A Winner, and A Winning Frosting

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)

Every past giveaway I’ve hosted, a random number generator has picked the winner for me. Although that was the plan for this one as well, one particular comment snuck in right before the entry period closed and I just couldn’t ignore how skillfully and thoughtfully written it was. This creative writer submitted a whole poem, and a really cute one at that! So Allison, you’ll be hearing from me soon because you’re the winner of the BabyCakes cookbook!

And Allison’s winning poem is as follows…

Oh, baby, BabyCakes!
What would I mix up?
What would I make?

Well…

Back when I was small
And could eat anything at all
(Or thought so!)
Before the days of xanthan gum,
Brown rice flour, millet, sorghum,
I’d stir eggs & softened butter
Into bowls of fine white flour,
Add chocolate chips & dark vanilla.
Our mother warned, “Raw eggs will kill ya!”
But sis & I still licked the spoon.
Those cookies could have won the moon.

It’s been three years since Doctor said,
“No more gluten, no more bread,
Or eggs, or milk, or cheese, or dairy.”
Which made me truly sad, and wary.
These days I couldn’t eat that batter
If it were served by the Mad Hatter
With pots of tea and a drenched Dormouse.
(I’d get so sick, I’d be stuck in the house.)

So if I were to win this book,
I know I’d make the cookies first—
The chocolate chip cookies, that is.
I’d lick the spoon, I’d taunt the moon,
I’d send you a batch, I’d sugar-crash,
I’d invite my friends, I’d make amends
For these relentless rhymes
With chocolate chip (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free!) cookies, and tea, oh my!

Thanks for making this giveaway so much fun!

And for everyone who didn’t win, don’t worry, because I still have a fantastic prize for you as well…

Remember that frosting recipe that was the biggest disappointment of all?  Well, I went back and reworked it, until it actually came out as advertised: Creamy, silky, and very lightly sweetened so that it might top any sort of cake perfectly, without inducing a sugar coma.  One of the best frostings I’ve ever had- And I don’t say that sort of thing lightly- This is one definitely a keeper. I can see why frosting shots would be so popular if this was on the menu!

Coconut Oil Frosting
Adapted from BabyCakes

3/4 Cup Plain Soymilk
3/4 Cup Plain Powdered Soymilk
5 Tablespoons Light Agave Nectar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Oil, Melted
1 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Instant Clear Gel
3/8 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

In your food processor, pulse together the soymilk, soymilk powder, agave, and vanilla to combine. With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in the coconut oil, as if you were making a salad dressing. Add in the lemon juice next. Very slowly sprinkle in the instant clear gel and xanthan gum with the motor still going, followed by the salt, and let the machine run for about a minute. Scrape down the sides and pulse once more. The mixture will seem rather loose at the point, so don’t panic.

Place the whole bowl of the food processor in your fridge, and let it chill for about 2 hours. The frosting will seem a bit hard afterward. Reinstall the bowl on the machine, scrape down the sides, and let it run for about 5 minutes. The mixture may look chunky or curdled for a brief period, but just let the machine continue to work and it will eventually smooth out. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Apply to your cake(s) as desired, and keep the frosting in a cool place. Do NOT put it back in the fridge, as it will become hard, and don’t let it stand in the hot sun for too long or it will melt.

27 thoughts on “A Winner, and A Winning Frosting”

  1. Yay! I’m glad you got the frosting to work out, I have got to try it! I’ve been hesitant because some of the ingredients are so expensive.

    I went into Kitchen Corner today and I thought of you when I saw your book there!

  2. such a funny, sweet poem!
    I’ve been hunting for an excellent frosting recipe… whenever I made a vegan butter cream, it a) cannot be squeezed out of the pastry bag without loosing almost a quarter of the recipe because it sticks every where (bag sides, hands, spoon, bowl, hand mixer, etc.) and b) it causes a sugar crash, not that decadent frosting shouldn’t. this maybe my next tester! :-)

  7. What a great looking frosting and thanks for the recipe! Everything else I can find here, the clear jel might be hard to find here though. Can it be replaced by something else?

  17. FROSTING shots!?!?! What a concept! And I love it that you must eat it right away. No refrigerating, no sitting out in the heat… those will ruin it. So pretty much the only thing you can do with it is eat it, which is what I always wanted to do with frosting.

  21. Sounds yummy, and it looks like it pipes well too! I was just wondering the other day if coconut oil would make a good “buttercream” icing.

  22. Hi,

    This looks excellent, I hate buttercream – definitely overwhelmingly sweet for me.
    But can I replace the clear gel with something? I have no idea what it is ;) and don’t think I could find something like this in my country anyway…
    so… would prepared agaragar work?

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