birthday

(gluten + dairy free) chocolate coffee layer cake /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

another quick friday post, as i didn't intend on posting this one, but i had some photos and some people were curious about the recipe.   as i mentioned earlier in the week, last weekend was my dad's birthday and also my father-in-law's birthday (they were born same day, same year...trippy!).  my dad is the chocolate guy and also the coffee guy, so i endeavored to make these two worlds meet in the form of a celebratory cake!  a little bit of toasty sliced almonds for garnish and we were ready to party.  

the cake here is my chocolate olive oil bundt from months ago, however, i swapped the water in the recipe for freshly brewed coffee. and the frosting recipe is a simple one using shortening (i thought about doing a cashew cream but i ran out of time!), powdered coconut sugar some cacao and cold brew coffee (if you have it on hand).  the almonds just add a little nutty crunch to top it all off.  hope you all enjoy this upcoming SUMMER weekend! xo

*the bunting (or "goal post" as my dad referred to it) was made with two 5/6 inch skewers, twine and washi tape :)

chocolate coffee layer cake (gluten + dairy free)

ingredients

cake:

frosting and filling:

  • 1 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening (i like Spectrum brand)
  • 1/4 raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
  • 1/2 cup powdered coconut sugar 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cold brew coffee (or non-dairy milk)

instructions

  • preheat oven to 350° and oil two 6 inch round baking pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment rounds, run your fingers around the circles to secure them in the pan. evenly divide the batter between each pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean
  • let layers cool for 30 minutes; then place a piece of parchment paper on top of a cooling rack and turn cake layers onto it, removing the parchment rounds from the bottom of each cake
  • once completely cool, separately wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to a day
  • while cake is in the refrigerator, make the frosting.  (to make the powdered coconut sugar, place 1/2 cup coconut sugar in a coffee grinder set on fine, and grind.)  using an electric mixer, cream the shortening with the powdered sugar until creamy.  then add the cacao powder, vanilla and cold brew coffee (or non-dairy milk).  loosely cover and set aside until ready to use (*note - if your house runs on the warm side, keep in a cool area.  if kept in the fridge, frosting will harden, but will soften as it comes to room temp.)
  • level each layer, if need be, with a serrated knife; put scraps to the side.  place a piece of parchment paper on your cake stand or large (preferably non-rimmed) plate; place one layer on top of the parchment and evenly spread about a half-inch of frosting over top.  place the second layer on top and spread frosting evenly on top and sides of cake.  decorate sides with sliced almonds and crush a few between your fingers to dust top of cake
  • place cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  remove cake 15 minutes before serving, slice and enjoy!

s'more pie w/ toasted marshmallow meringue /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it was a big weekend over here with my husband turning 30 and all.  lots of fun celebrating with food, family, and a beautiful sailboat ride through new york harbor.    not to mention this s'more pie.  frank loves s'mores, so naturally i thought i would make him some combination of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow.  i experimented weeks before making this pie with variations of marshmallows.  i even bought grass-fed gelatin to make a traditional kind of gooey marshmallow,  and it came out pretty good.  however, i had a little difficulty wrapping my head around what the powdery substance truly contained, and opted to make another version of marshmallow that didn't contain ground pig hooves (or whatever gelatin is made from).   

a few things to note here...for the graham cracker crust, i used store bought gluten free and vegan graham crackers.  they are not the easiest to find in your local grocery, but can be found online.  i swapped the butter for coconut oil which makes the crust a bit more crumbly, but still delicious.  i also added 1/2 cup more crumbs than the original recipe because the crust was quite thin.  for the chocolate filling, i used dairy, soy and nut free chocolate (mostly because it's dairy free) semi sweet chocolate.  any other semi sweet chocolate will work, or your could go with milk chocolate for a sweeter, more traditional s'more taste.  i used full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream.  the marshmallow is egg-based, but if you're vegan, my blogger friend sophia has been experimenting with flax meringue over at her beautiful blog.  i haven't had the time to make it yet, but it sounds too intriguing not try at some point! 

s'more pie w/ toasted marshmallow meringue

| gluten + dairy free | 

crust and chocolate filling adapted from Smitten Kitchen. marshmallow meringue adapted from Honestly Yum

| makes a 9" pie | 

for the crust

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 2 cups S'moreables graham cracker crumbs (roughly 18 crackers, finely ground in a food processor)

for the chocolate filling

  • 7 ounces Enjoy Life semi sweet chocolate (or any other chocolate semi sweet chocolate) 
  • 1 cup unsweetened, full fat coconut milk (from a 15 ounce can) 
  • 1 organic, free range egg

for the marshmallow meringue

  • 1 cup pure cane sugar
  • 4 organic, free range egg whites
  • pinch of salt
  • splash of pure vanilla extract

 

directions

make the crust

  • preheat oven to 350° and lightly oil a pie plate with coconut oil.  in a medium sized bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and coconut oil; turn out onto pie dish.  press evenly into the bottom and sides of the pan.  bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes; until shell is crisp and slightly browned.  let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour

make the chocolate filling

  • preheat oven back to 350°.  put chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  in a saucepan, bring coconut milk just to a boil, then pour hot cream over chocolate.  let stand for 1 minute, use a whisk to combine until smooth.  gently, whisk in the egg and a pinch of salt until combined; pour into graham cracker shell.  bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, until the chocolate is softly set and giggles a bit in the center.  (deb recommends covering the edges of the graham cracker crust with tin foil before baking the chocolate, however i did not as the graham crackers i used did not burn from extra time in the oven.)
  • on a rack, cool pie to room temperature.  the filling will firm as it cools, about 1 hour

make the marshmallow meringue

  • combine 3/4 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and simmer syrup without stirring until the thermometer reads a temperature of 240°, occasionally swirling the pan.  place the egg whites, salt and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk.  whip on high until frothy and add the 1/4 cup of sugar.  whip until peaks form
  • reduce speed to medium, and with the mixer running on low pour the hot syrup into the meringue in a steady stream, being careful not to let it touch the side of the bowl or the whisk attachment (if the syrup hits the bowl or whisk it will harden and be difficult to clean.  if it ends up hitting anything just soak in hot water.) 
  • gently spread the marshmallow over the top of the pie.  if eating immediately, turn your oven to broil and toast the marshmallow meringue until lightly browned 30-50 seconds.  if not eating immediately wait to toast until you're ready to eat.  the pie can stay in the fridge for up to one day before toasting

slice carefully and enjoy!