I think of my mom as an elevated classic. She has all those classic mom traits. She’s kind and loving, always willing to lend a hand or offer reassurance, even when I know I must be testing her patience. She’s strong, especially when I’m not and smart. Whenever I doubt Mom’s smarts and instincts, I regret it. We’ve had this conversation before, but Mom is always right.
No really. Don’t question Mom’s advice, wise words, endless wisdom. It NEVER pays off.
These things about her are amazing and wonderful and though I never take them for granted, they are pretty classic awesome mom traits.
It’s the twist on the classic that makes me love my mom more and more. How she edits my writing and how we’ve taken to giggling over some of the things I come up with. How she’s gone to more than a handful of concerts with me and has even gone clubbing with me. We shop and sometimes buy things to share. A mom that is up for buying a new purse or piece of jewelry because we both love it – yes please! We suffer through crappy movies and TV shows that are probably a little too raunchy to watch with anyone other than a cool mom together, and she indulges my deep love of Taylor Swift. A love that involves singing Karma and Ready for It and Cardigan on repeat while I exercise.
Out loud. Badly. I am not a good singer, but she doesn’t care. Or if she does, she doesn’t say anything. Another really cool mom vibe.
My mom is truly one of a kind. She is my person. And I wouldn’t have it any other way honestly.
Speaking of Taylor Swift, in her words “It’s you and me, that’s my whole world.” Love you Mom!!
By the way, if you’re wondering, that line is from Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince and it is forever my jam.
Speaking of an elevated classic, this yellow cake with cashew frosting is all the things I remember about those boxed cakes of my youth but taken up so many notches. The cake gets its signature color from turmeric, but that doesn’t affect the vanilla flavor of the rich cake that isn’t too dense. Topped off with impossibly smooth cashew frosting with a fudgy flavor, this easy to make frosting puts anything from a jar to shame.
Classics are classic for a reason. But sometimes there’s room for improvement on the mold. Lucky for me, that’s what I got with Mom and this cake.
Elevated Yellow Cake with Cashew Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices 1x
Description
Classic yellow cake made grain, dairy, and refined sugar free with a silky smooth cashew frosting.
Ingredients
Cake
2 ½ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)
½ cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ½ cups coconut sugar
¼ cup coconut oil, room temperature
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk
Frosting
2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons espresso powder
½ cup carob or cocoa powder
1/3 – ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/325 degrees F convection. Oil two 8 or 9 inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, oils, and vanilla until fully combined. Beat in the eggs and yolks one at a time until combined. Stir in half the flour, followed by half the milk. Stir in the remaining flour, tapioca, baking powder, salt, and turmeric. Finish the batter with the remaining milk.
Divide between the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pans.
When ready to assemble the cake, make the frosting. In a jar of a high speed blender, place the cashews, syrup, vanilla, espresso, carob or cocoa, and 1/3 cup milk. Blend on high, using the tamper if applicable, until completely smooth and emulsified, scraping down at least once to ensure complete blending. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk until it is the proper consistency.
Place one cake on the cake stand or serving platter of your choosing. Top with about ¾ cup of frosting, smoothing to the edges. Place the remaining cake on top, and then heap frosting over the cake. smooth frosting toward the edges and down the sides until the cake is fully frosted.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Cake recipe adapted from Food52
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
I was at first really confused by this cake’s description because it doesn’t look like a yellow cake. But now I understand that you used turmeric and that changed the color. But I’m never confused about your mom! She is certainly one of the most caring and giving people on the planet. I’m glad that you treasure her and show her your appreciation.
★★★★★
Awww that’s so sweet! I’m never confused about my mom either <3