Babycakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes From Donuts to Snickerdoodles (17 page)

Serves 15

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I have to give Sabrina, my business partner at BabyCakes NYC, 100 percent of the credit for creating this incredible cake. Normally, pineapple upside-down cake just isn’t my thing, but the texture, spice, and fluffiness of this recipe really won me over. If you’re a beginner, this is a good cake to start with because it’s a snap, it can be ready to eat in just about an hour, and it looks gorgeous. Feeling adventurous? Make some
Vanilla Sugar Glaze
and drizzle it all over.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch cake round with parchment
paper and lightly coat with coconut oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and the 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Sprinkle the bottom of the cake pan with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Arrange the
pineapple slices over it. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, potato starch, arrowroot,
cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, cardamom, and baking soda. Add
the agave nectar, the ½ cup coconut oil, the applesauce, vanilla, and hot
water. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter over
the pineapple.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotate, then continue baking until a toothpick inserted
into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes more. Let cool in the pan on a
rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife along the pan’s edge and invert onto a
serving plate.

Serves 8 to 10

OH YES, FINALLY … THE COVER GIRLS!
I’m not kidding when I say donuts have taken over my life. They’re the obsession that wakes me up at night and has me rushing out the front door each morning. In a tall pile inside the case at the bakery, they are the dessert that stops me in my tracks and makes me scream like an overexcited toddler. I’m trying to tell you I really like donuts.

But what exactly do I like about them, you may be wondering. Ultimately I love that they look so simple, but are secretly complex: Making a delicious version is like being accepted into a members-only club. When I pick up a newly frosted marvel, it seems that donuts are practically invincible in their fundamental construction, and I often wonder why the world isn’t overflowing with them. Like, why don’t restaurants serve baskets of donuts in place of bread? Then I think back to the testing process and remember that there is quite possibly nothing worse on this planet than a shabbily made donut. In fact, I personally discovered that there are
at least
328 ways to ruin these little masterpieces. Together we’ll make sure you avoid each of them.

In the end, I’m certain you’ll find consistent happiness with these recipes. In most cases, they will keep for two full days if stored at room temperature in an airtight container. I’ve included several of my favorite varieties, each one unique and precious, as well as some ideas for exciting ways to dress them.

PLAIN CAKE DONUT

SUGAR-SWEETENED CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE

AGAVE-SWEETENED CHOCOLATE GLAZE

CHOCOLATE CAKE DONUT

VANILLA SUGAR GLAZE

VANILLA ICING

AGAVE-SWEETENED PLAIN DONUT

BLACKBERRY SWIRL DONUT

SPICED MARBLE DONUT

Plain Cake Donut

Brace yourself for an unbelievably adorable, moist, and perfectly sweet donut that will leave you breathless and endlessly happy. We’re going to bake them, not deep-fry them! If you’re OK with sugar, this should be your go-to recipe, as it yields a fantastically crispy outside that secures the light, pillowy inside. The donut here is shown with the
cinnamon sugar topping
.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Brush 2 six-mold donut trays with coconut
oil and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flours, potato starch, arrowroot,
baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda. Add the coconut oil, applesauce,
vanilla, and hot water and continue mixing with a rubber spatula just until the
ingredients are combined. Using a melon-baller or tablespoon, drop 2½
tablespoons of batter into each donut mold. Using a toothpick, spread the batter
evenly around the mold.

Bake for 8 minutes, rotate, and continue to bake until the donuts are golden
brown, about 7 minutes more. Let cool in the molds for 5 minutes if sprinkling with
toppings such as cinnamon sugar, or 15 minutes if using glaze or icing. Run a knife
around the donuts in the molds, lift them out, and place them on a baking sheet.
Coat them in your choice of
topping
.

Makes 12

Sugar-Sweetened Chocolate Dipping Sauce

This recipe is extremely easy and can be ready in a jiff. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make this in the oven or the microwave. Be warned: Your bowl or saucepan must be bone dry before you put the chips in or the sauce will break—a not-exactly technical term for separating into a lumpy mess. If, after you’re finished dipping your donut, you have a little extra, simply cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. As a rule of thumb, this recipe will keep for 5 days. The sauce is shown here topping a
Plain Cake Donut
with stripes of
Vanilla Icing
.

For the double boiler
Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water, set it over low heat, and bring the
water to a gentle simmer. Add the chips and when they start to become shiny, stir
until they are completely melted. Remove from the heat, add the coconut oil and
salt, and stir until thoroughly combined.