Snow Day Cake GF with Caramel Frosting

I grew up in the Northwest.  At the slightest hint of snow in the air my sister and I hoped and prayed for a snow day.  If the flakes began to fall before we went to bed then we could hardly sleep for hoping.  Snow days were party days.  Hot cocoa WITH marshmallows, board games, and hot soup lunches. Sledding with sparks flying off the runners as they made contact with asphalt or rocks, the snow shallow and wet.    Most of the time, however, there was a two hour delay to school - which still not bad on that score - or no snow but black ice.  That - no fun for anyone. 

Now that I have kids of my own I am still every bit as excited for the potential snow day.  I really need to stop it too as I get the kids all excited as well, and -  well -  and where we currently live snow days are a rare thing, mostly only called on account of a power outage.  Last night as we drove home from night activities the snow was sticking on the road ways and beginning to build upon itself.  We got excited for a snow day.  A snow day that did not come.  When we all awoke this morning with snow day anticipation, we realized it was another cold (11 degrees) blowy school and work day. 

The way a crow                                              
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
               Robert Frost  Dust of Snow.

I determined to make my own dust of snow to cheer my crew:  A snow day cake!

 

Ingredients and How To:

 

Room temperature:  eggs, milk, buttermilk, butter

 

Oven to 350.  Spray or butter and parchment to 8" round cake pans

 

1 cup old fashioned oats - course ground to equal 1/2 cup

 

 

1 1/4 cups gluten free flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 - whisk dry ingredients together and set aside.

 

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup milk - I use fat free

1 cup mashed ripened bananas - 3

In mixing bowl with paddle attachment blend butter and honey, then add eggs and vanilla. Scrape down bowl and add milk and bananas. 

Scrape down bowl.  Add half of the dry ingredients,

then 1/2 cup buttermilk

then the rest of dry ingredients. 

Equally distribute - I use a measure cup to be sure they are equal.

 

Place on center rack in oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  You can smell when the cake is done, so check to be sure not to overbake.  Check with toothpick.  Let cool in pans for 5 minutes.  Then invert onto cooling racks to cool completely.

 

 

These cakes would be great with a dab of butter, clotted cream, cream cheese~  to make it more of an event I frosted with caramel frosting.  (SWEET!)

 

Caramel Frosting

Ingredients and how to:

 

 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup evaporated milk.

Place these into small saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves.  Cool slightly.

 

While cooling sift 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar into a bowl and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

Place cooled butter mixture into mixing bowl with whisk attachment.  Whisk a couple of minutes to add some air then add in the powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Whip up and spread on cake!

 

 

The right dust of cheer to share~

 

 

 

a happier no-snow day.