StagMom's Carnival Gluten Free Casein Free Frosted Birthday Cake

I've been tweaking my GFCF cake recipes and boy I think I've come up with a winner. When Bella made her First Holy Communion last month, I ordered a professional made GFCF cake from Jill at Sweet Gluten Free in Bridgeport, CT. The cake was TO DIE FOR. Moist chocolate cake with a melt in your mouth coconut oil based frosting and just look at the carefully cut fondant letters and hand crafted flowers. Kimmy loves to bake. Kimmy can not make a cake look that even and professional. This is the PROFESSIONALLY MADE cake below. See it's gleaming perfection. It's dreamy, isn't it?

Gianna's birthday (14!) is on July 11 (yes, my 7/11 Slurpee girl!) and I ordered a cake from Jill. But, I still need to bake cakes on a regular basis. Yes, I said NEED. Baking is my Xanax, OK?

So here's my recipe for StagMom's Carnival Cake. It's not health food. It won't accommodate every special needs diet. But if you make it, I promise you not a single soul will know it isn't a "real" cake. Oh it's real, and I have the belly fat to prove it. This bakes up into a moist, barely sweet pound cake that is set off perfectly by the cotton candy carnival frosting.

Cake

1 Box Betty Crocker GF yellow cake mix (double the recipe for a 2 layer cake)

Substitute So Delicious brand unsweetened coconut milk for the water (that's the green carton)

Substitute Jones All Natural Cream Soda for the vanilla

Use 3 eggs, just like the box says

Frosting (enough for a 2 layer cake)

1 stick Earth Balance shortening softened

1 stick Earth Balance margarine softened
Jones All Natural Cream Soda

1 large bag Powdered Sugar (use Kosher made with tapioca starch if you can't tolerate corn)

Karo clear syrup (if you can't tolerate corn, use Lyle's Golden Sugar Cane syrup)

Beat shortening and margarine until smooth

Add 1/8 cup cream soda

Add 2 tbsps Karo

Beat

Add 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, beat until creamy
Slowly add remaining sifted powdered sugar (yes you can skip the sifting if you must, harumph)

Add more cream soda until the frosting is an easy spreading consistency.

If piping the frosting - say onto cupcakes, keep frosting slightly firm. Softer for spreading.

Lick fingers many, many times. Wash them, for God's sake.

Set cake on counter. Call family. Enjoy the accolades.

Dig in!

Happy (Belated) Gay Pride Day

Happy Gay Pride Day to the five strong men in my life (you know who you are) whom I adore as family, friends, colleagues. This cake is for you. (No, I didn't bake this one. A bit too much artificial color for my taste!)

This is What We Do.

(Even though we don't look anything like Carrie Bradshaw.) If you have sensitive ears, mind the first words. A bit swear-y. Meh.

Happy Father's Day!

Young Man with Autism To Give Commencement Speech

Congratulations to my good friend Chantal Sicile-Kira and her family on Jeremy's success. Chantal is a writer and amazing Autism Mom who has helped support, educate and entertain others in the autism world for many years. Jeremy's success is Chantal's success, and she deserves every bit of it.

San Diego Ranch Coast News

Inspirational autistic TPHS student graduates, will deliver a commencement speech

Jeremy Sicile-Kira is autistic and cannot speak, but that does not mean he has nothing to say. After seven years at Torrey Pines High School, he has earned his high school diploma and will deliver a commencement speech to his classmates through voice-assisted technology at the June 18 graduation ceremony.

“I am nervous but very touched that I am giving a speech,” said Jeremy, using a letter board to spell out his words. “I want to tell them never give up on your dreams.”

To graduate high school Jeremy, 21, has taken units in mainstream general education classes as well as in his severely handicapped classes with Allen Gustafson, whom Jeremy said is the “best teacher.” He does all the same work as his regular education peers, he just gets more time to do it. He passed his California High School Exit Exam on the first try and will attend MiraCosta College in the fall to study communications.

Next week he will graduate on the same day as his sister, Rebecca, a senior at Canyon Crest Academy.

“I was pretty amazed,” said proud mom Chantal, who never even expected it would be possible for Jeremy to earn his diploma, let alone with a 3.5 GPA.

Along the autism spectrum, every child’s symptoms are different. Although Jeremy can say a few words, he has never been able to speak. In a speech written for an autism conference, Jeremy explained how his autism affected his vision, hearing and motor skills.

He said he had to learn how to hear, how to know which noise to pay attention to and distinguish when someone was speaking to him. He had to learn how to focus to be able to see.

“If I don’t concentrate, the world seems surreal,” Jeremy said...

Read the full article at San Diego Ranch Coast News.