Chocolate Cake, Grain, Refined Sugar, and Gluten Free

For the past month and a half, I've been eating grain-free and only using raw honey as a sweetener. It was really hard at first, but I am relieved to admit that I'm no longer craving corn chips and cookies every hour. I'll be posting a more in depth explanation as to why I've decided to deprive myself of all things refined, starchy, and carb-rich. But! Until then enjoy this incredibly delicious and luxurious grain-free chocolate cake recipe! I brought it home for Mother's Day and my family gobbled it up (even those who are use to refined sugar in their desserts) Raw honey is a wonderful subsitute and is incredibly easy for your body to digest. It has properties that actually boost your immunity instead of killing it like white sugar does! Thanks to the Unrefined Kitchen for the recipe!

Cake Ingredients (for ONE 8″ round cake* about 1 1/2″ thick):
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot (I didn't have any so I used 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. coconut flour)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cacao powder or cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup honey (raw, find it in the natural section of your grocery store or order online)
3 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil or melted butter
2/3 cup milk (I used raw homemade yogurt)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cake Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8″ round cake pan* with parchment paper.
2. Combine coconut flour, arrowroot, almond flour, cacao, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Add honey, eggs, coconut oil or melted butter, almond milk, lemon juice and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well. (I use an electric hand mixer.) My batter was more like dough)
4. Pour cake batter (less "pour," more plop) into parchment paper-lined cake pan*. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-22 minutes. Remove from oven when toothpick inserted comes out clean. Try not to overbake.
5. Cool completely and frost cake with chocolate frosting.

Frosting Ingredients  (I doubled it so I could lick the spoon!)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup softened butter
2-4 Tbsp. honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 Tbsp. cacao
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
Frosting Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and whip together with electric mixer. (If the frosting is too runny due to liquified coconut oil, place in fridge for a short time and re-whip.)
2. Spread on cooled cake

1) Gather Ingredients

2) Juice the lemon

 3) Milk the goat

Milk for homemade yogurt came from this adorable little friend

4) Mix dry ingredients4

4) Mix wet ingredients, then mix the two together with an electric mixer

I doubled the recipe, hence the 6 eggs, but ended up eating the other cake before I could make it layered.

5) Serve with fresh fruit, nuts or both!

A Retro Honeymoon Shower

My sister, Rachael, is getting married in almost a week! A few weeks ago, me, my other sister, Ellie, and Rachael's best friend, Chrissy, threw her a Honeymoon Shower at my home. Guests were encouraged to shower Rachael with items she could pack for the honeymoon. She got lots of fun things...from bathing suits and dresses to crossword puzzles and water guns!

Rachael and Jonathan are going to Mexico for their honeymoon so we decided on a retro, tropical theme for the shower. We used antique globes, vintage cameras, cherries, Jantzen swimwear ads, and toothpick umbrellas to transport us to the 1950s. I made Mexican garland (papal picado) with a paper punch, tissue paper fringe( I was inspired here), and ribbon garland as a backdrop for the table. We spray painted gold some exotic toy animals I found at Michael's for $1. Chrissy made Hawaiian flower pens for party favors and to use during games.

The guests were invited to enjoy appetizers and desserts. For appetizers, we served bite-sized tacos and quiches, Mexican 7 layer dip with tortilla chips, and ground beef queso. For dessert, we served cupcakes with coconut buttercream icing, fresh fruit with the chocolate fountain, peanut butter buckeyes with pink icing, and mini fruit pizzas on gluten free cookies! We also served a tropical juice cocktail, with an umbrella of course!

 

Chrissy and Rachael

Ellie and Rachael

Rachael, I love you so much and can't wait for you to be married! You're such a blessing to me and so many others. Your creativity is mind-blowing and your desire to glorify God through it is inspiring.

Check out our Pinterest board for more Honeymoon Shower ideas!