Dairy Free Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

A crazy cake is a cake without milk, butter, or eggs. I started making these when I developed allergies, but they are honestly so much more moist than any cake I have ever made.

And yes, one is missing because they were too delicious to resist.

Crazy Carrot Cake

Dairy, Butter, & Egg Free

Makes 8 inch cake or about 12 cupcakes

Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups flour + 3 Tablespoons (all-purpose)
• 1 Cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

—————-

• 3/4 Cup finely grated peeled carrots
• 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 Cup raisins

Wet Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar 
• 1 Cup water 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line cupcake pan with liners or grease cake pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the first 8 dry ingredients and mix well. 
3. Next, add carrots, walnuts and golden raisins – blend well.
4.  Last, add the wet ingredients – vinegar, vanilla and oil, then pour the water over top – mix well. Pour in greased baking dish or about 1/4 cup into each cupcake liner
5. Bake on middle rack  for 35 to 45 minutes for cake OR 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes or until toothpick come out clean. Allow to cool and top below cream cheese frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 Dairy Free

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 ounces plain almond cream cheese (I use Kite Hill, can be found at Meijer, Fresh Thyme, or Whole Foods)
• ¼ cup Crisco Shortening
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened original almond milk 

1. Combine all ingredients with blender until smooth.  I always have way more than I need, so I either double the cupcake recipe, or my kids eat it on graham crackers for the rest of the week. 

Dairy and Egg Free Pumpkin Scones 

Crazy Chocolate Cake

Crockpot Chicken Tacos Freezer Meal

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast, fat trimmed and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth

1. Label bag with name and instructions 

2. Add chicken, spices, and broth to bag. Get as much air out as possible, seal bag.

To Prepare:

1. Thaw in fridge overnight, in a bowl prevent leakage.

2.  Crockpot on low 6 to 8 hours. Make sure chicken is completely covered in broth. Add more broth if you need to. It will seem like a lot of liquid, but it's the key to the moist taco meat. 

3. Chicken is ready when you can shred with a fork. Chicken will absorb the remaining liquid once shredded.
4. Serve in burritos, over rice, on salad, or in quesadillas.

One Pot Rice & Beans Burrito Bowl

We love Rice & Beans!  On a tight budget, they fill the stomach of my two very hungry boys and one hungry husband.  This recipe is a simple staple of our house, one I always have the ingredients for in my pantry.  You will see their are several items optional, or with easy substitutions.

ONE POT RICE & BEANS BURRITO BOWL
Dairy & Gluten free

Ingredients

• 1 cup of shredded chicken (optional)
• 3 TBSP of olive oil
• 1 cup of white rice
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa (sub 1 can of rotel OR 1 can of diced tomatoes for less spice)
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (optional, I use when I don’t have chicken)
• 1 TBSP of Taco seasoning (I make my own, add more if you liked spicier food))
• 1 cup of frozen corn (optional, I love corn in my Mexican food) 
• 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock or broth (you can also use water in a pinch)
• Salt to taste

1. Sauté chicken in 2 tsbp oil with salt. (leave out to make vegetarian or if you don’t have any chicken on hand) 
2. Move chicken to one side of pan, in the other side of the pan add another tablespoon of olive oil and keep stirring and sauté uncooked rice until some grains start to turn light brown (about 2 min). This makes the rice into NON-sticky rice, cooking some of the starch out.
3. Stir in black beans, salsa, chicken broth and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.
4. Cook about 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Let sit for 5 minutes to absorb all the liquid.
5. Season with additional salt if needed. I serve with tortilla chips so I don’t add much salt.  Can also serve inside burritos. My kids add cheese to theirs, but I eat mine plain to be dairy free.

Depression Era Chocolate Cake- Dairy & Egg Free

I love the history and science behind this cake recipe.  Many say it originated during the depression, when eggs, butter, and milk were hard to come by for the average family, and is also known as Crazy Cake. I also didn't use vanilla, because of an allergy, and it was still delicious!

