All of us crave chocolate, some of us more than others. Kyle’s latest chocolate craving came in the form of cake. This simple gluten free pleasure, the chocolate-on-chocolate cake, has surprisingly not yet been tackled on our blog. It is time.
We have covered Classic Yellow Cake, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, and even Harry Potter-themed Butterbeer Cupcakes – but not chocolate cake. Kyle worked to adapt the cake batter used in the cake base of the Snickerdoodle Cupcakes recipe. The high buttermilk to flour ratio yields a rich, moist cake that provides the perfect starting point for his gluten free adaptations. In this recipe he just replaced some of the gluten free flour with cocoa powder and threw in a bit of instant coffee to help enhance the chocolate flavor in the cake.
The frosting on our chocolate cake is a riff on the Instant Fudge Frosting that Kyle came across while creating the Buttermilk Cupcakes. It is super easy to prepare; you simply dump all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, give it a quick spin, and you have a perfectly creamy fudgy frosting lickety split.
Kyle fiddled with swapping out some of the butter for the cream cheese to offset the uber sweetness. A generous pinch of salt was added to make the flavors pop. The resulting frosting was rich and extremely chocolaty without having that overly sweet taste that is standard in many frostings. This frosting is so delicious that one might just be able to eat the frosting right out of the food processor bowl (not that we’re speaking from experience or anything…) . Of course, there is the hope that most of it makes it onto the cake, but it is so simple, you can just whip up another batch. No judgments here.
Has anyone ever heard of eating cold cake? I haven’t, but it certainly may be more popular than I think. Kyle sure likes it. Apparently his mom would pack Tastykakes in his Friday lunch bag. In order to prevent the cupcakes from getting smooshed in the bag, she would store them in the freezer overnight. This would help them preserve their shape while they made the long journey from the bus ride and from class to class. They were thawed enough by lunch time, but still chilled.
Due to this childhood sensory experience, Kyle craves cold cake, a reminder a simpler times. So, this memory triggered Kyle to store this cake in the refrigerator, where he would find himself sneaking tiny slice after tiny slice every time he opened the door. The cake gradually dwindled down to nothing…..
Even though the cake disappeared at a high rate of speed – Kyle got to experience his cold fudgy frosting each time he opened the refrigerator – giving him a Tastykake flavor and constantly reminding him of that yummy childhood memory.
This recipe yields 12 cupcakes, or it can be doubled to make a 2-layer, 9-inch round cake (if making the cake, also make two batches of the frosting. Remember that when doubling the frosting, you need to make the two batches separately, otherwise your food processor will cause quite a fudgy mess in the kitchen.) Whether making cupcakes or a layer cake, this simple, yet delicious recipe can definitely compliment any summer barbecue!
- For the Cake
- 141 grams (about 1 cup) gluten free all-purpose flour
- 149 grams (¾ cups) sugar
- 28 grams (about ¼ cup) cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- For the frosting:
- 45 grams (about ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) cocoa powder
- 42 grams (3 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 280 grams (2 ¼ cups) powdered sugar (no need to sift)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, and cut into cubes
- 2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk or milk (I had extra buttermilk left from the cake)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum.
- In a large bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, egg, vinegar and vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and smooth flat. Bake for 25 to 28 until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in cake pan on a cooling rack, then flip out onto rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, place all frosting ingredients in a food processor and pulse to incorporate. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Spread frosting over the top of the cake and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Cut into squares and enjoy!
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