RECIPES

CASSAVA FLOUR

CHOCOLATE CAKE

With White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
By Toni Christiani

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups Cassava flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa (or Hershey’s cocoa powder for a less intense cake)
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (room temperature and beaten together)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water (use tempered glass measuring cup)

DIRECTIONS

1) Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans (use cocoa powder instead of flour if you are doing a naked cake) or line 28 to 30 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

2) Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans or fill cups about 2/3 full with batter.

3) Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans or 22 to 25 minutes for cupcakes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING INGREDIENTS

1 box Hershey’s Instant White Chocolate Pudding Mix (can use chocolate mix for chocolate whipped cream frosting)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 pint or 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING DIRECTIONS

1) For best results, put the bowl (stainless steel is the best but glass will work too) you will be using to make the frosting in the freezer for at least an hour prior to making the frosting. Add the heavy whipping cream to the cold bowl.

2) Add the powdered sugar. Start on low and whip using the whisk attachment just until the sugar is incorporated (about 20 seconds.)

3) Turn the mixer up to high and continue to mix until soft peaks form (about 2-3 minutes.)

4) Add the White Chocolate Pudding mix. Lower to a slow speed and continue to mix the whipping cream and the pudding.

5) When the frosting starts to come together, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Also, check to make sure the pudding hasn’t clumped on the bottom of the bowl. Fold the mixture a couple of times with a spoon to make sure you have all the pudding mix off the bottom of the bowl.

6) Turn the mixer back on for just a few revolutions. DO NOT OVER MIX or you will end up with a frosting with more of a pudding consistency. It will still taste great but it will lose some of the airiness! If the frosting gets too thick add a little bit of milk 1 teaspoon at a time. This is what your Whipped Cream Frosting should look like, light and fluffy. When you first taste it might be a little grainy from the pudding mix. That will disappear as the pudding dissolves fully.

(A note about the pudding: I used White Chocolate Pudding Mix so the frosting would stay white and whipped cream-like but you can also use Vanilla Pudding or Cheesecake Pudding.). Different brands have different-sized “small” boxes. If it is in the range of 3.4 oz. to 3.9 oz. you will be fine)

****This recipe should make enough Frosting to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake. If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife. If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag, you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl. If you are frosting a layered cake, you will probably need two batches of frosting.

WHEAT FLOUR VS CASSAVA FLOUR

Utilize a flour conversion exclusively for classic recipes when you are directly replacing traditional wheat flour with Cassava flour. Avoid applying it to recipes that incorporate different gluten-free flours like almond or rice flour, or recipes explicitly designed for Cassava flour. When in doubt, opt for a more generous approach rather than a conservative one.