The science behind the vinegar and baking soda is also very cool. You may see small air bubbles on the top of your beautifully risen cake, but you can't taste the vinegar at all!!! I have used applesauce to substitute for eggs in cakes, but this was more light and fluffy than any applesauce cake I've made.  It is probably the best cake I've ever eaten, very moist and light; everyone went for a second piece.

Depression Chocolate Cake a.k.a Crazy Cake

Egg Free and Dairy Free

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups cold water

Dairy Free Strawberry Icing 

• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (I prefer Crisco)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2.5 tbsp non-dairy strawberry yogurt ( I prefer Silk ) (you can just use oat or almond milk, but you won't get the strawberry flavor)

Directions

1. Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into a bowl. Combine until fully mixed.

2. Make two small compression in dry mixture. Pour oil into one, and vinegar into other. Pour in cold water & stir. You will see some bubbling as the vinegar reacts with the baking soda.  Stir until completely combined. 

3. Bake

• FOR CAKE- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.  I used two greased & floured 8 inch round cake pans, but you could also use a 9x13 pan
• FOR CUPCAKES- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes (about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake).  Use cupcake liners.  

4. While cools, make icing.  Combine ingredients and whip using mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Ice when completely cooled. 

Variation: If you don't like icing, you can also top with powdered sugar JUST before serving.  Don't put powdered sugar on early or it will melt.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies~Dairy & Egg Free

I love pumpkin all year long. These cookies are easy to make, and fun little mouth full of pumpkin.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Dairy & Egg Free

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 ½ cups sugar 
• ½ cup margarine (1 stick), softened 
• 1 cup Pumpkin pie filling
• 1/3 cup applesauce

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp unsweetened almond milk (add more if too thick to drizzle)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets
2. COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl.
3. Beat sugar and margarine in large bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, applesauce until smooth. 
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by small spoon size onto prepared baking sheets.  Do not make too big or they will not cook through.  
5. BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Drizzle Glaze over cookies. 
6. MAKE GLAZE Combine powdered sugar & unsweetened almond milk in a small bowl until smooth. I use a spoon and drizzle over top in a side to side motion. It's not perfect looking, but tastes yummy!

Pumpkin Scones- Dairy & Egg Free

Pumpkin Scones
Dairy & Egg free

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 7 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½  tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½  tsp cinnamon 
• 6 tablespoons dairy free butter ( I get a stick and cut into small cubes)
• ½ cup canned pumpkin pie filling 
• 3 tablespoons DF Sour cream ( I use Tofutti)
• 1/3 cup applesauce

1. Scones: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin spice.

3. Using fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.  The use fingers to combine  until the mixture is crumbly and similar texture to corn meal, set aside.  (Your could also you a food processor for this step)

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, cream, and applesauce. 

5..Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until mostly combined, (the mixture will seem dry at first), use your hands to knead the dough against the sides of the bowl, to ensure it is completely combined.

6.. Pat the dough into a 7-inch circle, use a little flour or parchment paper on cutting board for it not to stick. Cut the round of dough into 8 equal triangles. 

7. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until gold on bottom

8. Powdered Sugar Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tbsp non dairy milk  (I use almond or oat) until smooth.  Drizzle onto scones once they are cooled.  Allow to cool, icing will harden.

Variation: Add a half cup of  non dairy chocolate chips to dry mixture before combining wet and dry. 

Cinnamon Raisin Scones- Dairy and Egg Free

The recipes makes 8 scones....but they were so irresistible that I ate before I could take the picture!

CINNAMON RAISIN SCONES

Egg Free & Dairy Free

Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar + 1 tsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼  teaspoon baking soda
• ½  teaspoon salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons unsalted margarine, cold (I put a stick of margarine in freezer for 5 to 10 minutes)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup DF sour cream (I use Tofutti sour cream)
• 1/3 cup applesauce
Glaze
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tsp almond milk


Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda salt, and cinnamon. Cut butter into flour mixture ; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should look like coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and applesauce until smooth.
4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to make the dough into a ball in the ball.  (The dough will be sticky in places, and at first it seems too dry, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a greased cookie sheet (or use sheet lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.
6. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes
7.     Make icing by combing sugar and almond milk. Add icing to top and serve warm or at room temperature.