As I begin planning my breakfast menu for Christmas morning (only 7 days left), my heart is filled with joy and gratitude for the ability to share my plant-based journey to health with all of you. In 2008 I was diagnosed with a bone tumor in my left humerus and a small mass in my right midbrain. The large tumor in my arm was removed and replaced with a bone graft thanks to an amazing surgeon at USC; however, the brain issue was not addressed at that time and something I’ve kept tucked away in my fear space since then. I’m thrilled to share the results from my latest (last week) MRI: “Cerebrum: No edema, hemorrhage, mass, acute infarction or inappropriate atrophy.” In celebration of this wonderful news, I’m having a slice of my gluten-free Vegan Christmas Pear Cake while raising my fork to all who seek a more gentle way to feed our bodies, increase personal health and maintain balance.
“With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.” -Wayne W. Dyer
Gluten Free mix used for my Vegan Christmas Pear Cake
Feel free to substitute 3 1/2 cups of your favorite gluten-free mix.
- 2 cups almond flour – Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 cup oat flour – I purchased these oats and ground in my coffee grinder.
- 1/2 cup white rice flour – Bob’s Red Mill
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour – Bob’s Red Mill
For a larger crowd, feel free to use one large bundt pan and increase the cooking time to 45-50 minutes. I’ve drizzled mine with a delicious Vegan Caramel Sauce (forgive the piping, I ran out of my piping bags and used a baggie instead. Snipped the end off, but snipped too far…haha! Nothing a sprinkling of powdered sugar couldn’t fix.
Vegan Raw Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 4 dates soaked in warm water to soften. Make sure to remove pits before blending
- 2 Tablespoons raw almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup full-fat refrigerated, canned coconut milk – scoop thick cream off the top after opening
- 1 pinch Himalayan sea salt
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup oat flour, finely ground
- 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1-1/2 tablespoons finely ground golden flax seeds
- 1-1/4 cups coconut palm sugar
- 1-1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup molasses (gives more of a gingerbread taste) or maple syrup
- 2 cups fresh pears, skin removed and diced (about 3 pears)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger root (I actually used 2 Tablespoons in my cake because I love the taste of ginger, but went light on the ginger in the written recipe)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 tablespoon warmed coconut oil for bundt pan to prevent sticking
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease mini bundt pans with a little warmed coconut oil.
- Combine coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside.
- Using a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: almond flour, oat flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, flax seed meal, coconut palm sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Whisk until well combined.
- Using a small mixing bowl, combine coconut milk & apple cider vinegar mixture, vanilla, molasses (or maple syrup) and fresh ginger root. Whisk until well combined.
- Add wet ingredients and diced pears to dry mix. Stir until combined.
- Pour batter evenly into pre-oiled bundt pans.
- Bake 22-26 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from oven, let cool.
- After removing cakes from the pan, decorate as you like. I used a dusting of powdered sugar but feel free to go nuts! 🙂
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
- All recipes and images are protected under copyright laws and owned by Kris Kelly and Goofy Foot Foods.
I, too, am very grateful for your venture into healthy eating and lifestyle. So happy for you. The cake looks yummy. Thanks for sharing it. Love. Mom