This past weekend was Mother’s Day weekend and I wanted to do something special to celebrate it. My husband and I had some kid-free time and we came up with the grand idea of creating these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls together! Ok, I lied, it was actually ALL my idea and I just employed his help. Does that mean I can call him Give It A Whirl Boy since he helped me with one of my blog projects? Keep reading to find out how I added a secret ingredient to make these cake balls the moistest cake balls you ever did have.
Super Duper MOIST Cake Balls – pistachio and cheesecake flavor!
So many pretty colors on these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls!
Here is how I created these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls
The secret ingredient is…
Want to know what my key ingredient is with any cake mix I ever use? Sugar-free instant pudding packets from Jell-O! Yup, and I use the whole entire packet. For these two batches of cake balls that I whipped up, I used one packet of sugar-free cheesecake pudding for the pink and blue balls, and for the green cake balls I had to use my favorite pudding mix, pistachio pudding (sugar-free as well). I always opt for any of the sugar-free pudding packets since I think it is unnecessary to add even more sugar to the cake, but you can feel free to use any pudding packet your heart desires.
Baking the cake
First things first! For these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls, you need to decide on a boxed cake mix to use. I went with Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Rainbow Chip mix. I created two batches of cake balls so I needed two boxes of cake mix. To add a much-loved moist cake ball you then need to choose a pudding mix. You will also need to choose a can of frosting that you would like to mix in to hold these balls together. I used Betty Crocker’s Rainbow Chip frosting.
The cake mix calls for 1/2 cup of oil. I used ghee (butter) instead and they came out marvelous!
I used a 9×13″ cake pan and baked the cake for 28 minutes. After the cake cools I then scrape the top and middle part away and pour the crumbled cake into a large mixing bowl. I do not use the bottom part of the baked cake because it has that baked texture to it. The top of the cake has plenty of that baked texture to it and that is plenty for cake balls. You will want to crumble all of the cake into the smallest pieces. You do not want large cake pieces in your mixing bowl.
Some of the key ingredients for my Super Duper Moist Cake Balls
Here are the two cakes crumbled up and awaiting the frosting
Frosting to hold them all together
The frosting is what you will be using to hold these balls together and to give them a big punch of sweetness for that sweet tooth of yours. Once you have all of the cake crumbles in the large mixing bowl, add 3/4 of the frosting to the bowl and mix it all up until well incorporated. I use a soft spatula to do this. You might need to use the entire can but I do not recommend it. This is going to take a bit of muscle to stir this all up so pull up your sleeves and get ready to mix, mix, mix!
After the cake and frosting is completely mixed you will want to make sure you have VERY CLEAN hands and you will want to take the mixture with your hands and form 1-inch cake balls
Chill them balls!
After you form those cake balls with the cake crumbles and frosting you will want to freeze the balls for a short period of time. 15 minutes is plenty! Just be sure that you do not freeze them for too long. You don’t want them completely frozen.
Wilton Bright Candy Melts
I wanna dip my balls in it!
Oh my goodness! Who here remembers this show The State? Truth be told, that while my hubby and I were working on these balls there were some humorous injections pertaining to balls jokes! Yeah yeah… I am 38 years old and still haven’t grown up! lol!
Here is our work area for the Super Duper Moist Cakes Balls that we created
Sprinkles galore!
Hello and welcome to the fun part of this post! Here is where we get a bit messy and have a bit of a sprinkle explosion. You can get creative here and use the sprinkles of your choice to decorate these Super Duper Moist Cake Balls! I had a wide variety of many different rainbow sprinkles on hand so my moist cake balls have a lot going on.
You might LOVE these rainbow sprinkles for the Sweet Tooth Fairy
Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch – Available at JoAnn’s – This is one of my favorite sprinkles to use!
Which Super Duper Moist Cake Ball will you try first? The cheesecake or pistachio?
Each and every Super Duper Moist Cake Ball is unique
Mmmm mmm MOIST cake balls! Nom Nom Nom!
Final thoughts
Boy! These Super Duper Moist Cake Balls sure were a labor of love and completely and totally worth all the time and effort put into making them. My family came over after Mother’s Day dinner and we played cards and ate cake balls! These moist cake balls were enjoyed by all, both children and adults. They are a joy to eat, that is for sure! How many will you eat? Always remember to save room for dessert!
Question & Answer Time!
Tell me what ingredients you will use to make a batch of cake balls.
Stunning array of our Super Duper Moist Cake Balls
Super Duper Moist Cake Balls ready for you! They sure are a labor of love!
One last photo of our Super Duper Moist Cake Balls
I wanted to do something a little different today and instead of sharing reviews and recipes I want to share some details about ME, in case anyone was wondering who I am! My name is Kimmy Ripley and I am from the city of St. Clair Shores in Michigan. I am very very VERY passionate about food and drink. I try my best to always eat with an open mind and I live for the thrill of trying out new things. This Give It A Whirl Girl food blog was started last June and it such a big joy to share my food and drink experiences with you all!
Today I will be sharing 10 questions and answers on the blog so you can get to know me better! There are going to be a ton of photos in this post so get ready! I know some people who “read” blogs don’t read and just check out the photos, so if you are one of those people you are in luck today!
Me! Kimmy Ripley AKA Give It A Whirl GirlMy hubby and I at Kona Grill for one of my birthdaysGive It A Whirl Girl with some Enlightened ice cream popMe and my daughter, Chloe Pearl, at the Heidelberg Project
This is a tough question. I am not a very picky eater and I consider myself to be a foodie! There are so many foods out there that I absolutely love but if I had to choose one thing, just one thing, it would be…
Sushi! – I love love love sushi but I am also a big fan of things like crab legs or lobster tail because they are such a pricey and super rare treat for me.
My go-to place for sushi is Inyo in Ferndale, MI. We discovered this fantastic Asian fusion restaurant through Groupon. Inyo Ferndale is almost always on Groupon, so if you are local be sure to grab a Groupon for this spectacular Asian restaurant. You can thank me later… wink! wink! Their food is top-notch and we are regulars there.
Sushi at Inyo FerndaleSushi at Inyo Ferndale – This sushi roll has 4 different colorful eggs on itSushi at Inyo FerndaleSushi at Inyo FerndaleSushi at Inyo FerndaleAnd just for fun! Here is a photo of my daughter, Chloe Pearl, with her chicken teriyaki dinner at Inyo FerndaleOk guys! I am obsessed with Inyo. Here is a photo of my Walnut Lobster. This was the most recent meal that I ordered
Honorable mention:
Gotta love a big bowl of noodly pho at Minh Chau restaurant (they just changed the name to New Asian Star). Pho is comfort food for me. The broth here at New Asian Star is on-point! The pho that I enjoy ordering has sliced beef, brisket, meatballs, and soft tendon in it. Yeah I said tendon… and it is a weird meat to eat but I do enjoy it here. They also have a pho available with tripe if you are feeling really adventurous.
You can also stop in here for a bubble drink!
Big bowl of yummy pho at Minh Chau (now known as New Asian Star)Pure comfort food right over here. I love pho at Minh Chau (New Asian Star)!
2) Least favorite food:
Oh this is an easy one. I used to eat some funky stuff when I was a little girl… things I could not fathom stomaching now!
Herrings in cream sauce (ew) I used to eat these fishy fishes straight out of the jar.
Giblets and hearts in my stuffing (ew! ew!) My mom always put those nasty things in my Thanksgiving stuffing. NEVER AGAIN
Liverwurst (ew! ew! ew!) All by itself or on some plain white bread. No thank you!
3) Favorite fruit
Want to know about my favorite fruit? This is an easy one to answer for me… dragon fruit, and that is followed by passion fruit, another favorite of mine. I am a HUGE fan of exotic fruits and I love to create exotic smoothie bowls with these fruits. If you are local, you can usually pick up a wide variety of exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio.
Dragon fruit can have either a white center or pink center. You never know until you slice it!
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Exotic fruits that I purchased at Nino SalvaggioThe exotic fruit smoothie bowl
4) Favorite meals that I have cooked:
Truth be told, and many of you all know, cooking and baking is my #1 passion in life! I love to serve up a delicious dish for my little family of 3
Italian drunken noodle is hands down the family favorite over here in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. You can find the recipe for this delicious dish on my blog. Italian Drunken Noodle features Pappardelle pasta, Italian sausage, and mix of peppers with chardonnay wine.
