Happy Gluten Free Birthday

I've attended many birthday parties in the past few months where I've been unable to have a slice of my most favorite dessert - Birthday Cake!  So, when my birthday was coming up, I knew I had to have my own gluten free birthday cake.  I taste tested a few cupcakes from local GF bakeries, but nothing satisfied my birthday cake expectations, so I decided to take it upon myself and bake my own.  My boyfriend wanted to help - so I let him decorate it :-)  Below is the recipe, along with my new favorite "low fat" chocolate frosting.

Gluten Free Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated

4 T butter, softened

2 c gluten free baking mix

1 c sugar

1/2 c milk

3/4 tsp GF vanilla extract

2 T cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two 9-inch pans with non-stick spray and use GF flour to coat.  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  In a separate bowl, cream butter.  Add in baking mix and sugar and mix well.  Add in milk and extract and combine.  Mix in egg yolks, one at a time.  Fold in egg whites.  Set aside 1 - 2 cups batter.  Pour remaining batter into cake pans.  Add cocoa powder to remaining batter and mix well.  Drop chocolate batter into cake pans by spoonfuls.  Using small knife, swirl chocolate batter into pans.  Bake for 25 - 28 minutes.  Cake is done when toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan for 5 - 10 minutes.  Run knife around edge to loosen and invert onto cooling rack.  

"Low Fat" Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened

7 oz marshmallow creme

2 tsp GF vanilla extract

1/2 c cocoa powder

2 c powdered sugar

2 - 3 T milk

Cream butter.  Add marshmallow and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.  Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar and mix.  Frosting will be thick.  Add milk by tablespoons until you reach desired consistency.  Frost onto cooled cakes.  For best results, place cakes into fridge to avoid crumbles of cake getting into the frosting.