My upcoming SIXTH cookbook releases September 10! To keep with the theme of Make It Easy, I came up with a handful of desserts that could all be made-ahead. A few use a store-bought shortcut of purchasing a grain-free cake mix (another big bonus of the book is nearly all the recipes have store-bought shortcuts!), and I wanted to be sure to offer a nut-free version in addition to the homemade almond flour based one that will also be offered.
From Left to right: Make Ahead Blueberry Muffins, Cinnamon Swirl Loaf, Make-Ahead Mug Cakes - 4 Ways, Make-Ahead Strawberry Basil Tea Cakes. All coming in Make It Easy - September 10!
Testing. Testing. 8 versions later!
This recipe is still in development, but I will be releasing both the almond flour and this version here months before the cookbook comes out with my paid subscribers!
I’ll also be emailing out an entire sneak peek chapter to all of my subscribers, both free and paid, so keep on the look out for that in July.
We are so close to the final recipe. After I made this video, I tested Version 8 of the mix and the mug cake was perfect!
Deciphering Cassava Flour
I had no idea how absorbent and dry cassava was. Cassava and tapioca hurt my stomach and make me super bloated, so I don’t usually use it for myself. I know how many of you have kiddos that are allergic to nuts, or go to nut-free schools, so I think this recipe really will come in handy for you.
The promise of every cassava flour brand I’ve seen is that it can be “substituted 1:1 for all purpose flour, or for almond flour.” That is definitely not what I found in my testing. The amount of almond flour in my original mix was 2 1/2 cups, and after 8 renditions, I’ve landed on only using 3/4 cup of cassava flour.
Version 1 with 2 1/2 cups cassava was like a BRICK. I could barely chew it, it was so dry.
The Test Kitchen Process
I still have a lot of testing to do to make sure it works in the other recipes as well. In the coming weeks, I’ll be testing this new mix in 4 of the recipes from the book that use the store-bought almond flour mix. Once it passes that test, I’ll move on to the final test - seeing if it will sub in as a 1:1 for a classic Ina Garten muffin or cake recipe!
I know a lot of you love to test things early for me just for fun (or you’ll be biting at the bit for the recipe!), so here is the near-final recipe as it stands right now. Be on the look out for the FINAL FINAL sometime in May.
Nut and Grain Free Cake Mix
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