A big plate of Italian Drunken Noodle and a glass of chardonnayItalian Drunken Noodle – Give It A Whirl Girl’s favorite meal to cook
Honorable mention:
Gigantic mozzarella stuffed meatballs are a big favorite and I have the recipe for these on my blog. This is the kind of meal that I invite my family over for. This recipe serves up a generous portion of meatballs.
Huge mozzarella stuffed meatballs simmering in the slow-cookerA big plate of mozzarella stuffed meatballs served over spaghetti noodles
Pineapples stuffed with a teriyaki chicken is another family fave but it is somewhat complicated and tedious to create. You can find the recipe and learn more about this gluten-free dish on my blog.
Pineapples stuffed with teriyaki chicken are a fabulous summer meal
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5) Favorite desserts I have created
I love to bake cakes even though I am not the most talented baker and cake decorator. I created a bubblegum cake and a cotton candy cake. These cakes and cupcakes were a ton of fun to create and even more fun to eat!
Here are some photos of my favorite baking projects:
Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedCOTTON CANDY CAKEPaleo Dark Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
6) Favorite drink (non-alcoholic):
I don’t know how I can pick one here. I am a self-confessed coffee addict and I am also addicted to my energy drinks (have to have at least one a day!). My favorite energy drinks are by Bang Energy. With flavors like Unicorn and Cotton Candy, how can you resist?
7) Favorite alcoholic drink:
I recently started getting into craft beer and hard ciders. I was always attracted to the labels and packaging. It is so fun and colorful! I grew up my entire life, hating on beer, and saying it tasted like pee. Then one day I went to Hop Cat and I went there with the intention of giving beer a whirl and I ordered a flight with three different craft beers. Guess what? I enjoyed each and every one of them! I was impressed with myself that I gave craft beer a chance. I love craft beer and the entire drink experience with them. I love all of the unique flavors out there… Lucky Charms cereal, etc. etc.!
So sorry for the poor quality photo! I apologize but here is a photo of me with my first craft beer! I gave it a whirl at Hop Cat in Royal Oak, MIFirst flight of craft beer for me at Hop Cat and I loved each one of them!A 6-Pack of PB & Jaley craft beerRekorderling Passion Fruit hard cider – This was the greatest hard cider I have tried!An assortment of craft beers… all delicious!Cranium Crush – Raspberry Waffle Cone AleAn assortment of craft beers that I tried out. And we save all of the bottles and cans and display them in our basement.
8) Favorite candy
Jelly Belly Raspberries & Blackberries are my favorite candy! What is yours?
There is no better candy than Jelly Belly’s Raspberries & Blackberries! These berry flavored candies are extremely highly addictive to me and I will kill a bag in just a couple of minutes!
9) Favorite post on the blog
I am nearing 200 published posts on the blog and if I had to choose one favorite post I simply can’t. I am going to declare a tie here. The two posts that were my favorite to do were both local reviews. I would love to visit more places nearby and review them. The local reviews I have done are my top performing posts. Here we go…
Modern Cone is an ice cream shop in St. Clair Shores that specializes in creative ice cream concoctions. This is the place to go if you want a unique ice cream concoction that is fun to eat, and very Instagrammable!
Make sure you are following my Facebook page because I will be sharing a Modern Cone gift card giveaway very soon!
Our three desserts at Modern ConeCereal Killer ice-cream Stacker available at Modern Cone
Kawaii Bubble Tea is located in Clinton Township, MI and they have some of the best bubble teas (boba) that I have ever tried. They also have a wide variety of macarons available. If you have never ever tried boba you definitely need to check out this place. It is a very fun drink experience.
Kawaii Bubble Tea boba and macarons!Enjoying our boba drinks and macarons at Kawaii Bubble Tea in Clinton Township, MI What a fun experience for all of us!Macarons and boba at Kawaii Bubble Tea
Honorable mention:
Tou & Mai is located in Detroit’s midtown area and they offer some very unique desserts. I tried their halo halo (Hello Hello is what they call it). You can read the review on my blog where I spill all the beans about this awesome dessert destination!
Hello Hello (Halo Halo) at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MIHello Hello (Halo Halo) at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MIMy daughter, Chloe Pearl eating Hello Hello (Halo Halo) at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI
10) Favorite place to grab a sweet treat
This is an easy question to answer. Menchie’s and Orange Leaf are definitely my favorite place to grab a dessert. I am obsessed with frozen yogurt, also known as froyo. You can read my Menchie’s review on the blog.
Want to give Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt a whirl? Grab a Groupon and save on your visit!
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (Froyo) Build-Your-Own Creation Edible art!Menchies Heritage Village in Warren, MIMenchies Heritage Village in Warren, MI toppings bar
Final thoughts
I truly hope you enjoyed this post over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. I would love to hear from my readers so leave me a comment here and tell me about your favorite food!
Question Time!
What is your favorite food? Least favorite food? Please share with me. I love to hear from my audience!
Also…
If you have any questions that you would like to ask me, leave a question in the comment box and I will be happy to answer it.
I recently had the pleasure of giving ZenSweet’s gluten-free and sugar-free products a whirl. ZenSweet products can be incorporated into your paleo or keto diet. Their products are sweetened with monk fruit and do not contain any refined sugars or wheat products. The great thing about ZenSweet baking mixes is that they will taste like they were made from scratch but the mixes only need 1 or 2 ingredients to be created and the final product tastes completely homemade! I was very impressed with the chocolate chip cookie mix that I started out with on my ZenSweet product venture. Keep reading to learn more and then enter the giveaway to win a variety pack of baking mixes and monk fruit sweetener.
ZenSweet Baking Mixes and Monkfruit Sweetener
All about ZenSweet
ZenSweet is a brand for the health nuts (like myself) that are out there reading. Their products contain 3 natural ingredients:
There are three all natural ingredients in ZenSweet: erythritol, soluable prebiotic fiber, and monk fruit. Erythritol is a naturally occurring sweetener found in some foods, including pears, grapes, and watermelon. Inulin is a soluble, prebiotic fiber. Monk fruit is a small round green gourd grown in China and northern Thailand, and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. (source)
ZenSweet measures and tastes just like sugar but without all of the guilt! ZenSweet products are low-calorie and also have a low glycemic index.
ZenSweet products can easily be incorporated into a paleo, vegan, low-sugar, or keto diet.
ZenSweet Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free & Sugar-Free)
What is monk fruit?
I am new to this world of monk fruit so I had to do a little digging and research this. I am intrigued! The monk fruit is a sweet, small melon that originates in Asia. It was first cultivated over 800 years ago and its name came from the Buddhist monks that first cultivated this gem!
There are zero calories in monk fruit and the monk fruit is actually 20 times sweeter than regular fruit juices. The monk fruit is gaining in popularity quickly due to the latest health crazes that cut down on refined sugars.
You can find out more about the monk fruit HERE and watch the informative video below. Monk fruit is something that your entire family can enjoy and benefit from.
ZenSweet Monk Fruit Sweetener
This was my first time giving monk fruit a whirl and I gotta say… I am a huge fan! The first time I tried the Monk Fruit Sweetener was in my coffee. I did not notice any sort of weird or funky aftertaste in my coffee. Heck yeah! I have tried Stevia many times and, to me, I really notice a heavy aftertaste with it. Not the case with this monk fruit sweetener!
You will love this ZenSweet Monk Fruit Sweetener and you will find yourself replacing all of your sugar with this. The Monk Fruit Sweetener measures like sugar with a 1:1 ratio. Next time you are in need of sugar reach for a bag of this! I even got my sugar-addicted hubby to use this in his coffee and he was quite pleased with it.
The first baking mix that I decided to try out was ZenSweet’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix. The recipe ingredients are simple: just one egg and some butter (I used ghee). The recipe instructions were also very simple and easy to use. I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to whip up my batch of cookie dough. If you are following a vegan diet, ZenSweet provides vegan cooking/baking instructions.
Because I love to have my chocolate chip cookies a little extra chocolatey, I decided to snazz up this batch of cookie dough with some Lily’s Sweets Dark Chocolate Chips.
Lily’s Sweets was an excellent choice because their chocolate chips are sugar-free and sweetened with stevia. The chocolate chips are made with only all-natural ingredients, are vegan, and non-GMO.
