A Dinosaur Train Birthday Party - Gluten Free Carrot exploding volcano cakes

Benjamin wanted a Dinosaur Train themed birthday party and since it was his day, I wanted to treat him to be able to eat anything he wanted.  I have posted A Dinosaur Train Birthday Party - The Food & Healthy Eating showing the foods we chose and knew would be eaten by everyone.  The following posts are the recipes we used to enhance the theme of a Dinosaur Train Party, complimented with character specific food labels designed using Stampin' Up! My Digital Studio. 

The Exploding Volcano Cakes were Gluten Free Carrot cakes with coloured icing dripped from the tops...

Carrot Cake - Exploding Volcano Cakes Yummmm, my personal favourite.

 

This Gluten Free carrot cake is recipe #1158 from Best Recipes
I don't think I've deviated from the original recipe but this is what we use and it is just divine.

CAKE INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Oil - we use Macadamia nut oil (yummm)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup grated Organic Carrots
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
1 1/2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
3/4 cup Rapadura or sugar of your choice
2 Organic eggs
1/2 cup Organic Sultanas
1 cup Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

METHOD
Beat oil, sugar and vanilla into a bowl with an electric mixer until well combined
Add eggs and continue to beat until light and creamy
Stir through carrot, sultanas and walnuts
Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon into mixture and mix well
Pour mixture into a lightly greased and lined prepared cake tin or spoon into muffin moulds
Bake in a moderate oven for 50 -55 mins or until cooked

ICING INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsps reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
2 teaspoons softened butter or Nutlex
3/4 cup pure Gluten Free icing sugar

METHOD
Beat cream cheese, margarine and vanilla together in a bowl
add icing sugar and colour with food colouring as you wish
mix well and use knife to spread over cakes - in our case we piped the two colours starting in the centre of the cakes/muffins and drawing the icing out over the side until it naturally broke, giving the effect of lava.

Now this is MY all time favourite, non chocolate cake and the ONLY carrot cake I have ever enjoyed, in fact I LOVE IT and will often choose it over a chocolate cake - yep I think it is that good.

Enjoy Gluten Free whilst you craft,
Love and happy crafting

A Dinosaur Train Birthday Party - Gluten Free Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Brownies/Fossil Dig Slice

Benjamin wanted a Dinosaur Train themed birthday party and since it was his day, I wanted to treat him to be able to eat anything he wanted.  I have posted A Dinosaur Train Birthday Party - The Food & Healthy Eating showing the foods we chose and knew would be eaten by everyone.  The following posts are the recipes we used to enhance the theme of a Dinosaur Train Party, complimented with character specific food labels designed using Stampin' Up! My Digital Studio. 

The Fossil Dig Slice was Gluten Free Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Brownie, the nuts looking like fossils buried in mud...

The Fossil Dig Slice was one of the Gluten Free foods offered at Ben's Dinosaur Train Birthday Party.

This recipe is one of my own, so I do hope you enjoy it

INGREDIENTS
180g organic butter or Nutlex softened
225g Dark chocolate or dairy free replacement
         (we use Lindt 85% and it does not seem to make us sick)
1/3 cup organic Rice Milk
3 lge organic Eggs
1 cup organic Gluten Free plain Flour
1/4 tsp Gluten Free Baking powder
1/2 cup organic Almond Meal
1 cup organic Rapadura or sugar of your choice
1/2 organic Cacao powder
1 cup Organic Raw Macadamia nuts chopped into quarters

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 150 - 180 degree Celsius (depends on your oven really and if it is fan forced or not)
2. In a double boiler melt chocolate and butter together until smooth and there are no lumps
3. Combine to a uniform dry ingredient mix,  flour, nut meal, sugar, baking powder and cacao in a bowl
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add eggs and milk
5. Lightly whisk the eggs and milk together without adding too much of the dry ingredients
6. To the well add the melted butter and chocolate and mix well
7. Add Macadamia nuts and mix through the mixture until evenly distributed
8. Pour into a prepared square cake tin
9. Bake for 40 mins or until cooked
10. Cool on wire rack

This is Pete's sister's favourite brownie recipe, hope this becomes one of your too.
Love and kisses

A Dinosaur Train Birthday Party - Gluten Free Chocolate volcano cakes

Benjamin wanted a Dinosaur Train themed birthday party and since it was his day, I wanted to treat him to be able to eat anything he wanted.  I have posted A Dinosaur Train Birthday Party - The Food & Healthy Eating showing the foods we chose and knew would be eaten by everyone.  The following posts are the recipes we used to enhance the theme of a Dinosaur Train Party, complimented with character specific food labels designed using Stampin' Up! My Digital Studio. 

The Exploding Volcano Cakes were Gluten Free friands with coloured icing dripped from the tops...


Gluten Free Chocolate volcano cakes

This recipe is one from my dearest friend Sue.  She inspires me in the food department... inspires or corrupts, you tell me after you have tried these beautiful Gluten Free Chocolate cakes.

INGREDIENTS
150gms organic butter or Nuttlex melted
1 1/3 cup pure gluten free Icing Sugar sifted
1 cup organic almond meal
1/3 cup hazelnut meat
1/2 cup cacao
5 egg whites whisked until peaks form
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract

METHOD
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (fan forced)
Mix icing sugar, cacao and nut meals in a bowl until well combined
Mix through melted butter and vanilla
Gently fold through whisked egg whites
Pour into friend / muffin tin
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked
Ice or dust with icing sugar or cacao.

These were my sweet chocolate treats I lived on for many years before having the confidence to experiment with cooking.  Enjoy and let me know what you think.