birthdays and tiny layer cakes / January 24, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

there's been quite a lot to celebrate for this past week: first, my sister-n-law's birthday, and then my brother's. they made the trek all the way from LA to celebrate with their east coast fam, and we couldn't have been happier to have them. time and space seem to get in the way of sharing moments with those two, especially when seeing each other requires a 6 hour plane ride and coordinated schedules. no matter what though there are always laughs, stories to be told, stories to share, and a general feeling of being full with family. until next time!

my brother and his wife's birthday overlapped somewhat with the 1st birthday of this here blog. and although this space has oddly felt like home to me, it's everyone i've had the pleasure of meeting and having connections and conversations with that has been the best treat so far. it's a fun little world i find myself in each day, and i'm super happy to share in it with so many smart and talented ladies (and men!), so in celebration of birthdays and a bright new year ahead, here are mini layer cakes!

this was my first attempt frosting mini cakes and there was a lot of trial and error. here are some lessons i learned: 1.) unless you enjoy mild forms of torture, do not use a large off-set spatula to frost MINI cakes! 2.) using a small butter knife to frost is best 3.) mini cakes are mini, so hold them in your hand while you frost the sides (i realized this halfway through, ugh). and lastly, that large off-set spatula will actually be quite handy for transferring your tiny cakes to say, a cake stand or platter - at least it was good for something! xo

mini mocha + vanilla bean layer cakes

| gluten free + dairy free |

i made 2 cakes with 3 layers and the other 4 with 2 layers, ending up with 6 cakes (confusing much!?). if you choose to make 2-layer cakes you will end up with 7 mini cakes

cakes adapted from Cannelle Et Vanille

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coconut palm sugar
3 organic free range eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup olive oil (light if possible)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

frosting slightly adapted from Oh, Ladycakes

1 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (i use Spectrum Organic)
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon decaffeinated espresso powder
1 vanilla bean, scraped

instructions

preheat oven to 350° and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. grease each pan with a coat of olive oil or coconut oil, set aside
in a large bowl, mix brown rice flour, almond flour, arrowroot powder, baking soda and salt. in another large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, applesauce, olive oil and vanilla. pour into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
divide batter between the 2 pans and bake for 30 minutes, until a baking tester comes out clean. let the cake cool completely before frosting it

(while cake is cooling) make the frosting

divide the cup of shortening between two bowls. add 1 tablespoon of almond milk to each, mix with a hand mixer on high(i used one beater for vanilla and the other for the mocha frosting). divide the powdered sugar between the bowls and slowly whisk to incorporate. divide the scraped vanilla bean between each bowl and mix. to make the mocha frosting, add the cocoa and espresso powder to one bowl, and mix and adjust to your liking (my husband said i could have added more espresso)

assemble the cakes

(prepare a flat work surface with parchment paper. (i used a baking sheet lined with parchment until i was ready to serve the cakes.) use a round, 2-inch cookie cutter and cut out 7 circles from each cake pan. using a small offset spatula, or butter knife, spread a thin layer on the sides of each layer of cake to coat the crumbs. let it rest for a few minutes in the refrigerator before frosting it again. once the frosting has set, coat a thicker layer of frosting on the sides and top of each cake. layer your cakes and blend the frosting together, so as not to see where the top and bottom of the cake layers meet. cover with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to serve. allow the cakes 1 hour to come to room temperature

enjoy!

mother's day + cupcakes / May 12, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

mary is a woman who got married early, had two children in her twenties, decided to go to college with two littles at home, and get her doctorate in clinical psychology. in short, mary is an inspiration to us all. so many times i find myself thinking things are not possible, that there isn't enough time, but i am reminded that she accomplished so many things without the time that many of us take for granted. she had a partner in her life that was supportive and understanding of her goals and dreams. and she had two children who looked up to her and were so proud of her. mary, my mama, is the strongest woman i know, and i love her deeply. i love, and celebrate her each and everyday, and especially today, on mother's day.

the cupcakes here are gluten free and dairy free. i know that the list of ingredients below are foreign to some. if that is the case then i suggest using a recipe that you are familiar with. but the coconut buttercream frosting is not to be missed! in my opinion it is one of the most delicious frostings i have ever tasted. the coconut butter makes the frosting creamy, while the coconut flour and arrowroot powder thicken it, and give it substance. i'm looking forward to using this frosting in the future for all sorts of cakes.

anilla + cocoa cupcakes

slightly adapted from Elana's Pantry

| makes 12

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

6 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 raw agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)

2 tablespoons dried lavender (optional)

| directions

pre heat oven to 350°

line a muffin tin with liners (or oil the tin)

n a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda

in a large bowl, ombine the eggs, oil, agave, and vanilla

mix the wet ingredients into the dry, with a hand held mixer until smooth

divide the mixture into two bowls - for cocoa cupcakes, add the cocoa powder to one bowl, mix until combined

pour batters into lined muffin tin, filling them 3/4 of the way

bake for 20 minutes rotating them halfway through

cool completely and top with coconut buttercream frosting

coconut buttercream frosting

slightly adapted from The Spunky Coconut

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut butter

3/4 cup coconut cream

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon agave

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

| directions

blend ingredients with a handheld mixture until combined and smooth

pour frosting into a piping bag, and decorate. top with dried lavender and enjoy!

| top photo taken by frank love (flovephotography.com) on polaroid type 59 |

♥ whoopie pies! / February 12, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i have been meaning to make these whoopie pies for a while now and thought valentine's day was a perfect excuse to do so. we live across the street from Baked, a bakery known for all things sweet and indulgent. occasionally frank will get one of their whoopie pies, and even though i cannot eat them, i always find myself taking a bite (and then regretting it). the cake is light, moist, and not too sweet. while the cream is smooth and buttery, and also not too sweet. after tasting some other whoopie pies in and around brooklyn, frank and i both believe that Baked has mastered the art of the whoopie pie! why might you ask i try to remake something that is already perfect? i'm not attempting to outdo the Baked whoopie, i am merely trying to make a whoopie pie that i can eat without feeling ill. some might be scared that these pies are grain-free, and gluten-free (these can easily be vegan if you replace the eggs with ground flaxseed),and that the cream is completely vegan. but fear not, frank (the man has no dietary restrictions whatsoever) has tested the whoopie pies (3 of them, in one sitting!) and he has given them his solid stamp of approval ✓

adapted from Health-Bent

:: makes 16 cookies and 8 whoopie pies ::

pre heat oven to 350°

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

**just a note on the coconut milk. do not shake the can. the top half of the can is where the "full fat" coconut milk resides. i usually get 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk out of a single can. you will notice a watery looking liquid when the full fat is gone.

:: directions ::

2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup natural cocoa powder (non-dutched)

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon powder

1/2 cup full fat, canned coconut milk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

whisk all the dry ingredients until combined

then add the coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla - mix

using a cookie scoop (i didn't have one so i used a tablespoon), scoop even amounts of the batter onto the lined baking sheets. make sure you leave at least 2 inches between each cookie

bake for 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through

:: vanilla bean cream ::

3/4 cup palm shortening

3 tablespoons coconut oil

3 tablespoons raw honey (you can also use powdered sugar, or agave)

1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

in a bowl, beat the shortening, coconut oil, vanilla bean/extract, and honey with an electric mixer. beat for 2-3 minutes or until ingredients are combined and creamy

**let the cookies cool completely before assembling with cream

put as much or as little cream between the cookies, i put about 1/4 inch of cream - i may use more next time

i stored my whoopie pies in the fridge and took them out 15-20 minutes before serving

:: enjoy ::