Each bag of ZenSweet’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix can create 12 cookies. I love my cookies to be on the bigger side so I made a tray of 8 fats ones. If you make a tray of twelve cookies each cookie will be only 60 calories. Each chocolate chip cookie will contain only 1g of sugar per serving. Also, each cookie contains only 3g of net carbs! You seriously can’t beat that guys!
I am all about eating foods that are guilt-free and taste great!
ZenSweet Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix and Lily’s Sweets Dark Chocolate Chips
ZenSweet Chocolate Chip Cookies and a glass of unsweetened almond milk
This ZenSweet Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix is for cookie fans that love the flavors of a sugar cookie that is laced with cinnamon. This baking mix is gluten-free (and paleo), keto, vegan, low-carb, and non-GMO. These cookies are only 3 grams of net carbs per serving and each cookie is only 60 calories.
The ZenSweet Brownie Mix is another simple and easy mix to prepare. To make the brownies you will need some unsweetened yogurt. If you want to keep it paleo or vegan simply use some non-dairy unsweetened yogurt to whip up this batch of sugar-free, low-carb brownies. You will need an 8×8 pan to create these brownies and each bag of mix will result in 12 delicious, moist, dark chocolate fudgy brownies. Each brownie is only 60 calories and contains 0g of sugar!
I am really looking forward to giving this ZenSweet Vanilla Cupcake Mix a whirl! I decided that I am going to order a bag of Swerve’s confectioner’s sugar-replacement to make a creamy and dreamy sugar-free buttercream frosting. You can think of this cupcake mix as a blank canvas and use your imagination to come up with a cool cupcake, whatever your heart desires!
ZenSweet Vanilla Cupcake Baking Mix
Final Thoughts
When my sweet tooth is calling ZenSweet is going to be one of my new go-to brands to satisfy my sugar cravings. I have been into clean eating for a while and after Halloween, I ended up taking a turn for the worse! Oh my! I really need to get back on track and on-board the clean eating train. One of my new year resolutions was to cut back on my sugar intake and I feel that ZenSweet can allow me to do that.
Their sweetener is perfect for coffee and their baking mixes are perfect for your next baking project. The monk fruit that ZenSweet uses in their products is, perhaps, the best sugar replacement I have discovered. You won’t miss the sugar when you use ZenSweet!
Ready to shop?
You can find ZenSweet on Amazon and if you are Prime member you can receive free 2-day shipping! Not a member? No problem!
Important! Make sure you are subscribed to my blog to enter. The subscription box is in the upper-right corner of my homepage below the search bar. If you are on a mobile device scroll down my page until you find the subscription box.
Winner must reside in the United States and be 18+ years-old.
Winner will be drawn on January 31st. I will email the winner and the winner must claim the prize within 48 hours. If the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be selected and emailed.
Winner of this giveaway will receive the following items:
1 ZenSweet Vanilla Cupcake Baking Mix
1 ZenSweet Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix
1 ZenSweet Snickerdoodle Cookie Baking Mix
1 ZenSweet Brownie Baking Mix
1 ZenSweet Monk Fruit Sweetener (not in photo)
ARV of the ZenSweet variety pack is $50
Enter to win a ZenSweet Baking Mixes prize pack in my giveaway!
What ZenSweet product do you want to try first? Leave me a comment and enter the giveaway with through the entry form.
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. THIS HELPS MAKE FOR A BETTER BLOG EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF MY READERS. ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS BLOG.
Today I have compiled this list of gluten-free food that I am just dying to try! I searched high and low on Amazon to bring you a list of my top 10 favorites that are on my wishlist. Many of these items are also paleo and keto-friendly and you can easily incorporate these gluten-free items into your healthy diet and lifestyle.
Real Good Foods offers up a great gluten-free, low-carb pizza. I haven’t tried the cauliflower crust yet but I sure do love the chicken crust pizza. Because they use chicken and cauliflower in their crusts you are not going to find any gluten in these and very few carbs. These pizzas are also great for those following a keto diet. You can also check out their gluten-free, low carb enchiladas that are available. They are fantastic for lunch!
Real Good Foods Gluten-Free low-carb pizzas on AmazonReal Good Foods online store
If you prefer to purchase your pizzas in-store simply click this banner below for the Real Good Foods handy store locator.
The wonderful thing about these Paleo Powder seasonings is that they only use all-natural ingredients in their seasonings. You will not find any artificial flavors or food additives lurking here. All of Paleo Powder seasonings are free of MSG and GMOs and they are manufactured in a wheat, soy, and milk-free facility. These seasonings are certified Paleo and can be incorporated into all of your healthy meals. They are very versatile.
This here is a brand that I love and trust to come through with a great-tasting, quality product. Caulipower serves up a gluten-free and paleo product here with their baking mix, that I have yet to try! It has 11 net carbs per serving and has a 1/3 less amount of calories and fat than traditional baking products. This would be the perfect grain-free mix for your next baking project! I am thinking this would be great for a homemade pizza crust.
If you hang out on Instagram a lot then chances are you have heard about Legendary Foods and their line of gluten-free, keto, no-sugar-added nut butter. Instagram is where I first heard about them. They have an incredible line of healthy nut butter that you can feel good about eating without all the guilt. This variety pack is available on Amazon and includes Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Pecan Pie, and Blueberry Cinnamon Bun.
These gluten-free pastas from Banza were created with chickpeas. They are gluten-free and packed full of protein. This pasta also gives your fiber intake a much-needed boost and they are slightly lower-carb than traditional pasta. This variety pack from Banza includes many different shapes of pasta so you can get started on your next gluten-free pasta dish! Includes shells, penne, and rotini-shaped noodles.
If it is Whole 30, then you know it is gluten-free! Primal Kitchen is one of my go-to brands that I use often in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. You can read my review of their products on my blog. These products by Primal Kitchen are always gluten-free and many are also paleo, keto, and Whole 30 friendly. This Whole 30 Starter Kit is perfect for getting started with their products. It includes: Avocado Oil, Greek Dressing/Marinade, Ranch Dressing, Chipotle Lime Mayo, and Avocado Oil Mayo.
Check out some of the meals I have whipped up using Primal Kitchen products:
As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of Enjoy Life Food’s dark chocolate chips. They are great for baking projects. I do have a confession to make as well, they are great for nibbling and snacking on straight out of the bag. Busted!
I have not had a chance to try out Lily’s Sweets Premium Dark Chocolate Baking Chips yet but they rank quite high on my list of foods that I would love to try. I recently tried a Lily’s Sweets dark chocolate bar and it was love at first bite. This bag of chocolate chips is sweetened with Stevia and these chips are also vegan and free of GMOs.
This Swerve Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is for the health-conscious person. Not only is it gluten-free but it is also low-carb and ketogenic. One baked cookie comes in at 110 calories, 2 grams of added sugar, and 12 carbs. I have not given this product a whirl just yet but if you have I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
I love this keto bark by ChocZero. I have not yet tried this hazelnut flavor but I have tried the almond bark. Other flavors available are peanut and coconut. This chocolate bark is sweetened with monk fruit so there are zero added sugars in this gluten-free chocolate bark. This is a line of chocolate you can enjoy with peace of mind because there are only 3 net carbs per serving.
These birthday cake flavor sandwich cookies from Goodie Girl really caught my eye and stood out for me. Birthday cake flavored items rank pretty high on my list of favorite foods. It is just something about birthday cake, maybe it is the nostalgic feeling of eating it when I was a little girl? Birthdays are all about happy times and a celebration and I think that is why they always put a smile on my face.
These cookies are gluten-free and they are also made with all-natural candy sprinkles as well. You won’t find any artificial flavors or colors in these cookies. Goodie Girl only uses the best all-natural ingredients to create their cookies. There are a ton of great flavors available (way too many to list here!!). So click the image below to see what is available and go ahead and treat yourself!
Everyone knows that maple syrup is chock full of sugar and carbs and it is best to avoid if following a diet that is low in sugar. Know Foods has a solution though! Their maple syrup has 0 net carbs and only 10 calories per serving. WOW! This stuff goes great on your stack of gluten-free pancakes or waffles. It is a fabulous alternative to regular maple syrup.
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.
Know someone who is a big-time foodie? Shopping for last-minute holiday gifts? This gift-guide is chock full of the perfect gifts for the foodie in your life. This foodie gift-guide has a variety of different food-related items that will surely put a smile on the recipient’s face. Hopefully, you can find an item in this foodie gift guide that will make for a very memorable gift. I know I would be completely and totally happy and content with anything from this gift-guide.
