Birthday cake

It's true, Max is three years old! Time is going fast. Hopefully only one year of the restrictive diet* left, then we'll see. We hope he would be one of those guys who can eat everything, of course Max will choose only the best food :-)

OK, let's go to the Saturday's party. Birthday always means a great layer cake. Gluten, dairy free and without chocolate or cocoa (yes, Max doesn't know them), this is a big challenge for us.
After two previous cakes with a millet base and agar-agar fruit jelly on a top, we decided to make more typical one this year. You know, a sponge layers, filling and frosting. Well, in the end we created this:



Ingredients:

For sponge layers (2x it's good to make them earlier):

• 6 free-range eggs
• 6 tablespoons of corn flour
• 6 tablespoons of sugar (we used organic cane one)
• vanilla (we used a pod, could be an essence but look for natural one)
• a pinch of salt

Divide whites and yolks, beat the whites adding slowly sugar and salt. When stiff continue beating adding vanilla, yolks and flour (a little at a time!). Put into the cold oven and bake in 180 degrees C for approximately half an hour ( you have to check because it depends on the oven).

For filling:

• 1 litre coconut milk (home-made or from a can)
• 3 tablespoons agar-agar flakes (source of calcium and iron!)
• raspberry spread (or any other, seasonal fruits etc.)

Put the milk and agar-agar in a pot and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes over a low heat, stir occasionally; when it is set blend with a spread (add as much as you need to be sweet).

For frosting:

• "carobella" (as we call it), sounds Italian, doesn't it? Yummy :-)

An anectode from last week: Dad and Max are going for a long trip. Dad, as usual, wants to make some rice cakes with almonds butter for Max's snack, but there is no almond butter left in a fridge. No idea what to do and suddenly Max helps: "make carobella". Dad asks: "but I don't know how", Max explains: "take tahini, add some molasses and carob", Dad: "does Mom cook it?", Max: "no, just mixes". You see - it's really easy :-)

Frosting:

• 1 jar of tahini (white sesame cream, circa 340 gram)
• date sirup or molasses (try how much you need to feel sweetness)
• carob powder (lots of calcium and hypoallergic as opposed to cocoa, add for deep dark brown colour)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix well all ingredients and spread over the cake.

Before joining all parts, it's good to soak sponge with some lemon juice and tea (or what works for you), we forgot about this. Embellish with roasted almond flakes (or your favourite stuff) and it's ready. Delicious, even for our "normal" guests :-) Disappeared in a few minutes...
Happy birthday to you Max!




*) Max started the totally gluten and dairy free diet when Mom (eating gluten) stopped breastfeeding him. It was nearly his second birthday and in that time we received the results of a test which showed he didn't tolerate gluten.The treatment needs two years of this diet to recover his small intestine. He wasn't diagnosed with coeliac disease, the diagnosis was: an intolerance of gluten of the child with deficiency of the IgA antibodies.