If there are two foods that bring about thoughts of Christmas, I think it's safe
to say that gingerbread and egg nog are at the top of my list.
Over the years I've heard numerous people talk about making cake with nothing more than a cake mix and a can of pop. I've always wondered if this would work with a gluten free cake mix,so I purchased a box of Aldi's LiveGFree yellow cake mix to give it a whirl. Of course, if I'm going for the best ginger flavor ever, nothing beats Michigan made Vernors ginger ale.
Before trying my culinary creation, I did some research. I looked through other recipes to see what the ratio of ginger to nutmeg to molasses was in other recipes. I was surprised at the variation that I found. I finally settled on the following recipe for my whoopie pies:
1 LiveGfree yellow cake mix
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp molasses
12 oz Vernors gingerale
That's right. No eggs. No dairy. Just cake mix, spices and pop. The batter was a little thin, so I was slightly nervous about how much these would rise when baking.
I researched baking times, and put them in the oven for 15 minutes.
These didn't turn our dramatically light and fluffy, but they were firm and didn't crumble. They were slightly dry, but I think I over-baked them a little bit. I think baking them for half the time would have worked better.
These little cakes had a bigger destiny awaiting them. Whoopie Pies. If we're really honest, the cake part in a whoopie pie is nothing more than a vehicle for frosting. I decided to kick my frosting game up a notch by adding a touch of eggnog and quite a few dashes of nutmeg to some Duncan Hines vanilla frosting. How much eggnog and nutmeg? Can't tell you for sure. I'm more of "taste-as-you-go" kind of gal. Anyone opposed to taste testing frosting? Yeah, didn't think so.
The finished product was a success. I took these beauties to Sunday School with me, and everyone loved how they turned out. I also love how this picture turned out, so much so that it's now the wallpaper on my phone. True story.
I'd love to try this recipe again with a better cake mix, such as King Arthur Flour. Has anyone else made a cake + pop recipe? How did it turn out? What other cake and pop combinations would you try?Labels: In the kitchen