Give the gift of healthy food and clean eats with a Sun Basket Gift Card. You can read more about Sun Basket in this blog post and here as well. I recently posted this round-up post with my favorite meal kit subscription boxes and you can find the current deals there.
Candy Club has a few different options for sending a gift to someone. This Candy Club box makes a great gift for a loved one that you can send straight to their doorstep. There is a smaller Fun Box size (which starts at $9 for the first box) and a larger Party Box size (that is $19 for the first box) that you can choose from. There are six different boxes that you can choose from.
You can click this banner to get started and save $20 off your first box. This $20 in savings is on the larger box.
Grill Master’s Club has four different gift boxes that are perfect for gift giving this holiday season! Know someone who is a Grill Master? They will appreciate this gift that keeps on giving. Boxes start at $27.95/month. Giving a one year subscription to this Grill Masters Club gift box will be an unforgettable gift for that foodie that is obsessed with grilling.
Bones Coffee hands down has some of the most unique flavors of coffee I have ever seen and heard of! Check out their flavors and grab yourself a sampler back of 5 different flavors that you choose.
Electric Unicorn (a fruity cereal flavor), S’morey Time, French Toast, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Maple Bacon are the five flavors I am dying to try (if anyone wants to gift me a sampler pack… wink! wink! And pretty please with sugar and cream on top lol).
Primal Kitchen is one of my favorite brands and my go-to for clean eats! You can use my special coupon GIVEITAWHIRL10 to save on your order at Primal Kitchen and they currently have free shipping on any order over $50. You can shop at Primal Kitchen’s online store or find them on Amazon.
Paleo By Maileo has a few different paleo snack boxes available, indivdual snacks so you can create your own box, or you can purchase a gift card in their online store. This is for the foodie in your life that prefers a diet of clean eats and gluten-free foods. I know I would love a gift like this!
Love With Food is a snack box subscription box. For a limited time only you can get a FREE $25 snack box and $10 off any 6 or 12-month subscription with coupon code JOLLY10. You can also shop around in their online snack shop and create your own custom box. These snack boxes are absolutely wonderful for any foodie that loves to give new and different foods a whirl!
Grocery delivery service is all the rage nowadays. You can now give the gift of Shipt to a loved one. You can choose from a 6-month or 12-month service and the cost starts at $49/month. With Shipt you can receive your grocery ordered delivered in as soon as an hour. This type of service is a godsend to me because I do not drive due to a phobia of driving.
I had a 6-month FoodStirs subscription and I am super bummed that this subscription ran out because we absolutely loved it! FoodStirs is a baking subscription box and FoodStirs only delivers the best ingredients in their baking kits. They use organic ingredients and all of these desserts turn out scrumptious. This is a great box to share with your children that love to help out in the kitchen. My daugher, Chloe, is almost 9 years old and she absolutely loved creating these desserts with me. This is perfect for the sweet tooth foodie in your life.
Here are some more gift ideas for the foodie in your life with a major sweet tooth. Sugarfina’s online store is full to the brim with gourmet candies that have a unique flavor profile.
The ultimate gift at SugarFina is the Build-Your-Own Candy Trunk. With this gift you get to choose twenty different gourmet candies to fill it with. Is that too rich for your blood? Check out the Four Piece Holiday Bento Box.
Thrive Market is the place to be if you want big savings on all the organic, clean eats! This company definitely earned a spot in my foodie gift guide and for good reason. Their online store is chock full of gluten-free, paleo, Whole 30, keto, and vegan/vegetarian foods. You can receive 25% off your first order. Delivery is fast and free. I have ordered from Thrive Market before and was totally pleased with my order AND the big savings! Their prices are 25-50% below regular retail prices.
The catch? This is a paid membership site. The membership is $59.95 for one year of access to their online store. This fee, however, pays for itself if you order from Thrive Market frequently. This membership would be an incredible gift for the healthy food enthusiast.Â
Gift cards are always tops!
Who doesn’t love a good gift-card? Seriously, you just can’t go wrong with one of these and that is why I am including them in this foodie gift-guide for all of those food lovers out there.
Amazon is your source for anything and everything. I would imagine that anyone and everyone would be excited to receive one of these gift-cards during the holiday season.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is the place to dine if you are looking for food with exceptional taste and quality. At Fleming’s there are also several fancy schmancy wines to choose from to go with you big, juicy steak.
Sur La Table has excellent gifts for the home chef. They have cookware, bakeware, small appliances, dinnerware and more. So make that foodie happy and give them the gift of shopping online at Sur La Table!
The online store at Chef’s Catalog is another slice of heaven for foodies. They also offer cookware, bakeware, and all the kitchen essentials you can possibly think of.
Shop at Chef’s Catalog
Did any of these gifts in this foodie gift-guide pique your interest? Let me know in the comments what you will be gifting this year or treating yourself to!
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.
TGIF! It is Friday so you know what that means… FRIDAY FAVES! This week I am so thrilled to present to you the line of Halloween Fiesta items available at Macy’s. I have a huge addiction to Fiestaware. I recently got my first set of Fiesta products in the summer and I am head over heels in love with it all. If you are looking for beautiful and durable dinnerware, Fiesta is the way to go. This is a shopping guide to the best Halloween items available.
Halloween is hands down one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time to cut loose and have some fun. Last year my family was a pack of rainbow unicorns. This year my daughter is going out as a creepy babydoll in one of my favorite vintage dresses.
If I had the funds all of this Halloween Fiesta would have a place in my home. The frightful designs are delightful! For those that are in the Halloween spirit year-round you could most definitely use these fine pieces throughout the year. I know that I would. I have a love affair for anything with a skull or skeleton design. The Fiesta Skull and Vine pieces are my favorite out of this collection. They are available in white or black designs and my eyes are in love with the black line.
Fiestaware is dishwasher safe, oven-safe, and microwave-safe. It also comes with 5-year chip protection. I have had my Fiesta since summer and have not gotten a single chip or scratch in any of my dinnerware and I use it for each and every meal. These are some very well-crafted pieces.
This Fiesta plate has a Dia de los Muertos-inspired design on it and there are several coordinating accessories to go with this plate. You can grab the coordinating pieces for your collection:
This is a generous-sized plate. This would be perfect for serving up your next big slab of ribs or whole chicken. Dimensions for this particular plate are diameter 11 3/4 Inches, and height 1 1/4 Inch.
This spooky witch plate is the perfect size for your next Halloween meal. Fiesta lunch plates are 9″ Dia. x 1.125″H. This green plate depicts a witch on a broomstick flying over the moon. There is also a coordinating coffee cup to go with this witch plate.
Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Gluten-Free bread mix once again over here in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen. This time I was craving a peanut butter & jelly sandwich so I ventured into the kitchen to make my own loaf of bread. I also had some jars of Sunbutter Sunflower Seed Spread that I needed to try out and a jar of Herkner Farms Champagne Raspberry Preserves that I picked up at Devries & Company 1887. I had all of my ingredients and all I kept thinking about was how this would be the greatest wannabe peanut butter & jelly sandwich of all time. This was my first time giving Sunbutter a whirl and I was so excited to try it.
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Wonderful Bread, with Sunbutter, and champagne raspberry jelly sandwich
It all starts with Bob’s Red MillÂ
Oh boy… I am blogging about this Wonderful Bread Mix once again! Let me tell you this… this gluten-free mix truly is wonderful and that is why it is in the name of the product. I have a problem getting my gluten-free breads to fluff up when I use my own recipe and ingredients. Maybe it is just me but my gluten-free bread do not rise up much. Bob’s Red Mill does include a yeast packet with the mix and that is probably why this mix results in a soft and fluffy loaf with the perfect bread crust. I had a wonderful feeling that this fluffy bread would pair well with my Organic Sunbutter Spread.
Last night we came home from the Dally In The Alley (a music and art festival in Detroit) and decided it would be a great night to make a from-scratch pizza. Instead of having my 8-year-old daughter, Chloe, sitting around killing time on her Ipad I told her to put my apron on and get busy in the kitchen with me. Making a pizza like this is quite the task and I figured this would be a wonderful opportunity to teach my daughter a variety of useful things in the kitchen. Today I will be talking about a few good reasons why it is of utmost importance to get your child busy in the kitchen as well. I think it is essential to teach children how to cook so they know these skills later in life. Teaching children how to cook is a huge responsibility that comes with parenting.
