bit of the glue to put the pieces of your figurine, flower,etc, if you use too much the pieces will slip down.

Let the glue dry just until is sticky enough to put the other piece.