Vegan Ding Dongs - gluten free and dairy free and sugar free

I adapted this recipe from neuroticmommy.com

Cake:

1 c. gluten free flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

1-1/2 T. corn starch

1/3 c. melted coconut oil

1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce (original recipe had regular applesauce)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. stevia (cup for cup kind) (original recipe used maple syrup)

1/2 c. pitted medjool dates

1/3 c. water

1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk

preheat oven to 350. spray 8 inch round cake pan with non stick cooking spray. 

Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch.

In another bowl whisk together all wet ingredients: coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, almond milk and date paste. Date paste is made by blending the 1/2 c. dates with 1/3 c. water in a food processor.

Fold wet ingredients in with the dry until well combined.

Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

When fully cooked remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

COCONUT CREAM

1 can of full fat coconut cream, left in the fridge overnight

2 T. stevia (original recipe used maple syrup)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Scoop out cream and place in a bowl along with the stevia and vanilla. Use the leftovr water for smoothies. Whip that up, nice and creamy. I used a hand mixer.

DARK CHOCOLATE COATING

1 isadelight per ding dong

1/4 tsp coconut oil per isadelight

(could use dark chocolate pieces, probably 1 cup and 1/4 c. coconut oil)

TO ASSEMBLE:

Use a circle cookie cutter to cut circles from cake. I scooped out the middle of the cake, filled it with cream, then topped with pieces of the cake I scooped out, put in freezer to get them firm before covering with chocolate. Either dip in chocolate or spread chocolate over cake.

Family analysis - not too bad. Somewhat difficult to make. The cake isn't light and fluffy. If you weren't going for gluten free - you could use whole wheat flour. 

Fun way to spend a Sunday - experimenting and baking.