My daughter, Chloe, whisking up some eggs for our pizza crust
I remember when I was a young girl like Chloe. My mother attempted to get me interested in cooking and I had zero interest in it and did not want to participate in it. My mom was trying to teach me some valuable life lessons at the time but I guess I just chose to ignore it and did not think of it as being important at the time. Even when I was a teenager I didn’t want anything to do with it.
What I did not realize was that I was not allowing myself to learn one of life’s most important lessons.
My only real memory of “cooking” that I have is when I used to go over to my grandmother’s house and she would have my sister and I help with making instant pistachio pudding. The extent of my cooking skills from doing this was just learning how to operate an old-fashioned, manual hand mixer and a soft spatula.
So what was I to do when I moved out of my mother’s house and lived on my own for the first time? I think I did what most college students do… live off ramen noodles, spaghetti marinara, Velveeta Shells & Cheese, and frozen dinners! I really would love for my daughter to have better than that when she decides to go on to college and move out and be on her own. I have ten more years, at least, to teach her things that she needs to know about preparing herself a healthy and nutritious meal. Continue reading “The Importance Of Teaching Children How To Cook – Educating Chloe On How To Make A Pizza From Scratch”→
Happy 4 month anniversary to Give It A Whirl Girl! I started up this blog four months ago on June 6th. I was recovering from a hernia operation when a lightbulb went off in my mind! I had to fire it up and get the ball rolling on starting up a blog! My number one passion in life is cooking and baking. It was also my new year’s resolution to get a blog up and running. It took me half a year of planning to finally take my first step. I am so incredibly grateful for my husband, my daughter, and my mother for holding my hand along the way!
Give It A Whirl Girl making paleo dark chocolate fudge cupcakes
I was tremendously nervous to start this new venture. It takes a lot of strength to write and put yourself out there for the world to see! In the beginning, I would have a little anxiety attack before hitting that publish button. Fast forward to four months later and now I am incredibly eager to hit that publish button and share my foodie venture with the world! When I discover a new food or a new recipe that I fall in love with I want to spread the word.
I have learned a TON and taken in a lot of information in these past four months. Starting up a blog is a lot harder than one would think. There is a lot of knowledge that needs to be fed to your brain so you have a clue on what the heck you are doing! I still have a lot to learn. Learning about things like SEO makes me feel dumb. Blogging is so complex! I am determined and committed to learning and embracing all of this knowledge so that when my one-year anniversary arrives I can look back on all of this and see how far I have come.
Give It A Whirl Girl with a loaf of bread for paleo French toast
Let’s kick this off by saying that this recipe made my house smell so incredible! Freshly baked bread is amazeballs! I wasn’t sure what to have for dinner and then I got that brinner (breakfast for dinner) craving. I also had a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix in my pantry. I will tell you this too, I am always looking for a reason to put my apron on and get busy in the kitchen. So my Tuesday afternoon was spent working on a loaf of cinnamon, raisin, and ground flaxseed bread that I created with Bob’s Red Mill bread mix. This bread was simple to make and actually fun. I made the bread with the intention of using it for French Toast. I always enjoy making my own bread for French Toast. It is a rewarding feeling making an entire meal from scratch. I think the use of Chef Shamy’s amazing butter really helped make this bread extra special.
Easy Gluten-Free French Toast With Bob’s Red Mill and Chef Shamy
Bobs’ Red Mill Bread Mix review
This bread mix is versatile. The first time I used the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Bread Mix to make a blackberry lemon loaf of bread. Having a KitchenAid Stand Mixer really comes in handy to make recipes like this. I was so extremely satisfied with this bread mix so I had to give it a whirl again. This time around I used Chef Shamy’s Honey Butter – Cinnamon and Brown Sugar. What a genius idea to pair the mix with the butter. That butter is my jam! I have fallen in love with every Chef Shamy flavor.
Give It A Whirl Girl with Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix
We had an awesome day yesterday full of good eats and great times with family. I got super lucky and won a prize pack from Coleman Naturals on Facebook. I won a variety of organic hotdogs and sausages. As soon as I received my prize pack I knew I had to host a family get-together. I am always looking for an excuse or reason to have people over and cook for them. It brings me a lot of happiness and joy putting a party/family gathering together. Is there really anything better in life than having your good family come together to have a day full of great eats? So we had some hotdogs, sausages, potato salad, macaroni salad, and corn on the cob. It all added up to a scrumptious meal. My sister also brought some side dishes and my mother-in-law brought a fruit tray. We had quite a few healthy foods to eat.
This was my first time trying out anything by Coleman Naturals. I did a bit of research on their products and think that they are an incredible brand. Hotdogs and sausages are often filled with weird, garbage ingredients but not Coleman Naturals. They do not use antibiotics, hormones, steroids, they are non-GMO, use only all natural ingredients, are gluten-free, are free range, and only use organic ingredients. I don’t feel so bad about eating a hotdog or a sausage when I know that they are only made with quality ingredients.
These hotdogs and sausages were the stars of the show yesterday. I had most of my family over and we all enjoyed these. There were chicken hotdogs, pork & beef hotdogs, apple chicken sausage, and some andouille sausage. I also created some other dishes to go with the gathering. I made a healthy potato, a gluten-free macaroni salad, and I also made paleo dark chocolate fudge cupcakes. My dad and my stepmom also brought over some Michigan sweet corn. I brushed mine up and down with some ghee and was in corn heaven!
On Friday night I got home from our day trip out to Birch Run and I had to get my potato salad and macaroni salad done. For both salads, I used my jar of Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo. This was my first time using this mayo and I had no doubt it would be great because I love everything that Primal Kitchen has to offer. This avocado oil mayo can be found on Amazon but the price at Primal Kitchen is a tad lower.
The Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo is Whole 30 compliant, paleo-friendly, keto-approved, sugar-free, gluten-free, and has ZERO grams of carbs! I was super pumped to try this healthy mayo. I love when I come across a food product that is REAL FOOD and allows me to eat clean. Primal Kitchen always comes to mind when I think about clean food. I am so happy to be able to represent and work with a brand that offers nothing but the best when it comes to eating healthy and well.
I got a new apron yesterday and I needed a reason to put it on and wear it. I couldn’t just walk around the house doing nothing with my apron on right?? So I decided to delve into a recipe for paleo (gluten-free) marshmallows. I was going to make a marshmallow cake and I was going to make it gluten-free. I have never in my life made marshmallows so this fit in nicely with my Tried It Out Tuesday theme. I am on a roll today because I already did a post for that earlier today. So I decided to make these marshmallows but could not stop there. I WANTED TO WEAR MY APRON LONGER! So then I went into the pantry and got out my cake mix and decided I would crank out a cake too. Great idea and a good way to kill the time.
Gluten Free Marshmallow Cake
How I Created Homemade Marshmallows The Paleo Way!
Since I had no idea where to start with these gluten-free marshmallows that I wanted to construct it was time to bust out my best friend Google. I often like to go with the first thing that pops up and that was a recipe from Our Paleo Life. Seemed simple enough and lucky me, I had all of the ingredients on hand. I did not have a candy thermometer though so I tried my best just to use a regular cooking thermometer.
Great Lakes Gelatin
For the recipe, I had Great Lakes Unflavored Beef Gelatin in my pantry. That is some great stuff! You can make your own healthy gummy candies with it and reap the benefits of gelatin. I also had some honey on-hand and that was another main ingredient. I was nervous while making this because of the lack of a proper thermometer so I just had to use my brain. I am happy to say that after these set for a few hours in the fridge they turned out great. Quite a bit different from a regular marshmallow but definitely edible and good in a weird sort of way. I didn’t use a knife to cut these out and make them square. Silly me just used the top of a water bottle to cut out a simple circle shape. And they turned out looking like banana slices. Ooopsy!
Paleo marshmallows ready for the fridge and before candy sprinkles
Pamela’s Gluten-Free Cake Mix
I have been using Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix (gluten-free) quite a bit lately and I love the finished product with this mix. I did end up using about an extra 1/4 cup of coconut oil to give it a nice boost in moistness. Worked like a charm!
