Treating Mom Like the Queen She Is

Mothers deserve to be treated wonderfully throughout the year, but on Mother’s Day, it’s nice for them to be able to enjoy a special treat. We can’t think of very many things that would be more special for the holiday than to wake up to a sweet morning treat, and a yummy coffee drink (of course, waking up to the company of loved ones beats most anything)!

Read on for two delicious treats to make mom: Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, and a Caramel Latte to boot.

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

Ingredients

For the crumb topping and swirl

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup organic sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/4 cup pure coconut oil

For the cake

• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, plus two tablespoons for greasing
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1-1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 8x8-inch baking pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
2. Mix the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a small cup. Set aside to curdle.
3. Make topping and cinnamon swirl by combining flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Stir in coconut oil with a fork. Using your fork, or your fingers, work topping ingredients together until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Set aside.
4. Prepare your cake by beating milk mixture, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until well incorporated, but do not over-mix.
5. Pour cake batter into greased pan. Sprinkle a full handful of topping mixture onto cake batter. Swirl into batter with a knife until well incorporated.
6. Spread rest of topping onto the top of cake batter until all batter is covered. Lightly press topping down into batter.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, checking to see if cake is done. If a knife inserted into batter comes out clean, remove cake. If not, cook for five additional minutes.
8. Remove cake from oven when cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes, and cut into 8 squares. Enjoy! (makes 8 servings) **Note – Variations of this Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake can include swirling raspberry jam into the batter instead of the topping mix, or using brewed coffee as a liquid instead of the non-dairy milk.

Caramel Latte

To go with your Mother’s Day Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, prepare this sweet and rich Caramel Latte!

Ingredients

For caramel sauce

• 6 medjool dates (pitted)
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 4 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For latte

• 1 cup non-dairy milk (organic soy milk or full-fat coconut milk tastes best)
• 2 cups brewed espresso

Method

1. Prepare caramel sauce by soaking dates in 3/4 cup hot water for 10 minutes. Add dates, water, 4 tablespoons coconut milk, and vanilla to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Froth non-dairy milk with a cappuccino frother that has a hot steam function, or heat milk in a pan and whisk until frothy. While you are frothing, brew 2 cups of espresso.
3. Pour espresso into two latte mugs. Top with frothed non-dairy milk. Drizzle prepared caramel on top. Sweeten, if desired, and enjoy! (serves 2)

*Note – Variations on this Caramel Latte can include a Salted Caramel Latte with sea salt sprinkled on top, or a Mocha Latte by adding 1 tablespoon of cacao powder to both the caramel sauce and the non-dairy milk. If you’re not going to drink your Caramel Latte right away, you can also pour it into a thermos and serve it over ice when you’re ready.

Enjoy these sweets and coffee drinks, and Happy Mother’s Day!