Watching people eat dessert is over! Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen Friendly desserts are what we do here at Break A Recipe!
If this is your first time at Break A Recipe, my name is Nina. I’ve been living without Grain, Dairy, Eggs, and other allergens for more than 9 years. I don’t miss out on much. Instead, I create Allergen Friendly versions of foods which are usually allergen based! Sharing these recipes with people who need them is my mission. Everyone deserves cake!
Today, I am bringing you Mini-Cakes that are easy to make, and free of gluten, dairy, egg, corn, soy, wheat, grains, and nuts!
Whenever I tell people I cook without these allergens, they ask “What’s left?” I say “Unicorn Farts!”
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After we finish laughing, I explain that most of my baked goods begin with my grain free flour blend, which I make from Chickpea Flour, Tapioca Flour, and Coconut Flour. These are natural foods ground into flour, to make cake and baked goods! The best part? The flavors cancel each other out! So the end product doesn’t taste like chickpea or coconut. It has a very neutral taste! Click here for the recipe.
The flour blends up in less than five minutes. After that it’s just like normal baking, with a little Xanthan Gum! Trust me. If you can measure a cup of flour and operate an electric mixer, you have all the skills you need to Break A Recipe!
I did not intend to make mini-cakes.
I was shopping for a birthday present for my Fiancé, when I was introduced to the world of mini-cakes.
I didn’t find his present in that cute little boutique by the beach, but I wasn’t disappointed either! Check out this gorgeous cake pan for mini cakes! This was a huge score.
I looked around the store for something matching my fiancé’s interests. No luck. As soon as my eyes caught sight of the cake pan. I knew it was coming home. I had a cake recipe, and although I had never made mini-cakes before, it just had to come home with me! I had no clue what I was going to do with it, other than bake my grain-free allergen friendly cake mix in it. I figured I’d bake up the mini-cakes and see what I got. How did I do?
I started with my recipe for birthday cake, and about half way through, I added some cocoa powder to get the chocolate cake. I love recipes that produce two different versions in a short amount of time. Don’t you?
We devoured the delicious beach themed mini-cake platter! The little cakes were so fluffy. Dipping them in the icing was a delightful twist on birthday cake! Some birthdays are traditional, with a delicious birthday cake, and others are unique. My fiancé’s a unique kind of guy; I wanted his birthday to be as unique as he is.
Sometimes cake can wilt in the heat, but with an icing to dip into, the cakes will stay fresher longer, and since they aren’t decorated, there’s less prep work to do!!! Hello time saving win! And anytime you’re allowed to play with your food, I get excited!
As I was thinking of what to create for our Independence Day celebration, I thought about the mini-cakes. Sure, I could make the same spectacular mini-cake platter again, or I could try a new twist. This time inspiration hit when I was out shopping for cupcake wrappers.
Did I need a new cake pan? Maybe not. But it was 60% off and I had a coupon. I forgot about the cupcake wrappers.
I used my grain-free flour, egg replacer, and mixed up my recipe. I figured, we’ll see what happens. Like I said, there aren’t any special techniques. If you can use an electric mixer you can a Break A Recipe! The stars were cute as can be! Before we can bake up this tastiness, we’ll need to gather some ingredients.
Are you ready to Break a Recipe? Let’s Go Shopping!
If you’re looking for equipment or ingredients, here’s what I use in my kitchen.
- Tapioca Flour
- Chickpea Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Coconut Milk
- Coconut Oil
- Cane Sugar or Beet Sugar
- Cream of Tartar
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Flavoring
These ingredients and equipment are what I use in my own kitchen. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping to “keep the lights on,” here at Break A Recipe.
Enough With the Words, Let’s Break A Recipe!
Mini-Cakes (Gluten Free, Vegan, Allergen Friendly)
Equipment
- 1 Mini-Cake Pan
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Stand mixer
- Measuring cups
- Adjustable measuring spoons
- Rubber Scraper
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Chickpea Flour
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Flavoring
- ½ Cup Warm Water
- ⅔ Cup Coconut Milk
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Grain Free Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
Instructions
- Gather and measure all ingredients. (this speeds up baking like crazy!)
- In a stand mixer, beat coconut oil, sugar, warm water, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Mix in chickpea flour. When chickpea flour is thoroughly mixed, add coconut milk while the mixer is operating. Blend one minute to “fluff.” (If the cold coconut milk causes the coconut oil to congeal, that's okay. This is why we add it as the last wet ingredient).
