One of our beloved dogs had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago. Happy to report, that she survived. On our last follow up visit with our vet, we learned that she has a heart murmur and requires extra supplements and a lot more rest, but he was hopeful that she could make a good recovery. Considering that she is a large dog and 12 years old, she is doing rather well.

As you can imagine, it is taking a lot of extra attention to tend to her needs, that is why we haven’t been able to finalize our posts. Our ability to focus our energy had to move in an entirely different direction for a while. Anyhow, while she is sleeping, here is what we learned.

 

We had purchased a gluten free dark vanilla cake mix (Dowd & Rogers), with the intent to share our results with you. As many of you know, we prefer to create our own flour blends, but, due to the fact, that this one contained chestnut flour, our favorite gluten free flour,  it won us over.

The following ingredients are in the mix:

Organic evaporated cane juice; gourmet flour blend, containing fine white rice flour, Italian chestnut flour and tapioca flour; cultured buttermilk; pure vanilla powder; aluminum free baking powder; salt; xanthan gum; baking soda.

Dowd & Rogers Gluten Free Dark Vanilla Cake:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup warm water

The company’s suggested serving ideas are your favorite gluten free icing, fresh raspberry sauce, or vanilla ice cream.

We made a frosting out of

• 1 packet of organic 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons of raw honey
• 1/2 cup organic shredded coconut
• One small basket of organic fresh raspberries, washed and allowed to dry

You will also need a 9-inch round springform cake pan, lined with parchment paper (trimmed to fit the bottom of the pan).

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Place the contents of the evaporated cane juice (sugar) packet in a large mixing bowl. Cream the sugar and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time to sugar mixture and beat until blended. Scrape down the bowl and beat for a few more seconds at medium speed.

Reduce the electric mixer speed to the lowest setting. Alternately add contents of the flour packet and water to the sugar mixture and blend. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend thoroughly but DO NOT OVER MIX. The batter should be fairly thick.

Pour this batter into the prepared spring form pan and spread it out evenly.

Bake immediately in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

The company’s directions for high altitude baking, in our opinion, were incorrect. They suggested a 375°F temperature, and a baking time of 28-30 minutes. We followed their instructions, but the next time we would prefer to set the temperature at 350°F and a baking time of 30 minutes.

We allowed the cake to cool completely, for about one hour, on a wire rack.

Meanwhile we prepared the frosting by mixing the cream cheese and honey using a hand mixer. Then using a large knife, or spatula, spread the mixture evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the outer edge and the sides of the cake. Decorate with the raspberries.

While baking, the house filled with the enticing aroma of vanilla and beckoned us to try this truly delicious cake. We are definitely giving this one a thumbs up and recommend that you try this for yourselves. You will not be disappointed.