I am not a baker.

 

 

 Baking is a precise science that requires measuring and patience, and fine tuning the ingredients.

After making one batch of carrot cake truffles, it looks like I just returned from an epic battle with the gingerbread man.

 So I’m saying: if you are a baker, go find a cake recipe book.  Really…they will nurture your spirit with delicate steps.

 However: if you are a barbarian in the kitchen, and you think a blow torch is a perfectly acceptable kitchen utensil, then this recipe is for you.  If you “eyeball” your baking soda, or guess on how much water to add, and think substituting ingredients is just part of the cooking process, then you are in the right place.  On the plus side, it tastes AMAZING.

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup roasted, sliced almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, maybe a small splash of almond extract as well
• 3 eggs

Icing:

• cream cheese
• powdered sugar
• butter

Topping:

• powdered sugar
• ginger powder
• nutmeg
• melted chocolate chips

Directions to the Madness

1) First, make the yellow cake.  

You Need:

• 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup roasted, sliced almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, maybe a small splash of almond extract as well
• 3 eggs

Now You Need To:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease and flour your cake pan (I use PAM or parchment paper and PAM).
3. Put the all purpose gluten free flour, baking powder, seasonings and salt into a large bowl.
4. In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating completely after each one.
5. Then add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating just to combine.
6. Finally, stir in vanilla, raisins and nuts, and then pour batter into the cake pan.
7. Here is a side note: bake this cake in a water bath – place tin on cookie sheet (or other tin with high sides); fill larger tin with boiling water while baking. This will give you an extremely moist cake.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F  for 40 to 45 minutes.

2) Second, make the frosting

1/2 package of powdered sugar to 1/2 stick of softened butter and 1/2 package of softened cream cheese.  Just put this in the Kitchen Aid until it’s fluffy.

3) Third, after the cake has cooled, gently crumble it with your hands

This is the hardest part, because it is like telling an artist, “I love your painting!  It is so beautiful and delicate.  So many subtleties.  Okay, now destroy it.”  But it’s what you need to do.

Add spoonfuls of the cream cheese frosting to the cake and use your hands to combine the two until it forms into neat balls.

4) Fourth, roll the balls in the Topping, and put a stick in it, it’s done!

 Put 2 cups of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and add nutmeg and ground ginger, and then roll the truffles in until they’re coated.

Place them on your dish, put a cake truffle stick in it, and place into the fridge to set.

I drizzled melted chocolate chips onto them….because….I’m a woman, and chocolate is just awesome.