Cake time and Spongebob...Again

Carter always struggles on picking his birthday party theme.  He has picked Spongebob at least 3 times.  The next struggle comes with what flavor of cake.  This morning it was vanilla.  Tomorrow is his party for his friends and he is having flourless chocolate cupcakes, so he didn't want chocolate.  I haven't made a vanilla gluten free cupcake yet, so I asked him if he would like a cherry cake.  I have a fabulous cherry bread recipe that my mother in law gave me years ago.  Of course, it was made with white flour.  I would make it every Christmas for Christmas morning breakfast. It was always the first thing to go, even over cookies. When we went gluten free, there were a few things that we were going to miss and this was one of them.  I challenged myself to modify the existing recipe, because a long internet search did not help me to replace it.  I am happy to report that I did it, and it is FABULOUS!

Gluten Free Cherry Cake (or muffins or quick bread)

Preheat oven to 325.

1 - 8 ounce cream cheese (I used Organic.  You can use regular or low fat)
1 cup butter
1.5 cups of sugar (I used less than this and Organic cane sugar)
1.5 tsp vanilla
4 pastured eggs
1 cup white rice flour (I used Arrowhead organic)
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour (same brand)
1/2 tsp of guar gum or xantham gum
3/4 cup of chopped and drained maraschino cherries (I used Tillmen farms with no artifiical dyes)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional - I do not use nuts due to a nut allergy)

Mix together softened cream cheese and softened butter.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add eggs.   Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in cherries.  Pour batter into greased pan of choice.  Bake at 325.

Estimated times:  cupcakes 25 minutes, 9X11 cake pan 30 minutes, loaf pans 60 minutes

Frost with a cream cheese or buttercream frosting.  My daughter did all of the decorating on this one.  Natural food coloring (no artificial dyes), chocolate chunks, cinnamon sugar, natural colored sugar, mints, and a dried strawberry.  Enjoy!