How I Used Wilton’s Checkerboard Cake Kit and Lorann Oil
This time around I decided to use my Wilton Checkerboard Cake Pan Set. You are supposed to use at least 2 bags of mix if you want the finished product on the box but I only had 1 mix and there are only two of us here. I used two cake pans and got 2 short layers. For the two layers I did one with just nonpareils candy sprinkles and the other one I dyed pink with my Wilton Icing Colors. I also added some Marshmallow Flavor Oil from Lorann Oils to give it a marshmallow flavor.
Wilton Checkerboard Cake Pan Set
Lorann Oils Marshmallow
Cake batter divided evenly with pink and funfetti
I had a lot going on in the kitchen and I was having a blast! Seriously, who needs therapy when you have baking? Baking takes me to another place and makes me forget about all of my troubles. Baking totally washes everything away that is bad in my life. It is so therapeutic!
The Icing On The Cake!
Oh gosh! I almost forgot to talk about the Swiss meringue buttercream that I created. I usually just do a standard buttercream but this time I used 5 egg whites in there and whipped it up really good in my stand mixer. Not as runny as the last time I made buttercream but still a little on the drippy side. Boohoo! Well, I am learning. Everything conveyed here on this blog is all about my journey to become a better cook and a better baker! I went with the color purple for the icing since I already did a pink cake and a teal blue cake. The buttercream turned out so divine and I owe it all to the magic that is known as Chef Shamy. You seriously all need to try the Vanilla Bean Butter from Chef Shamy in your buttercream recipe. It is a bit pricey but so worth it if you are going for a heavenly taste in your next cake!
Overall, I am super satisfied with how this turned out! I am really nailing it on flavors! I need to work on my decorating technique big time. BIG TIME! I am bound and determined to get good at decorating my baked goods.
Have you ever made your own marshmallows? I found the whole process to be enjoyable and fun! Leave me a comment and let me know. I love to hear from my readers.
Other posts you might enjoy at Give It A Whirl Girl
I am a big big fan of any of Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free products. My cupboards are stocked with several of their items. I just recently put some of the Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix on my Kroger Clicklist order and I am so pleased that I did. Check out that loaf of bread that I created! In all its purple glory… I call it Smurf Bread. This was a very unique loaf of bread that was bursting with blackberry and lemon flavor. What a fantastic combo! Read on to find out more about the process of baking this gluten-free loaf of bread.
Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix
I created this bread by preparing the mix according to the recipe but I had to do some sort of modification to make it my own. What I did was added a whole pint of organic blackberries to the mix. This made the dough a bluish-purple color. It’s more purple than blue (I know) but I’m just going to keep it as Smurf Bread. That sounds fun to me.
Me in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen
I also added in a bit of some pure almond extract to the bread mix to give it a nice almond flavor. That stuff is potent and a little bit goes a long way so I only poured in a tiny bit.
I also zested up a lemon and I tossed in some lemon zest. That is another potent thing and a little bit goes a long way with that too. I put some lemon zest on top of the loaf as well for a little more zing and zang.
The main ingredients I used to make the gluten-free Smurf Bread
I brushed the top of my bread with a butter flavored coconut oil. It is Barlean’s Butter Flavored Coconut Oil and I’m going to tell you this… that stuff is magic! This coconut oil has a magnificent buttery taste. It is a bit on the pricey side but if you are looking to give your food a nice punch of buttery goodness flavoring this stuff is sure to please!
And to finish it off I added a few sliced blackberries to the top and some sliced almonds. I figured I might as well add them since I went with almond extract in the bread. Plus I think it makes the bread look a little more fancy schmancy!
This was like one giant science experiment to me in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure my kitchen is not even a kitchen anymore, just a science lab! (Insert the LOLs right here) I will come across a recipe and use it for inspiration but I just always gotta put my own spin on things. I’m not the type of person that will follow a recipe word for word. I am sharing with you how I took the traditional bread recipe and made it unique so you can DIY in your home kitchen. If you try it, you gotta let me know how you loved it!
This bread took a long time to bake compared to some paleo breads that I have made. This particular loaf took a little over an hour to puff up. I couldn’t resist a slice of this warm bread straight out of the oven. But I just had to add a sugary glaze to it. Why on Earth why? Simple answer… because I wanted to! To make the glaze you simply mix powdered sugar with a tiny bit of unsweetened almond milk until you get a nice, smooth consistency that you can drizzle onto the bread. I also used red and blue Simple Truth Natural Food Colors to make the purple glaze.
The Smurf Bread made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix topped with organic & naturally colored glaze
So there you have it! There is my gorgeous loaf of purple bread that is completely infused with the taste of blackberries and lemon! This turned out much better than expected. I normally make paleo bead (this mix is not paleo) and my loaves usually do not puff up much. My bread often comes out dense and on the small side. This mix by Bob’s Red Mill contained a yeast packet so I am guessing that is what made my bread nice and fluffy.
Slice of Smurf Bread made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix
This mix can either be made by hand or with a bread machine. I do not own a bread machine and I prefer the by hand method. I used my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer to do most of the kneading and work the prep to get this dough ready for the oven. This bread can be prepared traditionally and be used as a sandwich bread, dinner rolls, garlic bread, toast, etc. Just because I made this a fruity loaf that doesn’t mean that is what it has to be. There are recipes available on Bob’s Red Mill site that can give you some inspiration.
Will you be giving this Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix mix a whirl? What will you create with your mix? Leave me a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from my readers.
Want to give this bread mix a try? I have conveniently provided the shopping links below so you can grab a bag or four!
Disclaimer: THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. Proceeds from the Amazon Affiliate Program help make this blog a better blogging experience for my readers. This is a sponsored post and these items were sent to me in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Heads up! National S’mores Day is August 10th this year. You can not celebrate the day without some delicious marshmallows. Look no further than to Smashmallow! I came across their marshmallows a few months back and fell in love with the delightful flavors that they have available. These are no ordinary marshmallows… these are next-level!
What are SmashMallows?
Smashmallows marshmallows are shaped like cubes and are light and fluffy. They make an excellent snack or are also excellent components in recipes that call for marshmallows. These little bites of bliss will take your taste buds on a trip to happiness and joy! The great thing about these marshmallows is that they are made with organic cane sugar, they are non-GMO, and they are naturally gluten-free. Also, each SmashMallow comes in at 20 calories per piece. 4 pieces are considered a serving so one serving size of this yummilicious treat comes in at only 80 calories.
This morning I would love to share with you about my experience with the Wilton Easy Layers cake set and how I made my gluten-free cotton candy cake. I blogged about this cake pan set on a recent Friday Faves post and I ended up ordering myself one and I am so happy that I did. I ended up creating the best cake I have ever made in my life yesterday! I am truly proud of it and I was happy to serve it to my mother, who came over for a t-bone steak dinner. The cake that I made was the most perfect dessert to serve to her and she fell in love with it. And of course, my daughter, Chloe, was absolutely in love with this cake. She assisted me in making it and it is always a joy to work alongside her in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen.
Cotton Candy CakeMe in the Give It A Whirl Girl Kitchen
Here is how I made my gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake
Here is how I used Wilton Easy Layers Cake Pan Set
The Wilton Easy Layers contains 5 pans that are 6 inches in diameter. They are pretty shallow pans. They have a non-stick coating but I still sprayed mine with a bit of coconut oil just in case I had a problem with my cake sticking. The pans will fill up one standard size serving of cake batter. These cake pans will also all, conveniently, fit inside the oven at the same time due to their small size.
Wilton Easy Layers cake pan setWilton Easy Layer cake pan set
Most of the ingredients I used
Pamela’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Mix
The cake itself was made with a gluten-free mix by Pamela’s. I used Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix. I have used this mix once before for cupcakes and I was very satisfied with the taste and texture. What I also love about the gluten-free mix is that it is non-GMO, uses no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup.
Lorann’s Cotton Candy flavor oil
I achieved the cotton candy flavoring using a bottle of Lorann’s Cotton Candy Flavoring Oil. This was my first time using a flavoring oil of this kind and I heard that a little bit can go a long way but I ended up having to use about half of the bottle to get the flavor I was going for. I really enjoyed the flavor of this, though it was not exactly like cotton candy. I will have to explore other flavor oils and extracts from this brand because I am just not a plain vanilla person.
