Grain-free Molasses Cake + the Kitchen House

This last month a dear friend picked out the The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom for my Books for Broads book club.

Overall, we enjoyed reading the book. It wasn't an easy read - a few parts were hard to stomach and on more than one occasion, you wanted to shake some sense into one of the narrators. It certainly made the reader wonder. But that's what makes a good book, right? The characters were tangible, their voices real and their moments of vulnerability made my heart ache. Lavinia and Belle are characters that you won't be able to shake.

In the back, the author Kathleen Grissom supples a recipe for molasses cake, also found on the book's amazon page. I used that as an inspiration to create a grain-free molasses cake as a few of my friends and family are currently eating grain-free. I topped it with a spicy and tangy ginger glaze sweetened with apricots.

For a paleo friendly version, use 1/3 cup dark, dark honey. It won't have that unique molasses richness but it will be equally delicious.

Grain-Free Molasses Cake
5 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
4 Tb melted coconut oil
2 cup almond flour
1 TB flaxseeds
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice

1. Whisk eggs until slightly frothy and consistent color throughout. Add molasses and coconut oil.
2. Grind flaxseeds and combine remaining dry ingredients together.
3. Whisk dry into wet until incorporated. Pour into greased or parchment lined 8x8 pan (or a circular cake pan would work).
4. Bake in 350 preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove. Let cool then spread with ginger apricot glaze.

I soak the apricots before I make the cake then when baking the cake or right after baking, make the rest of the frosting.

Ginger Apricot Glaze
1/2 cup packed apricots
3 TB honey
1 tsp dried and ground ginger *
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup cashew pieces

Boiling water

*This is quite spicy so if you'd prefer use only 1/2 tsp ginger or less

1. Soak apricots in boiling water for at least twenty minutes
2. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until thick and yogurt-like.
 Spread over cake! And enjoy!

Inspired by

Someone mentioned that this cake looks like a cheeseburger. It does, doesn't it? But NO way does it taste like a cheeseburger (just in case you were wondering)!