Gluten-Free and Vegan Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Last week we tested a gluten-free and vegan chocolate cake recipe for Holly, of My Plant Based Family. Well…almost. I did change a couple things. Her recipe called for rice milk. Since we don’t have allergies, I used almond milk as I prefer it. My other change was I added in a small amount of oil and reduced the applesauce accordingly. This was for my taste preference. I don’t like fat free cakes with their texture. Just a little oil though and I am all into the cake!

I wondered if we would like the cake, considering I was making this while my brother was down visiting. Well, maybe I shouldn’t have had fears…..as Holly heard back from me “The Teenager ate HALF the cake”. I kid not. And this was NOT a small cake either! It is two lovely (and dense) cake layers, which I slathered in a simple vanilla frosting. My brother didn’t know it was gluten-free (he figured it was vegan, since usually my baked goods are) and chowed down happily. If all gluten-free cake tasted like this, no one would miss wheat. Just sayin’. This was a success indeed. Thanks, Holly!

Oh yeah, and the next day, the Teen whined that he needed more cake. Seriously? Between him and my brother it was gone by the afternoon……

Gluten-Free and Vegan Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup Organic Brown Rice Flour
• 1 cup Sweet White Sorghum Flour
• ½ cup Tapioca Flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp EnerG Egg Replacer
• 1 cup granulated sugar, preferably organic
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large or 2 small mashed ripe bananas (about 1/2 cup)
• ¼ cup neutral vegetable oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups non-dairy unsweetened milk (used almond)
• 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips, vegan and GF, if needed, preferably organic

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° and lightly oil two 8″ or 9″ inch non-stick cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients (brown rice flour through sea salt).
In a small bowl, mix warm water and egg replacer with a fork till dissolved and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk sugar through milk. Add “egg” mixture, whisk in.
Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients until well incorporated.
Add chocolate chips and stir until just mixed.
Pour batter, dividing into two pans and spreading evenly. Rap pans on counter to settle.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Time will depend on your pan size.
Let cool, then turn out carefully on cooling racks.
When cool frost as desired.

Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup palm shortening
• 4 cups powdered sugar, preferably organic
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Unsweetened non-dairy milk (used almond)

Directions:
Beat the shortening with a stand mixer until light. Add in powered sugar, beating in. Add vanilla and 1 Tablespoon milk at a time, beating in, until spreading constancy is reached (mine took about 1/4 cup).
Frost as desired.

~Sarah

PS: Have a great weekend everyone! It’s my birthday, there are pink cupcakes to be had and I’ll see you all on Monday!