Lorann Cotton Candy Flavor Oil
How I created the frosting for this cotton candy cake
For the frosting, I decided to go with a homemade buttercream. I had a fridge full of different kinds of butter from Chef Shamy so I gave the Honey Butter Vanilla Bean a whirl. Chef Shamy serves up a high-quality butter with no weird ingredients… just pure butter. It is also gluten-free. This particular vanilla flavor produced the most glorious buttercream I have ever whipped up. I used Simple Truth Organic Powdered Sugar with the butter and a few splashes of almond milk. The flavor of this buttercream was out of this world. If I had to give myself a grade it would be an A+. It really was that great!
Chef Shamy Honey Butter Vanilla Bean
Coloring the cotton candy cake
Now let’s get on with the color. Yes, this time around I was naughty and used artificial colors… GASP! It’s true that I did. I’m not proud but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and YOLO! I used Betty Crocker’s Neon Gel Food Colors for the pink and the purple. Gel food coloring is some pretty potent and powerful stuff. They really do produce gorgeous coloring on your creations. I don’t know why but for the neon pack they do not include the color blue, so for that, I used a Kroger brand neon blue. I am so pleased with how the colors turned out!
Cotton Candy CakeCotton Candy Cake
A ton of candy to top it all off!
And for that gorgeous candy that is all over the cake? I created my own mix of sprinkles with several different brands. The sprinkles with the big bits are pieces of candy that were from Celebrations By Frey. My local Kroger store sells them but I can not locate them on Amazon. The bottle of sprinkles is titled MixLicious.
Cotton Candy CakeCotton Candy Cake
Final thoughts on this gluten-free cotton candy cake
I am super duper pleased as pie (or should I say “cake”) with how this cake turned out and I was proud to serve it to my family. It really did taste as good as it looks. I am not a professional baker so I am aware that the cake is a little sloppy but I am always working towards bettering myself as a chef and as a baker.
This cake was so incredibly fun to make with my daughter and I could do this every single day if I had the funds (and if I wanted to be on 600lb Life). I am going to definitely be working on more cakes in the future and I might even get brave and give fondant a try. I love the way fondant cakes look. They are edible art! The beautiful cakes that I see on Instagram and on food blogs are so inspiring.
Slice of Cotton Candy CakeSlice of Cotton Candy CakeSlice of Cotton Candy CakeCotton Candy CakeCotton Candy CakeCotton Candy CakeSlice of gluten-free Cotton Candy Cake
So tell me… what is your favorite flavor of cake? Leave me a comment and let me know. Would love to hear from my readers. Comments always brighten up my day.
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Find out more about the brands I used to create this cotton candy cake!
I always try to make my Sundays all about awesome food. I always make a big deal about Sunday supper. It has to be something special. It needs to be mindblowing. I also like to prepare some sort of brunch for us. Yesterday was a success and I achieved pretty much everything that I wanted to. We had homemade baked donuts in the morning, tender & juicy t-bone steaks for dinner and an ice-cream sundae at Wally’s Frozen Custard large enough to feed an elephant! Keep reading to find out more about this ice-cream shop in my Wally’s Frozen Custard review!
Sugar Booger Homemade Donuts
The morning kicked off with what I am calling, “Sugar Booger Donuts”. Natural food coloring is weird. Green often achieves its color with spirulina, which is a superfood blue-green algae substance. Did you know that Fruity Pebbles are gluten-free? They sure are so these donuts were gluten-free for the win! Here is the part that killed them for me though, for this recipe I tried out Stevia to sweeten them. Usually, in my baking, I stick with raw money or pure maple syrup, or if I have to I will use coconut sugar. The Stevia was a big turn-off to me with the final product. While edible, they just were not as delicious as the other natural sweeteners that I use.
For fun, I made a glaze for the donuts and topped them with Fruity Pebbles, which is a cereal that I avoid having in my pantry. I bought a little individual serving size tub for a dollar at Kroger just for the sake of using them as donut topping. My daughter was in shock to see Fruity Pebbles in the house. Sugary, processed cereals are a big no over here. I had mixed feelings about using them as a topping too. They are like eating pure sugar. Way too sweet for me. I still do want to try a Lucky Charms topped donut someday. I might enjoy that more since that was my favorite cereal while I was a little girl.
Sounds like I am hating on my donuts here. I kinda sorta am. I am definitely going to whip up some coconut flour vanilla donuts again but totally steer clear of the Stevia. I can usually tolerate Stevia in my Zevia soda but it just didn’t agree with me in baking.
Green donuts before going in the ovenGreen Donuts with Fruity Pebbles – AKA Sugar BoogerGreen Donuts with Fruity Pebbles – AKA Sugar BoogerWeirdly colored Green donuts with Fruity Pebbles – AKA Sugar Booger
Coffee Cardamon Steaks For Dinner
Nothing special happened for lunch over here. We just snacked on some fruits. By the time 4 o’clock rolled around my tummy was growling and hangry! It might have been growling so loudly because it knew that I had t-bone steaks in the fridge. I took the steaks out and prepared a rub for them. I really wanted to try out something new with my steaks. For the spice rub I used a recipe from Do You Even Paleo. This paleo rub was superb and I would not change a single thing about it! It uses ground coffee, cardamom, coconut sugar, paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger, and salt & pepper.
I picked up a bag of baby rainbow carrots at Nino Salvaggio’s a couple days ago and I prepared them with a cardamom ghee (clarified butter). I love roasted carrots with a raw honey drizzle on them but I also wanted to try something new with the carrots. Really wanted to go for some brand new flavors last night.
T-bone steak with coffee cardamom rub
T-bone steak with coffee cardamom rub and mini rainbow carrots with cardamom ghee
After I had the rub on the steaks for awhile I heated up some ghee on my cast iron grill pan. I threw them on and heard that lovely sizzle! I cooked them medium rare, which in my humble opinion, is the only way to eat a steak. Steak needs to have that pink center. I took the steaks off the pan after I grilled each side for a few minutes and then let them rest for a few minutes.
I will tell you this… these steaks came out absolutely perfect! Everything about this steak was spot on. They were so tender and juicy and the flavor from the rub was extraordinary. I loved these steaks so much I am pretty sure we will be eating them the same way again tomorrow. Kroger had value packs of t-bone steaks on sale so we ended up getting four biggies for a great price.
Coffee and cardamom t-bone steak with cardamom carrots and zucchiniCoffee & cardamom steak medium rare
Chloe and I were supposed to bake a layer cake yesterday but it never happened. I have Amazon Prime and unfortunately, an extract that I had ordered did not arrive when promised. So our cake is put on hold until that extract shows up.
Wally’s Frozen Custard Review
Me and Joe took a trip to Wally’s Frozen Custard one weekend while Chloe was away at her grandparent’s home. We ordered the gargantuan 911 sundae. No way we could finish it all but I wanted to visit this place with my daughter so she could witness this huge sundae.
Wally’s Frozen Custard is located in St Clair Shores, MI and it is one of the most happening spots to grab a frozen treat! It has a very unique look and it appears to be like a fire station. They have plenty of tables outdoors so you can enjoy your frozen custard and enjoy the beautiful weather. They have a fantastic menu to choose from and offer something for everyone. And get this~ you can even order BREAKFAST at Wally’s Frozen Custard. For breakfast, a few things you can choose from are oatmeal, bagels, and muffins.
The 911 sundae is a steal at $9.11 at Wally’s Frozen Custard and is the most perfect sweet treat for sharing. There is definitely enough to go around for a family. It includes 9 dollops of frozen custard, 9 different toppings (the hard shell is hands down my favorite topping), whipped cream & maraschino cherry.
Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
The Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 SundaeMe with my Wally’s Frozen Custard 911 Sundae
If you would love to give Wally’s Frozen Custard a whirl you can find some money-saving coupons on their website. Just click HERE.
Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend full of good eats and tasty treats. Weekends for me are a time to splurge and indulge in whatever my heart desires. I eat healthy all week long and the weekend is a time for me to cut loose a bit.
Question Time! Did you eat anything marvelous over the weekend? I am so curious so please leave me a comment and tell me about it!
Find out more about Wally’s Frozen Custard in St. Clair Shores!
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I do receive a small commission if items are purchased through those links. Proceeds help make this blog a better blog experience for my readers.
