Birthday Cake!

Well, I made my own birthday cake this year... although I have to say, my mom made a valiant effort to take the reins but I insisted.  Baking gluten-free is a challenge, but making an angel food cake gluten-free without sugar or xantham gum is another story entirely!! 

Like I was going to let anything stand in the way of me and birthday cake!  HA.

So, I whipped the eggs, folded the flour, prayed to the God of angel food cake while I added the forbidden liquid (maple syrup) to my peaked whites and poof, delicious, fluffy Birthday Cake was born!  I have to admit on top of the culinary difficulties we were also amidst the most humid part of the summer and I was cooking in a kitchen without AC... so we had a slight deflating issue.  No biggy, it was still fluffy and so so good.  

Being my birthday and all, I felt like I deserved a kicked-up version so I made a mixed berry syrup with fresh blueberries, strawberries, maple syrup, water, orange juice and half of a cinnamon stick.  I could literally eat that stuff with a spoon.  

I know this is completely not "Nourish This" philosophy of a well-rounded meal but I totally had cake dripping with sweet berry sauce for breakfast and loved every second of it!  Although, I do have to say that "Nourish This" (a.k.a. me) certainly believes in eating what you love as long as it is in moderation.  When it is a special occasion or you are really craving something, go for it, you only live once!  Plus, when you try to ignore cravings, the size of the craving grows until instead of being satisfied with one slice of cake you won't be satisfied until you have devoured a whole one!  Yeah, lets not let that happen, go for the piece and move on!