Gluten-free for Priya.

Full of fat for Jovie.

Sweetened with dates and maple syrup for Malcolm’s blood sugar.

Delectable for everyone.

INGREDIENTS

For the double-layer cake:

2 cups blanched almond flour
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
⅓ cup powdered date sugar (or powdered maple sugar)
4 eggs
¾ cup avocado oil
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp lemon flavoring or extract
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with coconut oil (or the oil spray of your choice) and dust lightly with all-purpose flour.

Combine the dry ingredients—almond flour through date sugar—in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, avocado oil, lemon juice and zest, lemon flavoring, maple syrup, and buttermilk. Fold the wet mixture into the dry.

This will bubble up in a most delightful way as the acid and rising agents combine. Eat plenty of the batter if you are anything like me and cannot help yourself. *

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 12–15 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine runs extra hot and bakes things too fast. You may have a slower oven. This is nothing to be ashamed of.

The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks or plates—or the kitchen counter, if that's what you've got. Let cool completely while you make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 TBS lemon flavoring
A few dashes of heavy whipping cream
A few generous squirts of agave nectar

Get out your hand mixer for this one. And I apologize, but my frosting-making habits are based entirely on taste rather than exact measurements. You really cannot go wrong with this unless you add too much cream and it becomes too runny. So don't do that.

In a medium bowl, begin whipping the cream cheese and lemon flavoring. Add the cream a few drizzles at a time, alternating with a squirt here and there of the agave. Taste as you go until the sweetness is right. Keep whipping and drizzling until you have the consistency you want: a lovely, fluffy cream cheese frosting that is mildly sweet, tart, and lemony.

If I had to guess, I'd say the cream and agave work out to a few tablespoons each. But again. Taste it. You'll know.

Frost. Serve. Enjoy. Receive compliments.

But most importantly, enjoy watching your family devour something they love—and ask for seconds of—that also happens to be really, really good for them.

Play it by ear whether you tell them this or not.

Love, Fran

P.S. You can also make these into cupcakes for birthday-party treats when the kids are little!

* Yes, I know you're not technically supposed to eat raw cake batter. I've always done. I’ve never gotten sick. Either I am very lucky or I’ve built a tolerance.