Baking is hard. Not just hard but difficult. I get a vision in my mind and I want to create it. I know exactly how I want it to look and exactly how I want it to taste. Does my wish for this charming and glamourous cake become a reality for? Kinda sorta in this case. It looks so very amateurish and you want to know why? I am an amateur. I am a newbie on the food scene. I am a food blogger but I never tout myself as being a professional in any sort of way. For me, this blog is about the whole entire learning process of cooking and baking and food exploration. I am completely self-taught and I am learning something new every single day on this journey. Today I baked a bubblegum cake. I had that vision in my mind. However, things did not go exactly as planned.
Let’s see here… my buttercream was way too thin and runny and it was just DROOLING off the sides of the cake. I had a brand new, nifty smoothing spatula that I thought would result in perfect icing… nope! I knew my buttercream was too thin and I didn’t have any powdered sugar left to stiffen and thicken up. Cries! So a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I had to work with what I had on hand and make the most of an unfortunate situation.
Here is how I created this bubblegum cake!
Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix
Today I will sharing my experience and Pamela’s Vanilla Cake Mix review with you. Another key product that I used in this cake was Lorann’s bubblegum flavor. Keep reading to find out more about this bubblegum cake I created!
Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started
Ingredients used for gluten-free cake
For this cake, I used a cake mix. I am in love with Pamela’s Classic Vanilla Cake Mix. This was my second time using this mix and I am so pleased to say that this is a fabulous mix. The last time I used this mix I made a Gluten-Free Cotton Candy Cake. Click this LINK to learn more about that. It was scrumptious!
How I got the bubblegum flavor with Lorann’s Oils
This was my second time using Lorann’s Oils to flavor my cake. This time around I used the bubblegum flavor. This oil is potent stuff and a little bit goes a long way. My house sure smelled bubblegummy from baking this cake. What a wonderful scent! I have never experienced a scent like that in my home before. Just marvelous! I wish my house stunk like bubblegum all day every day!
How I colored the bubblegum cake
I used a rose and teal color to dye my cake. I am in love with the color teal and I was really impressed with how vibrant the color was and that is was actually teal and not just blue! The rose color also lent a stunning pink color to the cake. Yeah yeah… artificial colors. I really don’t know what’s come over me. I try to go natural as much as possible and I’ve been slipping up recently but I’m really just having so much fun!
Topping the bubblegum cake
If you are wondering where the candy is from I will fill you in. I made a pit stop over at Roger’s Bulk Candy & Ice-Cream specifically for the candy on this cake. I love that store. You can read more about my first time visiting by clicking this link right over HERE. If you ever visit please let them know that Give It A Whirl Girl sent you! I know I have already inspired at least one of my friends to check out that place. I got my gorgeous, pearlescent gumballs there. I knew what I needed and was able to grab exactly what I needed from the bins. I am also so very grateful that I grabbed a pink lollipop to put smack dab in the center of my cake. A 5-tier layer cake needs support and the lollipop helped to be a dowel of sorts to prevent it from slipping away on me. The sprinkles came from a couple places: Michael’s and Mile’s Cake and Candy Supply. I got a delightful jar of Wilton Diamond Medley from Michael’s (woohoo and thank goodness for those coupons). The little rainbow hearts were from Mile’s. They have a wide variety of sprinkles to choose from
Gumballs and candy sprinkles – so pretty!
Sprinkles and gumballs – eye candy candy!
Sugarfina was an extra splurge!
And to make it a little more extra special I also topped it with Sugarfina Fruity Loops. They came from the Sugarfina Cereal Collection that I treated myself too. They are to die for yummy yummy yummy!
Having fun is what matters most!Â
You know what? Even though my cake looks like it was made by an inept and unskilled baker I am really truly proud of it. I wish I could send a virtual slice of this cake through your screen because the taste would blow your mind. I am calling this cake, Let’s Get The Party Started”. There is no party happening here… not a party in sight. But you know what I want to celebrate today? Life! I have been feeling incredible the past two months since I started this food blog. I feel so revived and renewed. I feel like a whole new better ME. That is enough reason for me to bake a cake and celebrate! I’m also going to give myself an A for effort because I really did work my booty off on this creation!
Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedBubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedBubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started
Slice of Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party StartedSlice of Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started
Hope you all enjoyed this pretty long post about my bubblegum cake!
What are you going to celebrate today? Could be anything. Drop me a comment and let me know and let’s get the party started OK?
You might also love this post! CLICK THE IMAGE!
Cotton Candy Cake CLICK ME TO READ MORE
Here are some other posts at Give It A Whirl Girl that I think you will enjoy!
This week’s Friday Faves will focus on items that will help you along your way with baking. I will include some baking essentials and also some other items that look worth splurging on! This will be part one of this list. There are a ton of other baking items out there that I have my eye on so I will do another baking essentials list in the near future.
I have recently fallen head-over-heels in love with baking. It is something that I am very passionate about. I know the appearance of my baked goods is not yet top notch like a professional’s work. My baking technique is something that I am determined to perfect so someday I can have some drool-worthy looking goodies. I will say this, though, the flavor is usually spot-on and I do nail that! Some will say that is all that matters but I also want my baked goods to look more visually appealing.
I already have a KitchenAid mixer on my countertop and it has a permanent home there. I have the smaller one with a black, glittery finish. I would consider a stand mixer an essential item for a person who is serious about baking. These mixers are heavy duty and designed to last a lifetime. How pretty is this pink (Guava Glaze) color? Love!
A hand mixer is another essential tool for the at home baker. These will help combine ingredients. This particular KitchenAid model comes in 5 speeds and is also available in a huge variety of colors. This Green Apple color just so happens to be my favorite.
This immersion hand blender comes in a variety colors. It has an ergonomic handle and can perform different blending techniques. These are a great kitchen gadget that can also help with other tasks in the kitchen and not just used for baking.
I own a set of Circulon bakeware in the chocolate color and I am totally impressed with the quality. Their line has a truly wonderful non-stick coating on it and I have never had any problems getting my items to come out of these pans. This set is wonderful for getting you started on your baking journey and I love that this set includes a cake pan with a cover.
Whisking will be a bore no more with this colorful rainbow whisk set! This set includes 3 whisks in various sizes so you will have a whisk to get every job done, big or small!
Well, take a look at that! My husband and I love to work together on the weekend with our Sunday dinner. Last weekend (I’m a little late posting about this) we collaborated on our first from scratch homemade pizza. We made a lovely gluten-free supreme pizza chock full of yummy toppings.
I will say that making the dough was awfully frustrating but it was still quite amusing. We were using a recipe for a gluten-free crust made with almond flour and boy was it ever sticky when I tried to make my big dough ball. We had to adjust the recipe a bit to get it right. It required quite a bit of critical thinking and problem-solving. It also had a lot of laughs while trying to get the consistency of the dough correct.
Once we got the dough figured out we worked on creating the zesty sauce. We used some organic sauce, tomato paste, minced garlic, and seasonings to create it. I love making my own pizza sauce. I like to be able to adjust it to my liking because I am very picky when it comes to sauce. The sauce is either going to make or break the pizza.
I have this thing for peppers right now. I stocked up on all the colors. I had some green, red, orange, and yellow. I once tried a purple bell pepper and it didn’t agree with me. It was a huge letdown! I also sliced up some red onion to top it with.
The Italian sausage was my meat of choice. That is another food that I am totally digging right now… just can not get enough of it! I have never been a fan of pepperoni. I don’t consider myself a picky eater at all but I do usually pick the pepperonis off my pizza.
So once everything was prepped and prepared, including the initial baking of the crust, it was ready to be popped into the oven. We used Tillamook mozzarella cheese on this pizza. That cheese looked the best out of all the shredded mozzarellas at Kroger. I had a bit of anxiety while waiting for it to cook. It was quite a big project (more than I anticipated). I was wondering the entire time if all of our hard work was worth it.
Guess what! All that hard work and effort that we put into this was worth it. I poured my heart and soul into this gluten-free supreme pizza (like I do with all of my meals) because my husband is a pizza addict and he is so picky about his pizzas. Because this was a gluten-free crust I didn’t know if it would be well-received with him. When I heard that “mmmm” come out of his mouth with that first bite, it totally made my day. We managed to eat all of it except for one lone piece. I had two slices and he ate the majority of it. So I gave myself a little pat on the back.
Do you have any traditions for Sunday dinners? They are kinda a big deal to me and usually reserve Sundays for the best meal of the week. I also love to partner with my husband to make it come together.
Primal Kitchen Whole 30 Kit
Know Foods Maple Syrup
Find out more about Bob’s Red Mill
