February is over, which means we’re now a bit closer to spring (woohoo!). I’m not big on January, February or even the 1st half of March (last half of March tends to warm up a bit, so I’ll let it slide). Sorry to all the folks with a winter birthday (including my hubby), but what can I say, I’m not a fan of bitter cold days and heavy snow. Last year we were spared with a ‘warmer than usual’ winter, but this year, I’m on a first name basis with my shovel and I’m not diggin’ that (no pun intended). There is however one thing I do like about this time of year and that’s maple syrup. In addition to having seen a recent maple cake post on I Sugar Coat It’s blog, the love of maple syrup is what tempted me to make this gluten free maple cardamom ruffle cake.
As a kid I remember going on school trips to maple sugar bush farms to see how maple syrup was made. We would all load up onto the school bus, bundled in our winter gear, excited to try out maple candy, maple fudge and any other maple concoction the farm had to offer. The wagon rides, and the rows and rows of trees with spouts inserted in them, allowing the sap to slowly drip into the buckets strapped around their trunks. Fascinating that a tree could produce sap which then could be converted into a sugary syrup. How simple.
I decided to add a little cardamom to the mix to spice it up a bit (maybe because of the cold temps!). I also chose to make it a ruffle cake. Ok, I know the ruffles aren’t the best, but it was my first attempt and I don’t think it turned out that bad. Practice makes perfect I guess. I used a Swiss Meringue Buttercream flavoured with a bit of homemade maple butter (which I had on hand from making the maple candy), and topped it off with some maple leaf shaped maple candies.
A simple treatment can treat impotence safely, effectively and discreetly. viagra for females sildenafil is a popular impotence treatment drug. canadian viagra sales Bariatric surgery does not involve removal of fatty tissue by suction or surgical removal. Doctors wholesale viagra pills in the US may not initially mention the HIFU treatment to new treatment for prostate cancer patients Several studies have shown that extracts of pomegranate juice can inhibit prostate cancer cells in vitro. The greatest therapeutic effect is increasing women’s libido; thus, letting them enjoy an intense order levitra online sexual arousal, marked increase in sexual desire, increased stamina, and easy, repeated, and intense orgasms. Mmmmaple…so yummy!
Here are the recipes …enjoy!
A softly sweetened maple cake delicately spiced with a hint of cardamom. Recipe adapted from Foodland Ontario
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temp
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup white rice flour
- 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk (or regular milk)
- 5 egg whites
- 1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or maple butter (or more or less depending on desired sweetness)
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8" round cake pan and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.
- Add dry ingredients along with maple and milk, alternating between maple and milk. Beat well.
- Bake for 35-40 min or until tester comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for at least 10 min before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Cool completely before frosting.
- Ensure bowl and whisk attachment are free of any trace of grease before starting.
- Add egg whites and sugar to mixer bowl and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F. Remove from heat once done.
- With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so and is so important–never add butter to warm meringue).
- Switch over to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add softened butter one cube at a time until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing on medium-low and it will come back to smooth).
- Add maple and continue to beat on low speed until well combined.
Thanks for stopping by! Comments are always welcomed and encouraged.
Eva
I knew I needed something delicious to heal the wounds, and help me move on. And then I came across this gluten free apple and olive oil cake recipe. No chocolate to be seen, but it still looked delicious and sweet! As the gluten free recipe was from the talented Aran Goyoaga, I knew I had to give it a try! If you have never visited her site, 
I adapted this recipe from the apple and olive oil cake recipe in Aran’s book. One of the reasons I was actually drawn to it was because it reminded me of an apple cake my mom used to make which I loved back in my non-gluten free days. I only made a few adjustments to the original recipe. Actually, one was as a result of me misreading the instructions. I have the habit of moving too fast most of the time, and this was one of those times, but it resulted in a good mistake. The extra sauce I had left from sautéing the apples accidently in ½ cup of brown sugar, was slightly warmed up and drizzled over the cake when served. And even though I switched the milk yogurt for dairy-free coconut yogurt, it did not affect the taste at all (no extra coconutty taste!). As I don’t have millet flour, I chose to switch it up for my new fav buckwheat flour. I also increased the cinnamon, and added some chopped pecans.
