The Yummiest Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

I found out I was gluten intollerant after starting my cake & cupcake design business (www.sugarsweetcakeco.ca). How in the world was I ever going to enjoy a delicious homemade treat again? Well, since becoming gluten free, I have found many delicious recipes for sweet treats, including cookies, brownies and cheesecakes, but the perfect cake seemed to be more elusive. The results were either spongey or dense and fudgelike. This was not the texture I was looking for. I wanted a recipe that could fool the biggest cake connoiseur (possibly me, lol). Recently, I found a recipe that looked like it had potential. I played with it, tweaked it a bit, and...SUCCESS!!! Perfect, dark, chocolatey goodness :)

Recipe:

6 layer gluten free chocolate cake
w/ salted caramel buttercream

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup warm water
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Butter and rice flour two 8" metal cake pans, or one 9x13". Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large metal mixing bowl to be used with a hand mixer), combine all liquid ingredients and lightly blend. With mixer off, add in all dry ingredients at once, then turn the mixer on to low and mix for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, and bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and flip the pans over on the cooling rack to release the cakes. Allow to cool completely, then slice into layers (or not) and frost with your favourite gluten free frosting recipe. I recently made a salted caramel buttercream (pictured), which was the perfect foil to the rich darkness of this cake.

Makes 1 generously sized layer cake :)

Enjoy!