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Genoise-Style Paleo Tiramisu

February 2, 2013 in Cakes and Cupcakes, Decadent Desserts, Holiday Treats

Sometimes, there is just a need for a truly decadent dessert.  And that’s where grain-free, dairy-free indulgences like this tiramisu come in!   This was the dessert I made for Christmas dinner this year.  Many of the recipes that I work on are recreations of old favorites.  This recipe is inspired by this amazing genoise tiramisu that my husband and I used to get at an Italian restaurant close to the first apartment we shared.  I’ve always been rather partial to genoise tiramisus (genoise is an Italian sponge cake), which I believe are actually more traditional (compared to ladyfinger versions).  This makes a decadent yet light and truly delightful dessert.  Serves 8-12.

Genoise-Style Paleo Tiramisu | The Paleo Mom

Ingredients (genoise):

 

  1. Prepare a 12”x18” rimmed baking sheet by lining with wax paper and heavily greasing the wax paper with extra virgin coconut oil or palm shortening.  Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Blend evaporated cane juice in a blender for 1-2 minutes, until it’s a fine powder.
  3. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add 1/3 cup sugar gradually and continue to mix until stiff peaks form.
  4. In a separate, small bowl, beat egg yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla until thick.  Whisk in coconut and almond flour.
  5.  Fold yolk mixture into egg mixture, being careful not to lose too much volume, until incorporated.
  6. Spread batter out onto prepared baking sheet.  Take the time to spread the surface evenly and into the corners.
  7. Bake for 16-17 minutes, until top is just starting to turn golden brown.
  8. Remove cake from oven and immediately invert over a couple of wire cooling racks.  Carefully peel off the wax paper.   Let the genoise fully cool on the wire rack.

Ingredients (Cream Layers):

 

  1. Combine coconut milk, egg yolks, honey, arrowroot powder, coconut oil and lemon juice in a large saucepan and whisk together.
  2. Then put the saucepan on the stovetop and heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.  You want to heat until just shy of boiling point.  The cream will start to steam slightly and then start to thicken.  Once it becomes thick and gooey, remove from heat (takes 7-8 minutes if you put it on a preheated element).
  3. Pour into two bowls, 1/3 in one bowl (this is about 3/4 cup) and 2/3 in another (about 1 1/2 cups).
  4. To the 1/3 bowl, stir in the grated chocolate and vanilla until melted and fully incorporated.  To the 2/3 bowl, stir in cognac until fully incorporated.  You can let the cream cool and whip in a standing mixer for a lighter texture, or just layer with the genoise as is.

Ingredients (tiramisu):

  • genoise
  • chocolate and cognac cream
  • 1 1/4 cup strong coffee (a good espresso is ideal), cooled
  • 3 Tbsp cognac (again you can substitute dark rum or dry sherry)
  • unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
  1. Cut the cooled genoise into four equal pieces (you can either do a long rectangle or a wider, shorter one, up to you).
  2. Place the pieces of genoise back on the rimmed baking sheet.  Mix coffee and cognac and pour over the entire genoise, making sure not to miss any! (alternately, you can douse each layer as you assemble the tiramisu).
  3. On your serving plate, carefully move over one piece of coffee-soaked genoise.  Spread half of the cognac cream over the top (the cream is actually easier to spread either warm or cooled and whipped; cooled and not whipped is the hardest to spread).  Place another coffee-soaked genoise layer on top.  Spread out the chocolate cream.  Add Another layer of cake.  Spread out the rest of the cognac cream.  Place the last layer of cake.
  4. Just before serving, dust the top generously with unsweetened cocoa powder.
  5. Enjoy!

 

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Vanilla Layer Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting (Nut-Free and Makes Great Cupcakes Too!)

November 26, 2012 in Cakes and Cupcakes, Nut-Free Baking

I decorated my daughter’s birthday cupcakes with purple M&Ms (which are not paleo!)

I know that many of you have been eagerly awaiting this recipe.  Of all of my cake recipes, this is my favorite so far.  The cake flavor and texture is fabulous and what better (or more classic) way to top a vanilla cake than with a light and fluffy dark chocolate frosting (you can also skip the whipping step for a more ganache-like texture).  You can definitely serve this cake to non-paleo company (I just did at my daughter’s third birthday party and everyone loved it!).

I have made this cake both as a layer cake and as cupcakes.  It works very well either way.  A note on frosting:  I actually like to make a 1.5X batch of this frosting for a three-layer cake, but I’m a big fan of Pollyanna style cakes, piled high with light creamy frosting (anyone else love that movie as a kid?).  I wrote the recipe this way because it’s a perfect quantity for the cupcakes, and if you aren’t too generous with the amount of frosting in between layers (or if you prefer using something like raspberry jam).  The first time I made this cake, I used the frosting unwhipped.  I definitely prefer the texture whipped, but thought I would include both options.  You can control how sweet the frosting is by how dark of chocolate you use.  I used semisweet for my daughter’s cupcakes but 80% for my husband’s birthday cake.  Just remember that adding palm shortening to the chocolate will dilute the sweetness.

This recipe makes three 8” or 9” round layers or makes 24 cupcakes (this would probably work as a sheet cake too, but you’ll have to experiment with the cooking time).

