I had an uncle who believed in celebrating his birthday for a month and although that may seem excessive, to him it was a celebration of another year around the sun. You don’t have to take the whole month to do it (although if you can, cool) but do be sure and take some time to slow down and acknowledge how great you are. We only have so many rotations in us so stopping to recognize how beautiful this life and you are is sure to set your tone for the coming year. Happy Birthday!
We asked our friend, Erin McKenna, of Erin McKenna’s Bakery, to share her perfect birthday cake recipe. It’s a CAP favorite and one that we love to indulge in on all our birthdays. Enjoy
VANILLA BIRTHDAY CAKE
Serves 6-8
by Erin Mckenna
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1 cup potato starch
1 1/3 cup chickpea / garbanzo bean flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush two 8" round cake pans with oil and set aside. In a medium bowl, measure in dry ingredients and whisk. Add oil, sweetener, vanilla extract, applesauce and water and continue mixing until the batter is smooth. Pour batter evenly between both cake pans and place in the oven. Bake for 18 minutes, rotate the pans and then continue baking another 10-15 minutes or until cake is fully cooked in the center. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
VANILLA FROSTING
3 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups better than milk dry rice milk powder
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
In a food processor, blend coconut milk, dry rice milk powder, sweetener and vanilla. Slowly add half the coconut oil, then the lemon juice and then the remaining coconut oil. Pour the mixture into a container and set in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until the frosting firms up. When you're ready to use, remove the frosting from the refrigerator and soften with a butter knife until the frosting is smooth and ready to spread.
