Chocolate Cake!

The best chocolate cake you'll ever eat, and it's gluten-free!

I baked this very chocolatey, moist chocolate cake a couple of days ago for a birthday, and it was a big hit! Let’s bake one together! Before we start, go get a few things you’ll need in the kitchen: two small bowls, a large mixing bowl, a large spoon for mixing, a round 9-inch cake pan (see photo below), a rubber spatula for spreading the frosting, and a wire whisk or fork. I’m going to go straight to the ingredients and instructions, but will add some suggestions and other notes below—because I know you are here for the recipe, not to hear me ramble.

INGREDIENTS:

The dry ingredients, which you will combine all together in the large mixing bowl:

1. 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I like King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour—see note 1 below)

2. *¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (*do not use xanthan gum if using King Arthur GF blend mentioned above or another blend that included xanthan gum)

3. 14 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder (Yes, 14!)

4. ½ teaspoon salt

5. ½ teaspoon baking soda

6. 1 cup granulated sugar (regular sugar)

The dry ingredients, including the brand of GF flour I like for baking.

The wet ingredients, which you will add to the dry ingredients after they are blended:

1. 2 eggs at room temperature, whipped

2. ½ cup neutral oil (see note 2 below)

3. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4. ¾ cup warm water (room temperature is fine)

5. ¾ cup sour cream at room temperature

The wet ingredients—these go into the bowl after the dry ingredients are mixed.

For the chocolate ganache frosting, which you will cover the cake with after it comes out of the oven:

1. 8 ounces dark chocolate chips

2. ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (for convection oven, set temperature to 325 degrees)

Rub a bit of oil or butter around the bottom and sides of the cake pan, just enough for a fine coating, so the cake won’t stick.

Blend all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (see note 3 below)

Make a slight depression in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour all of the wet ingredients into it (see note 4 below)

With the large spoon, mix the ingredients until fully blended into a cake batter (see note 5 below)

Pour the batter into the greased cake pan (see note 6 below)

Put cake on rack in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes (see note 7 below)

When cake is done, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes

While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate frosting:

Pour heavy cream into small sauce pan and put on stove over medium heat

Gently heat cream until it reaches 160 to 200 degrees (see 8 note)

Put chocolate chips in a bowl and pour hot cream over them

Let chocolate chip/cream mixture sit for 5 minutes while the chips melt

After 5 minutes, use a whisk or fork to blend the chips and cream into a thick chocolate frosting

Pour frosting over center of cake and use a spatula to smooth it across the top and sides

It is ready to eat!

So here are a few suggestions and the notes from the instructions above.

(1)   A gluten-free blend is going to work for most baking, especially cake. Other types of gluten free flour, like coconut, almond, or rice flour are useful for certain things, and can add flavor or texture to certain baked goods, but aren’t really suited to cake. As I mentioned, I have found King Arthur Measure for Measure GF Flour to be a very solid performer when it comes to cake. King Arthur blend includes xanthan gum, so if you use King Arthur, do not add xanthan gum. Check the list of ingredients on the package of flour you use to see if it contains xanthan gum.

(2)   For a neutral oil, I used avocado oil, but you can use sunflower, grapeseed, or another vegetable oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor—I wouldn’t use olive oil, for example.

(3)   When you blend the dry ingredients, make sure you’re mixing in the stuff at the bottom. I actually use a flour sifter and pour all the ingredients through that to make sure it is fully blended, but you can use a large spoon.

(4)   You can get a head start by whipping the eggs together with the vanilla, oil, and warm water, then pouring that mixture into the dry ingredients with the sour cream

(5)   To blend wet ingredients into dry, scrape the spoon around the side of the bowl toward the middle and turn over the spoon. An easy way to know that the ingredients are fully mixed is that, as you are mixing, you will see white streaks from the sour cream—when those white streaks disappear, it is mixed!

(6)   After I pour the batter into the pan, I like to tap the pan around the sides and shake it gently side to side to even out the top of the cake.

(7)   To check if the cake is done at 30 minutes, poke the blade of a sharp knife into the down into the center of the cake and pull it out. If you see cake batter stuck to the knife, the cake needs more time in the oven. Put it back in for another 10 minutes. If the knife comes out clean, it is done.

(8)   Do not boil the cream. If you have a food thermometer, use it to check the temperature; if you don’t have a thermometer, take the cream off heat as soon as you see faint wisps of steam rising from it.

One more thing! Please add fun toppings to your slice of chocolate cake. Fresh berries, whipped cream, sliced fruit, or coconut flakes are just some of the things that pair wonderfully with the very rich chocolate flavor of this cake.

Add fruit for delicious flavor combinations.

Cat update: Seraphina had her first visit to the vet in over 2 years this week. It was surprising how calm she was during the visit, as she has been extremely stressed during past visits to the vet. She used to try to hide in the garbage can in vet’s office, but this time she curled up on top of the scale like she was going to take a nap! Seraphina is in good health and looks good for an 11-year-old kitty! The vet said she has very smooth, healthy fur. There was a little bit of redness on her gums, so she may need a tooth cleaning soon.

Seraphina relaxing.