Yes, this recipe calls for a whole lot of eggs.  No, it is not a typo.  No, it does not make for an eggy cake.  Trust me on this one.

 

Ingredients (Whipped Dark Chocolate Frosting):

  1. Melt chocolate and palm shortening together on the stove top or in the microwave, being careful not to burn.  Mix to completely combine.
  2. Let cool to room temperature (this takes several hours, but you can hurry it up in the fridge).  Use as is, or:
  3. Whip frosting in a standing mixer with whisk attachment for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

 

Ingredients (Vanilla Cake):

  1.  Prepare cake pans or muffin pans.
    • If using round cake pans:  trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of wax paper and cut out the circle (3 of them, actually).  Grease the pan with palm shortening, lay the wax paper circle over the bottom and then grease the wax paper.  Add a little arrowroot powder (1-2 Tbsp) to the pan and tap and swish around the pan to coat (discard any leftover after then pan is coated).  Repeat with the other two cake pans.
    • If you are using muffin pans for cupcakes: line each muffin cup with a paper liner or silicone muffin cup liner.  I think you could probably grease and flour each muffin cup if you wanted to, but I haven’t tried so I can’t vouch for how cleanly the cupcakes would come out.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F.
  3. Beat eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer for 1 minute.  Add honey, palm shortening, coconut oil, and vanilla.  Slice vanilla bean open lengthwise with a sharp knife.  Scrape the seeds out of each half of the pod with your knife and add to the batter.  Beat to combine (don’t worry if they don’t really come together yet).
  4. In a separate bowl, combine arrowroot powder, sifted coconut flour, baking soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Beat on high for 1-2 minutes, until batter is smooth.  Allow batter to sit for 1-2 minutes to thicken.
  5. Pour batter into prepared cake pans, dividing evenly.  Use a rubber spatula to spread batter out to the edges.  If making cupcakes, fill each liner approximately 2/3 full.
  6. Stagger cake pans or muffin pans in the oven.  Bake round layers for 27-28 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown on top and a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean.  Cupcakes only take about 22 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and let cake pans cool on a wire rack completely before removing from pan.  Cupcakes can be removed from the muffin pans earlier.
  8. To remove cake layers from round cake pans, first run a knife around the edge of the cake.  Put your hand over the top of the cake and invert the pan.  The cake should fall into your hand (if not, try putting the pan upside down on a cutting board and tap the bottom gently).  Put a plate or cutting board where the pan used to be and flip back right side up.  Voila!
  9. Now it’s time to frost!  The frosting doesn’t pipe that well, but you can if you want to (it tends to melt with the heat of your hand, but if you can work quickly, go for it!).  If you’re frosting cupcakes, just spread a nice dollop over the top with a pastry knife.  If your frosting a layer cake, place layer one on your serving dish, add some frosting and spread it over the top of the layer, add another cake layer, repeat with the frosting, add the last cake layer.  Use the rest of the frosting to coat the top and the sides.
  10. Enjoy!!!!

 

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Paleo Spice Cake with Maple-Cashew Frosting

July 25, 2012 in Cakes and Cupcakes, Nut-Free Baking

My 2.5-year old announced “let’s make cake!” and started pulling random seasonings out of the spice drawer.  She pulled out cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, vanilla, paprika, and cumin.  Okay, maybe those last two weren’t so inspiring, but the first five looked pretty good to me!  I had been meaning to try my hand at a paleo layer cake with birthday parties in mind and this was the perfect excuse!  The end result was a perfectly moist, spongy cake with a fabulous flavor.  This cake is nut-free, although the frosting is not (because I just couldn’t resist this amazing flavor combination!).  For a wonderful nut-free whipped frosting alternative, try this recipe by Paleo Spirit. 

Ingredients (Maple Cashew Frosting):

1.    I made my own cashew butter (the easiest nut butter to make at home).  I placed two cups of raw unsalted cashews into my Food Processor and blended until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
2.    Whip cashew butter, palm shortening and maple syrup in the bowl of a Standing Mixer for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy.  Store in the refrigerator but allow to come to room temperature before frosting.

Ingredients (Nut-Free Spice Cake): 

1.    Prepare three 8” or 9” round cake pans by greasing with palm shortening.  Cut out a circle of wax paper and line the bottom of each pan.  Then grease the top of the wax paper.  Finally, dust the pan with arrowroot powder.  Set aside.
2.    Preheat oven to 350F.
3.    Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer and whip 3-4 minutes until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
4.    Divide batter among the three pans.  Spread the batter out to the edges of each pan.
5.    Place in the oven on two racks, spacing out so that they bake evenly (you might want to rotate pans halfway through baking).  Bake for 27-28 minutes, until fully cooked and a toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
6.    Cool on wire racks until cakes are room temperature.  Invert each cake over a plate or cutting board.
7.    Place the first cake layer on your serving dish, cover the top in frosting, add the second layer, cover it with frosting, add the third layer, cover the whole cake with frosting (you should have enough).  Dust with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.
8.    Enjoy!

 Do you need help finding any ingredients?  Check out  Important Pantry Items for the Paleo Baker.

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