This season, Vitamix came up with a Winter Spice Seasoning of cinnamon sticks, crystallized ginger, cardamom, pink peppercorns, cloves, dried orange peel, salt and brown sugar (tip:  sub coconut sugar for Paleo / refined sugar free version!) blended into a fragrant seasoning of warmth and WINTER MAGIC. 

Vitamix and theFeedfeed partnered up to sponsor this post so that I can bring you this recipe I created using that heavenly seasoning mix.  Can you smell it in your mind's eye...eerrr, nose?  I want to put it in everything, both sweet and savory!

But the very first thing I thought of was using it in this Winter Spice Snack Cake that would transform my favorite vanilla cake into a special festive version perfect to enjoy over the holidays.  And, I simply could not fight the urge to add a generous swooooosh of maple Swiss meringue buttercream to serve on top of it.  So I didn't.  It is the holidays after all!        

I like the notion of a "snack cake" which to me is the no-fuss version of a layer cake.  With a snack cake, I get to have both the cake and buttercream, but without the labor involved to frost the inside layer(s) and the side of the cake, turning turning turning on the cake stand to get the edges smooth and even.  Nope, not with a snack cake!  In Pythagorean theorem terms, it's like coasting on the "c" line of the right triangle.  If I've lost you, frankly I'm lost too.  I'm no mathemagician either.  Let's just think of it as the shortest distance between cake + buttercream + your mouth.    

This cake's primary ingredients are almond flour, eggs and maple syrup, so we get to avoid refined wheat flour and refined sugar in this recipe.  Even the buttercream is made with maple syrup instead of the standard refined granulated sugar.  Have you ever tasted a SMB made with maple syrup??  The flavor is just diviiine.     

Don't get me wrong, this is still a cake involving buttercream, so it is most definitely an indulgence.  But a smarter indulgence, which I consider very necessary at this time of the year when sinful temptations are at every turn.  I think we can both agree that we are smart, even if not mathematically.   

Speaking of smart, I already knew all Vitamix blenders are renowned for their quality and high-speed capability (my existing one is a workhorse in my kitchen), but then I learned that one of the new features of the Vitamix Ascent Series is wireless connectivity that detects the container size* being placed on the base and adjusts program settings accordingly.  I mean, wow, that is pretty smart for a blender!  The other features of the Ascent A3500 machine which has me gah-gah over it is the sleek digital touchscreen interface and a clear see-through lid.  LOVE.  Go have a gander here if you are keen to learn more about it.

*it comes standard with a 64-oz container but you can purchase other sizes for jobs of various sizes and purposes. Suuper useful for small-batch sauces etc.

RECIPE NOTE: 

I created this recipe using organic, grass-fed butter in the buttercream.  Ghee (clarified butter aka butter without the milk solids) can also be used if you are trying to avoid dairy and/or you are in the no-butter-Paleo-camp.  I have made it countless times with ghee and it's fantastic.   

MAKE IN ADVANCE:

• Swiss meringue buttercream can be kept at room temperature for several days. To keep it longer, keep it in the fridge or freeze it in a ziptop bag, defrost overnight in the fridge and beat it in the stand mixer with paddle attachment until smooth.

• Unfrosted cake can be baked and stored wrapped in plastic wrap and inserted inside a ziptop bag at room temperature for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to a month or so.

Winter Spice Snack Cake with Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream

{ gluten-free, refined sugar free, Paleo, dairy-free option }

Recipe makes one 6" cake topped with ~1C buttercream.

INGREDIENTS

For the Winter Spice Seasoning:

Jump over to the Vitamix site for the Vitamix Winter Spice Seasoning recipe.  Note: substitute 1/2C coconut palm sugar in place of the brown sugar to keep it paleo and refined sugar free!

For the cake:

1/3 C (65g) ghee or 1/3 C (75g) organic grass fed butter if not dairy-intolerant, melted and cooled a bit

1 3/4 C (175g) almond flour

1/4 C (30g) arrowroot flour

1 tbsp Vitamix Winter Spice Seasoning (click link for recipe on Vitamix site)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 C (120ml) pure maple syrup or honey

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

For the maple Swiss meringue buttercream (makes ~1C):

1 large egg white, room temperature

1/4 C (65ml) pure maple syrup

1/8 tsp (pinch) cream of tartar (or can sub 1/8 tsp lemon juice)

1/3 C (65g) ghee or 1/3 C (75g) organic grass-fed butter if not dairy-intolerant, room temperature

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For garnish (optional):

3 dried mandarin / orange slices

Small cutting from the tip of a pine tree branch or sprigs of fresh rosemary

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325f.  Line 6" cake pan with parchment paper cut into a circle to fit.  Grease bottom and sides with ghee or butter.   Set aside.

Whisk almond flour, arrowroot flour, Winter Spice Seasoning, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. 

Separate the 3 eggs.  Place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Place the yolks into a medium bowl along with the maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice and cooled melted ghee (or butter) and whisk well to combine.  Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak  - this takes about 2 minutes at high on my stand mixer.

Add the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until smooth and well combined.  Stir in about 1/3 of the whipped whites to loosen the batter.  Fold in remaining whites gently taking care not to deflate.  Fold until only a few streaks of whites remain in the batter.  Pour into greased and lined cake pan.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center emerges clean.  Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Run a knife all around the edge and invert onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

While the cake cools, make the buttercream.  Fill a small pot with an inch of water and bring it to a simmer.  Find a medium-sized heatproof bowl that can sit atop the pot without its bottom touching the water.    

Whisk the egg white, maple syrup and cream of tartar (or lemon juice) in the medium bowl and place it atop the pot with the water (make sure water is at a low gentle simmer).  Heat the mixture until 160f on a candy thermometer, all the while whisking and moving it around so the eggs don't cook. 

Remove from heat and transfer into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Whip at low speed first and increase to high, beating until stiff and cooled.  (Tip:  Flip the bowl upside down, if the meringue stays firmly put inside the bowl - you're good to go!)    

Switch to the paddle attachment and turn stand mixer on medium-high.  Add ghee or butter a little at a time, beating until thick and smooth.

Add vanilla extract and beat.  Sometimes this is when my buttercream curdles.  Don't worry if this happens, just keep beating it on high until it comes back together and is smooth once more.

Using a spatula, spread the buttercream on top of the cooled cake.  Garnish with dried mandarin slices, pine branches or rosemary sprigs, etc., if using.       

Enjoy xx

This post was sponsored by theFeedfeed and Vitamix however all opinions expressed are my own.  I appreciate your support of the brands that enable me to create new content for this site!

Recipe adapted from My Paleo Patisserie cookbook.

If you like this recipe, pin it to Pinterest!  You can also leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of this post - I would love that.  If you make the recipe and post it to Instagram, tag your post with #saltnpepperhere so I can peep you :)