Ugh! It’s been a CRAZY last week! Sorry to miss out on posting. But, I am back and ready to share some fun/ creative Sweet Treat Swap ideas! Here’s one of my little sister’s (Krysti) holiday favorites! Looking forward to hearing from anyone out there who might try this! Have a great day.

*Tomorrow’s post is all about crafts and reindeer! Get your glue sticks ready!

———————————————————————————————-

Bapa’s Favorite German Chocolate Cake:

So my husband mourned when our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeliac_disease ) and we all went gluten-free. We thought we were leaving all our favorite treats and comfort foods in the dust along with our happiness (;P just kidding); And with our happiness went my husband’s one true joy  -German Chocolate cake. This is a favorite that is sadly, put aside with a gluten free diet. A favorite that is craved, a favorite that is drooled over at parties, and longed for at the bakery. For most Celiacs we try to substitute cake with a dry, rice bran version of crumbly grossness. Well,when I saw how devastated Brian was when he thought he wouldn’t ever get his favorite cake ever again in our house I was determined to give it to him in a form that the whole family could enjoy and would be equal in enjoyment and taste. The first 4 cakes I made were in a word, gross-crumbly, dry, gritty, and had a faint after taste of raw bean flour that you just couldn’t get past and yes, he talked about the grossness for months!!! So, I rolled up my sleeves and took all the good qualities of the recipes I had and my new-found knowledge of gluten-free flours and made a gluten-free German chocolate cake that rocked his world and wowed the whole family. I kept getting comments like, “are you sure this is gluten-free?”; “wow, now, this is a good cake. Too bad it isn’t gluten-free, then Beleza could have some” (followed by shock when I offered a piece to my daughter). We always like cakes like this one for the winter holidays. I especially like this one because, well, the coconut frosting with the butter cream frosting looks like snow! And it’s so delicious. Enjoy with a nice hot mug of coffee, espresso, or hot chocolate and remember to add and subtract to make this your very own deliciously-deceptive gluten-free creation.

What you will need:

* 4 ounces gluten-free sweet German chocolate

* 6 eggs, separated

* 2 cups sugar, divided

* 1 cup butter or butter substitute

* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla (Has to PURE vanilla or it will have gluten in it)

* 2 cups rice flour (or I like to use super fine sweet rice flour)

* 2 tablespoons arrowroot (or cornstarch which I used)

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* ½ teaspoon salt

* 1 cup buttermilk

How to make it:

1. Melt chocolate and allow to cool.
2. In small mixing bowl beat egg whites until frothy. Add ½ cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Set aside.
3. Using large mixing bowl, cream butter with remaining sugar and vanilla (I also added about a tsp of Kahlua, it added a hint of coffee that I really like) until fluffy.
4. Add egg yolks and beat well.
5. Blend in chocolate.
6. Sift rice flour with cornstarch/arrowroot, baking powder, soda and salt. Add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition until smooth. Fold in beaten whites. (I just used my stand mixer and actually beat the white in until the mixture was fluffy)
7. Pour into three 8-inch or 9-inch layer pans lined on bottom with wax or parchment paper.
8. Bake at 350 degrees  for about 30 minutes or until a tooth pick or butter knife come clean. Do not over cook or your sides will turn out a little dry and will crumble when you try to frost it. I tend to under cook most of my gluten-free creations by just a little, keeps things more moist and helps it stay together
9. Cool. Frost and enjoy!

Coconut Frosting for the middle and the top:

1. 1 cup white sugar
2. 3 egg yolk (use the yokes from your egg whites)
3. 1/2 cup margarine or butter
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   1/3 cup evaporated milk

1. In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine and vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Spread on cake while still warm.

Butter Cream frosting for the sides and some for the middle: FYI this is my husband’s recipe and it totally rocks

1. one stick of butter (melted)
2. 4 cups confectioners sugar
3. 2 Tbs of heavy whipping cream
4. 1 tsp vanilla

In a stand mixture start with butter and about a half cup sugar and whip until creamed. Than add about ¼ cups sugar until all is creamed and slightly fluffy. Add the whipping cream and whip on high until fluffy than add vanilla and whip until desired fluffiness.

Once cakes are semi cooled but still a little warm put a layer of butter cream frosting than a layer of coconut frosting on the first layer. Put the top layer on and frost the sides with the butter cream frosting. add a generous amount of coconut frosting to the top. Take chopped pecans and sprinkle on the sides over the butter cream frosting.

Serve with coffee and maybe a small (yeah right small.. haahha) scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

-Krysti Abreu