the ultimate gluten-free & dairy-free chocolate cake
A wickedly indulgent chocolate cake which is light and moist, with a rich, creamy icing.
The secret to the lightness and moistness of this cake is in the method. By using two cake pans, wrapping them in baking parchment and baking them for a longer, less heat-intensive time, the flours in the mixture cook through but don't burn or get too dry on the sides. And I've used soy cream to make the icing. It's worth getting this, even if you have to resort to mail-order, as it will keep in your storecupboard for a long time and makes all the difference to this cake!
cooking time 45 minutes
serves 10 to 12
contains: egg, soy
7 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 percent cocoa solids5 ounces dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing1 cup xylitol or fruit sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract4 extra-large eggs½ cup rice flour¼ cup gram flour¼ cup corn flour2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder½ teaspoon xanthum gumicing:7 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids½ cup xylitol or fruit sugar¾ cup soy cream1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8¾- x 3- inch baking pans with dairy-free margarine.
2 Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl. Rest the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir from time to time until the chocolate has melted.
3 Using an electric mixer, beat the margarine and xylitol or sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the vanilla extract and then the egg yolks, one at a time.
4 Put the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk using the clean electric mixer until they form stiff peaks.
5 Sift the flours, baking powder and xanthum gum into the bowl containing the margarine, sugar and egg yolk batter and carefully fold in with a metal spoon. Fold in the whisked egg whites making sure the batter is thoroughly combined but not stirred too heavily, or the air will be lost.
6 Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing evenly, and spread it into the corners with the back of the spoon. Cover the pans with two pieces of baking parchment, making sure the ends of the paper are tucked under the pans. Bake in the hot oven for 40 minutes until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center has just a little batter sticking to it. Remove from the oven, remove the baking parchment and discard. Leave to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
7 When the cake layers have cooled, prepare the icing. Melt the chocolate as above. Add the sugar and stir in until thoroughly blended. Meanwhile, heat the soy cream in a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon water to the cornstarch in a small bowl and stir to form a smooth paste. Add the cornstarch paste to the soy cream and, using an electric mixer, whisk the mixture until it has thickened. Pour into the chocolate mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed in.
8 Take one of the cake layers and spread more than half of the icing onto the side which was on the bottom of the cake tin. Sandwich the two layers together and spread the remaining icing on the top.
related ingredients: baking powder,
fruit sugar,
gram/chickpea flour,
olive oil margarine,
rice flour,
soya cream,
xanthum gum,
xylitol
