(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!

coconut blue-barb ice cream (dairy free) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's a quick one today, as i've been working on a little side project that's been keeping me up at night and keeping me super busy during the day.  also, my brother flew in this past weekend to surprise my parents for birthday and father's day celebrations; so, it was an awesome, laugh-filled, food-filled, party-filled weekend and i'm still trying to catch up on some zzzzz's.  life has been feeling full as ever these past few months and while i'm happy to be a busy bee, i'm also looking forward to taking some much needed time this summer to chill out and be a little more zen.   

in the spirit of chilling out, we're talking about this coconut blue-barb ice cream today.  ok, rhubarb season is totally coming to an end, so i thought i would sneak one more blue-barb recipe in before we say adios to those beautiful pink stalks!  surely you're no stranger to ice cream - coconut milk ice cream even, but how about a more custard-y ice cream!? i didn't even know this was really a thing until the lovely grace posted a pic of coconut milk frozen custard on instagram.  there's a couple added steps other than just throwing coconut milk + accompaniments into your ice cream maker, but it is totally worth the extra time - if you've got it of course.  there's some whisking, stirring, an ice bath, a sufficient amount of refrigerator cool-down time, then the 20 minutes in your ice cream maker.  as grace put it, it's a TOTAL game changer!

coconut blue-barb ice cream (dairy free)

while inquiring about coconut milk custard on the interwebs, i found that people were experiencing an eggy flavor with plain vanilla custard, therefore i only used 2 egg yolks (some people use more, but only with chocolate and bolder flavored ice cream).  additionally, you can totally use whatever jam, fruit, compote you have on hand - anything will work here! and if you're vegan, just skip the egg yolks, add the the fruit/jam/what-have-you, and ice cream away!

with guidance from here and here

ingredients

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk (preferably a brand with BPA-free lining)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 free range egg yolks
  • 3-4 tablespoons blue-barb jam

instructions

  • in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, whisk coconut milk, maple syrup, salt and vanilla. while whisking, let mixture heat until steaming.  while coconut milk mix is heating up, whisk the 2 egg yolks in a large bowl; once the liquid is warm and steaming remove it from heat and add it to the bowl with the yolks, a little at a time while constantly whisking.  once combined, pour the liquid back into the saucepan on medium heat
  • cook coconut mixture, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until thickened and a thermometer reads 170° (about 8-9 minutes).  remove from heat and transfer to an ice bath, stir until cool
  • refrigerate mixture in a lidded container for at least 1 hour or overnight, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions; in the last 5 minutes of it freezing, add the 3-4 tablespoons of blue-barb jam.  once frozen, transfer ice cream to a lidded container and freeze until ready to eat
  • remove ice cream from freezer 10-15 minutes before eating to ensure easy scooping!  then, scoop away and enjoy!

banana buckwheat waffles w/ blue-barb syrup /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the pursuit of happiness and being fulfilled has never been a big problem for me, however, the fear of failure and the waves of self-doubt have always been a hurdle to jump - nagging myself with questions like: am i doing the right thing, is this good enough, how can i be better? i know that a bit of self-analysis is good, healthy even, but the delicate balance of it all can be super tricky.  i would be lying if i said i never compared myself to another; wishing i could be, or think differently, that certain things wouldn't feel like such obstacles or that i could put it all out there without the fear of being judged.  but then there's a flicker of reflection where i realize i'm wasting too much time not being in the here and now, making the most of my time in this lovely, complex, sometimes crazy, world; that people will be people, and all you can do is surround yourself with positivity, a healthy dose of skepticism, laughter, creativity, and the feeling of being known and appreciated.  

these waffles were totally inspired and adapted by kimberley's pumpkin buckwheat waffles post from last fall.  at the time i didn't know what i was more touched and excited by, her words or the recipe.  she recounted her feelings on being gluten free, her fear of being judged for it, and deserving a chance at thriving in this world.  i totally empathized with her and quickly thereafter made her incredible waffles!  this time, i swapped the pumpkin for banana, and made them a little more dairy-free friendly.  the mixture of flours used give them a complex, wholesome quality, while the banana puree holds it all together and offers a banana bread-like flavor (when you press these gems in your waffle maker you'll think you're making banana bread, fo' reals!)!  and i topped it all off with my maple blue-barb jam from the other day - the best part about the jam is that it's maple syrup based, can be warmed up on the stovetop and used as a fruity syrup that's perfect for topping just about any breakfasty baked good.  

make sure you check out kimberley's new cookbook, vibrant food, which will be released on june 17th!  i've had mine pre-ordered for months, and from what i'm hearing it's a total gem (not surprising)!

banana buckwheat waffles w/ blue-barb syrup (gluten + dairy free)

adapted from The Year In Food

| makes 8-9 waffles |

ingredients

  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 3 small/medium bananas, pureed in a food processor
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, extra oil for greasing waffle iron
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

toppings 

instructions

  • in a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients; set aside.  in another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients; whisk the wet ingredients into the dry and set aside
  • heat your waffle iron on a medium-high setting (for instance, my waffle iron has 5 heat settings, so i heat the iron on 4).  also, preheat oven to warm and place a baking sheet with foil inside
  • using a pastry brush, brush the hot iron with oil; then ladle batter onto iron (i used approximately 1/3 cup worth of batter each time), cook for about 3-5 minutes (this depends on your waffle maker), and transfer to baking sheet - keep waffles warm while you repeat this process with remaining batter
  • while your waffles are keeping warm, place a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat.  place the 1/2 cup of blue-barb jam into the warm pot and stir until hot; then transfer syrup to a serving dish
  • serve waffles warm with syrup and toasted almonds

enjoy!