Chocolate Chip Cake with Buttercream Frosting

The combination of flavors in this dessert is reminiscent of everyone's favorite milk and cookies duo, only in cake form!

Chocolate Chip Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Yield: 2 layer cake

** Note: This recipe needs to be made one day in advance! **

Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cake:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Buttercream Frosting:

• 3/4 cup Crisco (original kind only!)
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 4-6 Tbsp milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper, then grease parchment paper; set aside.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each. Add sour cream and pure vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
4. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Mix just until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow cakes to cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out from pans, remove & discard parchment paper, and cool completely on wire racks. Cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
7. Once cakes are cooled, prepare frosting. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together Crisco and butter. Add clear vanilla extract and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating on low speed until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Then continue at high speed until smooth and creamy.
8. To assemble cake, place one cake layer (dome side down) on platter, spread with frosting (make sure layer is even!), place second cake layer (dome side up) on top of frosting, and spread additional frosting over top and sides of cake.
9. Cover and store at room temperature overnight before serving.

Recipe adapted from Life, Love and Sugar.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

These moist, tender muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack time, or your mid-morning coffee break. Not only are they gluten free, but they can also be made dairy free as well!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 4 oz container puréed baby food (any fruit variety such as pears, prunes, apples, etc.)
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and baby food, mixing well.
3. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Fill paper liners 3/4 full with batter.
6. Bake 17-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Store in airtight container at room temperature for a few days or refrigerate for longer.

Recipe adapted from Bunny's Warm Oven.

Double Chocolate Chip Frappe {Starbucks Copycat}

Looking to satisfy your coffee shop craving on a budget? Whip this drink together and save yourself a trip to Starbucks. Your wallet will thank you!

Double Chocolate Chip Frappe {Starbucks Copycat}
Yield: 2 (12 oz) servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp chocolate syrup
• 2 cups ice
• 1/8 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into cup of high-powered blender, such as Nutri Ninja, and use setting recommended for smoothies.
2. Pour drink into two large cups and top with whipped cream, if desired.
3. Enjoy!

Recipe found on Pinterest.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This recipe has become somewhat of a tradition at our house because my son is not a big fan of classic birthday cake (blasphemy, I know!). If it weren't for our uncanny resemblance to each other, I might question whether or not, in fact, he is actually related to me because cake is my favorite food! But he is the birthday boy this weekend, and I am happy to make whichever sweet treat is requested. :)

For decoration, I like to make my buttercream frosting (cut the recipe in half and make it on the stiff side) and pipe it around the edges with a star tip. Then top the cake with additional mini M&M's or sprinkles to make it even more colorful! I haven't frosted the cake above quite yet (my son's birthday is on Sunday), but here is the cake I made for him two years ago:

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Yield: 9" springform pan

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup + 2 Tbsp M&M’S Minis milk chocolate baking bits, divided

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9" springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, cream softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; stir until completely combined.
3. Pour in flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt; stir just until incorporated (don't overmix!).
4. Fold in 1 cup mini baking bits by hand until evenly distributed.
5. Press dough into prepared pan until even and level. Sprinkle reserved 2 Tbsp mini baking bits on top of cookie cake and press down lightly with hand. Bake 16-20 minutes, or until top/center just starts to golden slightly. Cookie cake may look underdone in middle, but it will set up as it cools and stay extra soft.
6. Allow cookie cake to cool completely in pan on wire rack before removing sides of pan. Frost and decorate, if desired, then enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Sprinkle Some Sugar.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

When you wake up to a blizzard raging outside in the middle of April, what better way to start the day than with a batch of homemade muffins fresh from the oven! The best part about this recipe is the crunchy, sugary topping, so be sure to eat the muffins while they are still warm... I bet you'll be going back for seconds!

