"Vegan Gluten-Free Mocha Cake" from a website I found on-line (looks delicious) !

 

 

Ingredients:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake:

 

2-1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend

2 cups organic cane sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

 

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage (such as So Delicious Dairy Free)
 

1 cup warm water

2/3 cup mild flavor oil (such as sunflower seed, grape-seed, or canola)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Vegan Coffee Buttercream:

1/2 cup dairy-free margarine (such as Earth Balance Soy-Free), softened
 

1/4 cup organic non-hydrogenated shortening 3 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1 tablespoon warm water 2-3 tablespoons dairy-f ree cof f ee creamer (such as So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Creamer) 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Vegan Chocolate Ganache:

2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips

 

1/2 cup dairy-f ree cof f ee creamer (such as So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Creamer)

Candy pearls, optional

Instructions:

For the Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

2. Line the bottom of 2 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray each with cooking spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour blend, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the coconut milk beverage, warm water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour over the flour mixture and beat f or 1 minute.

5. Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Vegan Coffee Buttercream:

6. Place the margarine and shortening in a mixing bowl, and beat f or 1 minute.

7. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in the tablespoon of warm water.

8. Add the coffee, powdered sugar, coffee creamer and vanilla to your mixing bowl, and beat for an

additional 2 minutes. Add another tablespoon or 2 of the coffee creamer, if needed, to make the

buttercream until light and fluffy.

9. To frost, place one layer of the cooled cake on serving platter or cake stand. Top with half of the

buttercream and smooth out to the edges. Place remaining buttercream in piping bag with star tip.

 

Top with the other cake layer and place in ref rigerator for 30 minutes. While it’s chilling, make the ganache.

For the Vegan Chocolate Ganache:

10. Mix the chocolate chips and coffee creamer in a small microwave-saf e bowl, and heat for 30 seconds.

Stir, and heat again in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate has just melted. Whisk until smooth.

11. Pour ganache over the top of the chilled cake. With an off set spatula, immediately spread the ganache

evenly on the top, then the sides of cake (ganache sets fairly quickly). Place cake back in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

12. Take the piping bag with remaining buttercream and pipe rosettes on the top of the cake, starting with the outer edge. If desired, sprinkle with candy pearls.

Notes:

The cake can be stored in the refrigerator, just be sure to let it sit at room temperature for a couple hours before serving.

  http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/vegan-gluten-free-mocha-cake

One of the most important things with autism is ABA Therapy !

 

 

      Angelina has been with ABA Therapy for almost 5 years and I am so happy for all the improvements that she has made. When she was diagnosed with autism, every doctor I have seen told me that ABA therapy is an important factor with an autistic child. When she started I honestly thought that maybe it wasn't that important, but as time passed by I saw her improvements. An ABA therapist knows how to control their behaviors and redirect them in ways that transition them to other steps in their development.

 

      My daughter is may be in biomedical treatments, but the first thing that her biomed doctor told us is to please "Continue with ABA therapy and be aggressive with it". He wanted Angelina to continue with her behavioral therapy and that it is an important factor for her development. My daughter has been with biomedical treatment for months now and it has come to a turning point that she is realizing things more. By her realizing things more, she knows how to dominate people and has develop an attitude in the process. Her biomed doctor laughed when I told him this, but he said that his laugh is a great sign of progress from my daughter.

 

      My daughters ABA therapy company reduced my daughter's hours which made me very concern. I now learned that the best way of getting your point across and of communication is to "be straight to the point". The reason why I say that is because nobody will read your mind, you have to be your child's voice and advocate for them.

 

Here is a link on the definition of ABA Therapy and the benefits to children with autism: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/treatment/applied-behavior-analysis-aba