Tag Archives: birthday cake

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake (gluten-free)

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Cake with Brandy Cream

Halloween Week is always busy because both my Mother and Mother-in-Law have their birthdays a day apart. That means two cakes, a trip to Guelph to deliver my Mom’s and of course Maple fudge for Halloween trick or treaters. I was excited to share a blog on Maple fudge for the bazaar and Christmas giving season but it will have to wait because when I made the gluten-free version of the Pumpkin Chiffon Cake for Mom I just could not wait to show you how gorgeous it was! I wish I could give you a piece so you could taste it too!

This recipe came from Wilma Chisholm and I cannot say I have seen it anywhere else in print. This was one of Mom’s favourite cakes and without the need for a sugary icing she was able to indulge in a small piece for her birthday even after she developed diabetes. As the photos show she can still count it as a favourite when it is made with a simple substitution of my gluten-free all purpose flour.

Pumpkin Chiffon Cake

Pumpkin Chiffon – click here for pdf version of recipe

7 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup water, apple cider or juice drained from pumpkin
when preparing purée (recipe pg 232)
1/2 – 3/4 cup pumpkin purée, fresh, frozen or canned
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups GF all purpose flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder

  • Whip egg whites with cream of tartar in a clean bowl with clean beaters on high until foamy then slowly add 3/4 cup sugar while beating until stiff peaks form.
  • In another bowl beat egg yolks, remaining 3/4 cup sugar and water about 5 minutes until yolk mixture is thick, pale and beaters leave marks.
  • Fold pumpkin and oil into egg yolk mixture.
  • Sift flour, xanthan gum and baking powder and stir into yolk mixture until smooth.
  • Pour egg yolk mixture over the beaten egg whites and fold together quickly but thoroughly.
  • Immediately pour into an ungreased tube pan and bake at 350°F for about an hour until cake springs back when lightly touched and is golden brown.
  • If cake is getting too brown before it is completely cooked then turn oven down to 325°F for remaining time.
  • Invert pan on rack and cool completely.
  • Serve with brandied cream on the side.

Brandied Cream: I’m sure you will find somewhere to use any of this left over.

  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp brandy
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Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Lemon Sauce

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Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake –
Gingerbread Cake

I was thinking I would have to wait until next fall to post the recipe for this delicious cake because it just has more appeal when it is cold and blustery outside but this week fooled me! Thoughts of trifle and spring were quickly replaced with Gingerbread and Stew on Monday morning but you will not regret trying this cake to celebrate the winter’s last blast (is that too hopeful?)!

A common problem with gluten-free baking is not having enough structure to support your creations so they compact as they cool. I found switching to the 9 x 13 pan let the cake bake evenly and I also tried the addition of a small amount of cocoa because for whatever reason chocolate cake is much more successful. With those amendments the cake was a success.

Even the less successful attempts with this cake were sought after when they were topped with the amazing caramel lemon sauce! Once you try the sauce you will want to think of other places it can be used. For sure use the leftover sauce with some bananas and ice cream!

The cake this was developed from a recipe that appeared in the December 2011 Canadian Living magazine made with wheat flour.
Caramel Lemon Sauce
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/3 cup molasses, fancy
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
Caramel Sauce:
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
Beat brown sugar, oil, sour cream, molasses and eggs 2 minutes..
Stir in pumpkin, fresh ginger and vanilla until combined.
Sift flour,cocoa, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
and cloves. into pumpkin mixture.
Mix until combined then scrape sides of bowl and beat for another 3 minutes.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350°F for 50 – 60 minutes until cake is
pulling away from the sides of the pan and internal temperature has reached 200°.
For sauce: Melt butter with sugar and lemon juice over medium heat stirring until sugar is
dissolved and mixture begins to simmer.
Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook without stirring until amber coloured, about 5
minutes
Carefully stir in cream taking care that steam does not burn you. then continue to simmer
until thick, about 2 minutes. This sauce will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

My Royal Birthday Cake

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Queen Elizabeth Cake

Queen Elizabeth Cake – page 205, Anne’s Favourites

The year I published the cookbook my husband made the “Queen Elizabeth Cake” as another test on the final copy and because I requested it for my birthday. It was perfect and I loved it and looked forward to many more. I thought now that he had the idea and the an easy to follow recipe it could become an annual event. Sadly, the Celiac situation gave him the excuse he needed to leave cake making behind. I did not give up so easily and decided I would still have a Queen Elizabeth Cake for my birthday. It was a few days late and I had to make it myself but it was absolutely delicious!

Queen Elizabeth Cake Gluten-free – Click here for printable copy.                       See recipe below

Queen Elizabeth Cake – gluten-free adaptation from Anne’s Favourites Pg 205

  • 1 cup dates, chopped
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp GF baking powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut, desiccated
  • Topping:
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2/3 cup coconut, shredded or flaked
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
    For the cake pour boiling water over dates and baking soda then let cool.
    Beat butter with sugar until smooth then add egg and vanilla mixing until combined.
    Sift GF flour, xanthan gum and GF baking powder together.
    Stir in flour mixture and coconut until blended.
    Add cooled date mixture stirring until smooth.
    Pour into a greased 9 x 9 inch pan.
    Bake at 350°F for 35 – 40 minutes until springs back when touched lightly and internal temperature has reached 200 degrees F.
    Meanwhile for the topping  mix brown sugar, butter, milk, coconut and walnuts in
    a saucepan.
    When cake comes out of oven bring topping ingredients to a boil and let simmer for
    3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Spoon hot topping mix as evenly as possible on warm cake (see pg 192), spreading with two forks, and return to oven with broiler on.
    Broil until icing bubbles and turns golden brown. This only takes a few minutes so
    watch it carefully!