Gluten-Free [Dairy-Free] Devil's Food Cake

I have a dear friend (and fellow pastor's wife) who has recently found out that she can't have gluten or dairy. So when my youngest had to make an angel food cake for her English class report and I had 12 egg yolks leftover, I decided to find something gluten and dairy free to use them in. I give you gluten and dairy free devil's food cake.

Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Orange Fudge Drizzle

I love to drizzle fudge sauce over a bundt cake right before serving it and this dairy free version with a hint of orange has been a big hit.

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated orange sugar (recipe here)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 3/4-1 cup extra creamy oat milk (add as you go based on your desired consistency)
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Combine everything in a glass 4 cup measuring cup with a mini whisk or fork. Pop in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each, for 1 1/2-2 minutes. If you want it thinner, add more oat milk and pop in the microwave for another 30 seconds. 
2. Drizzle over cake, ice cream, fruit, etc. Or simply eat it by the spoonful. :)

Dehydrated [Orange] Zest and Orange Sugar

 I used orange peels but you could really use any citrus fruit peels (lemons, limes, etc.).

1 - Wash, dry, and peel zest layer off the fruit with a potato peeler.

2 - Layer zest peels on dehydrator trays with screens.

3 - Set dehydrator to 145 degrees F and leave for 4-6 hours.

4 - In a food processor of smoothie blender, grind the peel until it is between the size of sugar granules and poppy seeds. Save the container to make orange sugar (see below).

5 - Pour dehydrated zest into a small jar or container and store in a cool, dry place. (I keep mine in my freezer.)

To make the orange sugar, add sugar to the food processor/blender cup and shake, shake, shake. Empty sugar into a storage container or mason jar. Store in a cool, dry place. Enjoy!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Buttercream

Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Orange Drizzle

Everyone knows that I have a baking addiction. It relieves stress and brings me joy. I have also always struggled with a weight problem that has a negative effect on my health. I haven't done much baking in the last year for that very reason and have worked to develop other ways to relieve stress (walking and running being a couple of them). 

But, my youngest daughter had to make an angel food cake as part of her English class (they had to write and give a report on how to do something and bring in a sample of what they had done), which meant that I had 12 egg yolks that needed to be used up. Naturally, I experimented with making a gluten-free, dairy-free devil's food cake that needed to be frosted. Thus, this recipe was born. I couldn't find a highly rated dairy-free chocolate buttercream so I took a regular buttercream recipe and adjusted it to be dairy free (5-minute chocolate buttercream).

Menu 2021: July 11-31

I took a couple of months off of menu planning as we've had a ton of summer stuff going on including a two week vacation. We spent a week in Wisconsin Dells with my sister's family where we rented a house at one of the resorts. Then we went to my parents' for a few days. Finally, we spent a couple of days camping up in Door County. I am trying to get back into routine with planning meals before the craziness of preseason practices and school begin again.

Without any further adieu, here is the menu through the end of July...

Menu 2021: May 2-29

This year seems to have flown by in so many ways. But then I think anything could feel like it is flying by in comparison to how slowly last year seemed to go. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day (I know, the menu is late again). We have a week and a half left of school for the year and summer activities are looming ever closer. 

When your kids are little and days seem to last forever, people tell you to savor them because they are fleeting. You think to yourself that they're crazy and just don't remember that a day with toddlers and preschoolers is 72 hours long. But then you become the parent of your first teenager and the years seem to last a month and the days five minutes. (Yes, with my second child becoming a teenager next week I am a bit nostalgic and sentimental.) I say all this to remind you to live where you are. Don't long for the past and don't wish for the future, or you'll miss what you have right now in the present.

Before I get much more emotional, here is May's menu...

Menu 2021: April 4-May 1

The last year has been challenging for pretty much everyone. Last year we spent Easter apart - the kids and I home on the couch watching services and my hubby teaching adult Sunday school livestream with no one in the pews. I was such a blessing this year to be in-person for services rejoicing with my church family that Christ has conquered death and is alive forevermore. It made for an emotional day. We did our usual tradition of hiding gifts for the kids and picking up a Hughes dark chocolate Easter basket. It was a good day, but now for April's menu...