- Gradually mix in flour.
- When flour is mixed into wet ingredients. Sprinkle xanthan gum on top of batter. Mix on lowest speed.
- When Xanthan gum is mixed into batter, increase mixer speed to medium. Mix 3 minutes.
- Mix in cream of tartar and baking soda on lowest speed.
- Pour 1-2 tablespoons of batter into each form. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cakes are done when a cake tester or toothpick can be inserted and removed clean.
- Cool cakes in pan at least 5 minutes before removing.
Notes
Grain Free Flour Blend
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Container for storing extra flour
Ingredients
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 1 cup coconut flour
Instructions
- Add tapioca flour, chickpea flour, and coconut flour to a mixing bowl. Using a large spoon, stir ingredients until well mixed.
Notes
Let’s See it Happen
Once you have the stars baked, just arrange them on a platter, add some strawberries, and blueberries and you’ll have the healthiest dessert at the party!
Is It Really That Easy?
With some recipes, it’s about technique. With this recipe, it’s about knowing the ingredients and how they work together. Baking is chemistry. Knowing our ingredients and how they react together is how we Break Recipes using Allergen Friendly ingredients. We get baked goods that taste like the original version!
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients:
Grain Free Flour:—click here for the recipe. This flour is blended from coconut flour, tapioca flour, and chickpea flour. It acts very much like white flour. White flour has starch, fiber, and protein. In this blend, the starch is the tapioca, the coconut is the fiber, and the chickpea is the protein. Unlike white flour, it will not bind. White flour contains gluten, so we’ll need a binder to replace the gluten.
Xanthan Gum–My favorite brand is authentic foods xanthan gum. It’s hard to find but easily available on amazon. This is my favorite because it is free of corn, soy, wheat, and dairy. Can you believe most xanthan gum contains one of those ingredients? This allows the recipe to develop and maintain air pockets as it rises. And most importantly, it allows the recipe to maintain its structure when it cools.
Chickpea Flour–Didn’t we just talk about chickpea flour in the flour blend? We did. I use it twice in my recipes. The first time we use it, it mimics protein in flour; the second time it mimics eggs in allergen friendly baking. Eggs are also a binder. Chickpea flour won’t do that either. So in my egg replacer recipe, I add a little xanthan gum. And I get an egg replacer which makes baked goods fluffy! (Kitchen chemistry at its finest!)
Coconut milk– this is my go to when replacing dairy milk in my recipes. If coconut isn’t safe for you, please use a dairy-free milk that is. Whichever type of dairy free milk you select, make sure to get unflavored. A flavored milk will affect the final taste of your recipe.
Coconut oil–-my favorite fat for baking! Use it soft and it mimics butter, melt it and it mimics vegetable oil! So why is coconut oil my favorite? The more ingredients a recipe has, the more likely someone can be allergic to it. By using a single ingredient fat, it’s more allergen friendly. If coconut oil isn’t safe for you, try using a dairy free butter. They substitute about the same way.
Vanilla Flavoring–Why flavoring and not extract? Because extract uses alcohol and alcohol is made from grain! How do I know, I’ve gotten exposed to grain from even the smallest amounts of alcohol in extract. Now I avoid it.. Life without the inflammation grain brings me is worth it.
Sugar—Baked goods are sweet. Cane sugar can be inflammatory; even when it’s organic. If it’s safe for you, you’re good. If you’re looking for another option, my favorite is organic beet sugar.
What About Icing?
You may not want a healthy dessert. So, go for it! Use your favorite icing or frosting as a dip! What did I use with the shell cakes for my fiancé’s birthday? About 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup coconut milk…for an extra rich icing you can use coconut cream! It will be thick and rich, which will be wonderful for dipping!
Before You Go…
Thank you for reading, for trying this recipe, and for taking a chance on a recipe made with unique ingredients!
You’ll find it’s easy to make, and your body will feel much better after eating it. You will find your gluten-and grain loving friends going for seconds!
If you’re cooking this for someone with allergies, thank you again for supporting them. You’re an amazing friend. Pin this recipe so you can share it with those who need it, and find it later!
Please tell me how your recipe turned out when you make it. Click here to reach me directly. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest using the links below. I really enjoy your feedback and comments. I can’t wait to hear how your recipe turned out!
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