Last Sunday, I woke up and thought to myself: It’s the New Year; I guess I have to make some resolutions.
A really organized person might put pen to paper and make a list of all of the things that need to be altered to make for a better life, but I just laid in bed and ruminated a little. Ordinarily, losing weight is number one on my to-do list, but not so this year. All of the things that I considered, and there were many, had to do with what I needed to change about what makes me inherently me. So, basically, as I reviewed the very long list, I realized that I had pretty much resolved to be a different person. This is a tall order, but it definitely made for a comprehensive list.
I have to admit that I kind of liked this idea at first. I often have hair-brained ideas, and some of them, like writing a cookbook for people with food allergies pan out. Others, like the complete and total personality transplant, are just inane. Sometimes I like to wipe the slate clean and just completely start over, but in this case, I think I’m stuck. I am me, and I just have short, tree-trunk-eque legs and a tendency toward a really messy closet. No matter what, I am not going to wake up tomorrow and have Kate Moss’ legs, and even if I hired an organizer, I probably won’t have a super-neat closet for more than 24 hours. Trust me. I’ve hired people to change my body and my organizational skills, and I remain the same despite many years of resolutions and many wasted dollars.
So, lying there, I decided to make a list of the things that I could actually accomplish within the next 365 days. Here’s what I came up with: 1) I will continue eating cake every single day because I just like to 2) I will tell my friends and family that I appreciate them more often 3) I will stop being ashamed of some of the “weird” things I like to do, like doing counted cross-stitch, serving casseroles and wearing old-fashioned nightgowns because they are not particularly cool and somewhat grandma-esqe 4) I will continue what I started in the Spring, which is doing the things that I actually enjoy doing and not the things that people WANT me to enjoy doing and 5) I will learn the Rhythm Nation dance.
OK, so the part about learning the Rhythm Nation dance is probably a stretch for someone as rhythmically-challenged as myself, but ambition isn’t such a bad thing. At least I think so.
Acceptance is often difficult, whether it’s of a noisy neighbor or of a self that just refuses to be perfect, but I suppose that what I’m saying is that learning to accept and be more tolerant is my number one resolution in 2012. I resolve to just accept my cake-loving, dance-challenged self. So, in an effort to practice this new-found tolerance, I give you a new chocolate cake recipe. After all, if I’m going to eat cake every day, it’s going to have to be gluten, dairy, soy, nut and egg-free and also delicious.
Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Nut and Egg-Free Mocha Cake
1 1/3 cup superfine rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup coconut milk kefir
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 cup hot water
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two 9” round pans with canola oil. Line them with parchment rounds and set the pans aside.
2) In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, xanthan, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt on low speed. Add the canola oil, applesauce and coconut milk kefir. In a small bowl, dissolve the espresso powder in the hot water and add the mixture to the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the batter again. The batter will be thin. Pour it into the prepared pans and bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
3) Frost with mocha frosting and serve.
Serves 12-15.
Mocha Frosting
3/4 cup organic palm fruit oil shortening
1/3 cup powdered vanilla rice milk
5 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1) In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the organic palm fruit oil and the powdered, organic palm fruit oil shortening until they are light and fluffy. Stir in the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time. The mixture will be crumbly. Dissolve the espresso powder in the water. Stir in the coffee, salt and vanilla extract. Beat the frosting for three minutes on medium high.
2) Use immediately or store in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly on top of the frosting in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw completely and beat again before using the frosting.
