Allergen Free Lemon Cake and Frosting! (-Kim-)

Eric doesn't like everyday, run of the mill cakes.  He likes variety.  Every year, on his birthday he asks for a different cake.  This year, we tried a Gluten Free Lemon cake recipe.  But changed things up and made it allergen free too!  

Here's what the original recipe called for:

• 4 large eggs*
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk or milk of choice
• 1 cup mild vegetable oil of choice
• ¼cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2½ cups Mary’s Flour Blend  or gluten-free blend of choice
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• ½ teaspoon fine-grind sea salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

The gluten free part is great and all...but the eggs are a no go, as is the coconut milk (Eric find that to be a bit too sweet).  If you CAN have eggs, leave the recipe be!  More power to you! :)

This is where we started substituting things.  The eggs we replaced with the Ener-G Egg Replacer.  We bought that at Kroger, and it's been a life saver when it comes to baking!  I also replaced the coconut milk with Vanilla Almond Milk.  

Now, it's ready to be allergen free.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a heavy stand mixer with a whisk attachment or with a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine coconut milk or milk of choice with oil, lemon juice, zest and extracts.

4. In another bowl, whisk together Mary’s Flour Blend (or any other gluten free flour blend...like the one we used and blogged about earlier!), xanthan gum (side note: if your homemade gluten free flour already has xanthan gum in it...you do NOT need to add more to it!), sea salt and baking powder.

5. At low speed, slowly add dry and wet mixtures to egg and sugar mixture just until combined.

6. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Place in preheated oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake center springs back to touch. For 6-inch rounds, bake 28 to 30 minutes. For 12-inch rounds, bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Flip the cakes out onto a cooling rack and let them come to room temperature.  In the meantime, the frosting needs to be made!

Here's the allergen free recipe:

1 cup of shortening

3 cups of powdered sugar

1/4 cup of almond milk 

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 teaspoon of salt

I like to blend the shortening with a little powdered sugar until it's completely incorporated, then I add more powdered sugar.  Let's say 1 cup at a time.  That way the powdered sugar doesn't fly everywhere when you turn on your mixer!  After that, I add the other ingredients.

Now frost the cake!!!  It's sooooo yummy!  I normally don't like lemon cake, but this one was very yummy. :)