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients
Muffins:
 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
 1/2 cup white sugar
 3 tsp baking powder
 1/4 tsp salt
 3/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)
 1/3 cup vegetable oil
 1 egg, room temperature
 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:
 3 Tbsp white sugar
 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin pan(s) with paper liners.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well.
3. In small bowl, combine milk, oil, and egg; blend well.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy).
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. (I use an ice cream scoop to make them even.)
7. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Sprinkle over tops of batter; pat down gently with fingers.
8. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool a few minutes in pan before removing to wire rack.
9. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

These granola bars include nutrition-packed ingredients while at the same time tasting like an indulgent treat that you can feel good about feeding your family. Forget about all the preservatives found in the store-bought version!

I pack my husband's lunch every morning before he heads off to work, and these bars are part of my regular rotation of homemade snacks that I always keep on hand. I alternate between these and the No Bake Energy Bites depending on how much prep time I have since these bars require the stove top while the bites are a stir-and-go recipe. (Both are still super simple, though!)

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crisped rice cereal (I use Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice)
1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
1/4 cup wheat germ (or ground flaxseed, wheat bran, additional oats, etc.)*
1/2 cup additional mix-ins (i.e. shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins or other dried fruit, sesame seed, sunflower kernels, etc.)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy and/or crunchy)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

*My favorite thing to use for this item in the ingredient list is this Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend from Trader Joe's. We don't have this store locally, so my mom (who lives in Texas) ships these bags to me a few times throughout the year!

Directions
1. Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
4. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Grease 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips in pan. Scoop mixture over chocolate chips in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Press down into even layer. (I use the palm of my hand.)
6. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Recipe adapted from Money Saving Mom.

Chocolate Chip Squash Bread

My in-laws live in Minnesota and grow a bountiful garden every year. There is always an abundance of butternut squash, so I adapted a pumpkin bread recipe many years ago to take advantage of the fresh produce they give to us each fall.

Mini Loaf (perfect for gift-giving!)

Large Loaf (easy to double!)

Chocolate Chip Squash Bread
Yield: 1 large loaf or 4 mini loaves

Ingredients
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup mashed butternut squash*
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

* Buttercup squash also works well in this recipe since it's sweet. Or you can substitute canned pumpkin in place of the squash for a more traditional recipe!

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 335°F. (I have a convection oven. If using a standard oven, increase temperature to 350°F.)
2. Grease loaf pan with Crisco.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until well blended. Set aside.
4. Beat eggs, pumpkin, sugars, milk, and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.
5. For full size loaf: Bake 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. For mini loaves: Bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
8. For easier slicing (and moister bread), wrap bread in plastic wrap and store overnight before cutting.

Caramel Brownies

This recipe originally called for a box of chocolate cake mix. I tried using a gluten free version of boxed cake mix and the result was a disaster! Rarely do I have to throw food away and start over, but that time I did. Since I had already melted the caramels in the microwave, I quickly scoured the internet looking for the perfect made-from-scratch cake mix substitute. I tweaked a few of the ingredients and these brownies turned out to be the best I had ever made!

Caramel Brownies
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients
Brownie layer (top & bottom):
 3/4 cup butter, melted
 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
 1 1/2 cups sugar
 1/2 cup cocoa powder
 1 Tbsp baking powder
 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup evaporated milk

Caramel layer:
 11-oz package caramel bits plus 1/2 cup from another 11-oz package
 1/3 cup evaporated milk
 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Make brownie layer: Stir together butter, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and evaporated milk. Press half of batter into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Make caramel layer: Melt caramels and remaining evaporated milk until smooth.
4. After 10 minutes, remove pan from oven. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips over brownie layer and pour melted caramel over chocolate chips. Layer remainder of batter over caramel. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.
5. Return pan to oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes.
6. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have spent many years looking for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe, when one day it dawned on me to create my own! So after countless batches of trial and error, I discovered the right balance of ingredients to achieve a slightly soft and chewy cookie that keeps you reaching for just one more.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoon on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (This allows for easier removal from pan after cooling. You can reuse the same parchment between batches to cut down on waste!)
7. Bake 9 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
8. For best results, bake one pan at a time in center of oven.

Notes

• For cookies bars, lightly grease 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, evenly spread cookie dough in pan, and bake for 25 minutes, until edges are set and center is firm to the touch.
• For colorful cookies, substitute M&M's for some/all of the chocolate chips. These make great gifts when you use the holiday-colored candies!