DANG!!! One of my best buddies and his girlfriend made some incredible infused vanillas as a Christmas gift.  I was the honorable recipient; though I had to win it amongst a gaggle of other friends during a annual Gard Crafty Christmas.  There was no way I was going to let these go to someone else with how much baking I do.

They are absolutely awesome.  Today while baking a vegan chocolate cake for my daughter Margeux’s sixth birthday, it was drizzling outside.  It was the best thing to be able to have her as my sous chef and to be amongst the gorgeous Washington setting.

Her request?  A heart shaped vegan chocolate cake filled with chocolate custard, frosted with vanilla, and decorated with chocolate dipped strawberries.  Okay. No problem there!  I just can’t wait to bite into a slice.  One more day. One more day.

The fact that I have been able to hinder my chocolate addiction and make a bag of dark chocolate chips last a month, is pretty impressive.  Truly!

VANILLA VODKA FROSTING:

Ingredients:

2 cups of spectrum spread shortening

1 cup of coconut oil

2 Tbsp of vanilla vodka extract by Edwin & Lesha

1 pinch of sea salt

4 cups of sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

With a kitchen aid stand up blender, place the spectrum spread into bowl and place on high speed until it is whipped.  Add the coconut oil and do the same.  Add the 2 Tbsp. of vanilla vodka extract along with a pinch of sea salt. Whip again at high speed.  On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and slowly increase speed so that you don’t get a puff of powdered sugar in your face. Continue to add the powdered sugar until all of the sugar is mixed into the oil blend.  Allow to sit on counter covered until used for decorating your cake. Refrigerating it will harden the oils and make it too hard to spread.