April 4-10

• Happy Easter / Resurrection Sunday! Deli wraps, veggie tray, fruit salad, and chips
• Smoked beef sirloin tip roast, Brussels sprouts, roasted baby reds, steamed asparagus, a veggie tray, dinner rolls, and individual cheesecakes with fresh blueberries
• Leftovers :)
• Philly cheesesteak pizza and veggies
• Garlic chicken and pasta with veggies
• A friend and I have birthdays a week and a half apart so we're going out while my hubby and kiddos hold down the fort. 

April 11-17

• Pulled pork and slaw
• Grilled Mahi Mahi with brown rice quinoa medley and steamed asparagus
• Southwest chicken salad
• Chicken and rice casserole 
• Pork Roulade, creamy polenta, roasted asparagus, and a side salad (we had friends over and the husband is a chef so he cooked 🥳)
• Leftovers

April 18-24

• Beef tenderloin (we got a great deal at New Year's and I've been saving them in the freezer), roasted baby reds, and whole green beans
• Chick-fil-A 😁
• Baked cod, quinoa and rice, and wsteamed green beans 
• Bacon cheese burgers, roasted potatoes, and mixed veggies
• Pizza

April 25-May 1

• Chicken taco soup
• Lo Mein (pork or chicken)
• Brats, waffle fries, and mixed veggies
  
• Chili
• Spaghetti, mixed veggies, and side salad

Menu 2021: February 28-March 27

Spring is almost here and that makes me excited! The worst of winter is (most likely) over in the Midwest and we are starting to have more days where the temperature is above freezing. Basketball season is over for my kids and we only have 2 1/2 months left of school. Wedding season is just starting and I am working on a couple of dresses for a wedding this month along with helping my girls make their first formals for a school event. I am thankful for the time my mom invested in teaching me how to sew as well as the opportunities that I had to learn from some great employers over the years. I am looking forward to seeing how my girls do. :)

Here is the menu for March:

Menu 2021: January

Oh, what a crazy year 2020 was! There were good parts and bad parts as with any other year, but there were also parts full of fear that required faith in an Omnipotent, Omniscient God who had everything under control. I am so thankful that I know Who holds tomorrow and that He also holds my hand. With all that in mind, we enter 2021 with anticipation for what God can do through us and hope that you can do the same. We have lots of goals for 2021 but that will have to wait for another post. So without any further adieu, here is the menu.

January 1-9

• Chicken tenders with Chick-fil-A sauce (you can buy it by the 8 oz bottle now 😱), cheesy hashbrown casserole, and a side salad
• Venison chops, eggs, and toast
• Chicken and rice soup with fresh bread
• Taco Salad
• Pizza and a side salad
• Spaghetti squash carbonara
• Sloppy Joes, mac'n'cheese, and veggies
• Roasted Rabbit with herbs, steamed broccoli, and risotto
• Happy Birthday to my DS! BBQ ribs, Brussels sprouts, and smashed red potatoes

January 10-16

• Chili
• Concessions 😁
• Asian lettuce wraps and vegetable fried rice
• Red beans and rice
• Slow cooker ravioli lasagna and mixed veggies
• Leftovers
• Brats, baked potatoes, roasted veggies

January 17-23

• Roast beef sandwiches, roasted vegetables, and side salad
• Brisket, fingerling potatoes, veggies
• Concessions 😊
• Smoked chicken thighs, veggies, quinoa and rice medley
• Staff Retreat💓

January 24-31

• Beef tenderloin, smashed potatoes, steamed broccoli
• Concessions 😊
• Jambalaya
• Chicken Ramen
• Thai green curry
• Meatloaf, mac'n'cheese, and mixed veggies
• Pulled pork buns, roasted vegetables, and side salad

Menu 2020: October 25- November 28

Summer is over and fall is upon us. Fall has always been my favorite time of year. We got married in the fall and most of our family pictures have been taken in the fall. This fall is a little different for us with all the COVID-19 considerations and restrictions. Our favorite fall field trip locations have gone virtual. Athletic tournaments are being canceled. Sometimes it is hard to look on the bright side. BUT, I was reminded the other day of a couple of things: 1. God is sufficient for everything, and 2. God's mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness. Through these crazy times we're living in, I constantly feel like I am inadequate, which is true. I am not enough for anything, but my God is so much more than enough and His grace will be sufficient in my weakness. 💕

Since I am a month behind, let's get back to the menu...