FREE-FROM CHOCOLATE CAKE

We are very excited to add a brand-new contributing chef to our team this week: the wonderful Vicki Montague – otherwise known as the Free-From Fairy! Her very first contribution is incredibly scrumptious and certainly lives up to her name: it is not only gluten free and dairy free, but also free from nuts, eggs and refined sugar! This fantastic two-tiered chocolate cake makes for a mouthwatering dessert, perfect for the whole family (no need to tell them it’s free-from, it’s so delicious they won’t know the difference!). Let’s get baking!

For the cake:
- 145g gluten free plain flour
- 3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
- 30g cocoa
- 70g dairy free spread
- 60g Coconut Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Syrup

For the icing:
- 100g dairy free spread
- 100g unrefined icing sugar, sifted
- 50g cocoa, sifted
- splash of water – enough to make a spreading consistency!

 

1. Start by placing the coconut sugar, coconut syrup, and dairy-free spread into a large bowl and beating it for approximately 2 minutes with an electric whisk – until it is pale and fluffy in appearance!
2. Add the remaining cake ingredients and carefully fold them into the mixture until the dry ingredients are combined with the wet.
3. Whisk together for a further minute or so until nice and fluffy.
4. Then, transfer this mixture into two well-greased 15 cm round tins, and smooth the tops out.
5. Bake them in the centre of a preheated oven at 190C (375 F) for 15-20 minutes, or when a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back when you touch it!

6.Cool for 5 minutes, before placing on a wire rack to cool further.
7. While the cake itself is cooling, you can make your icing! Simply mix all the icing ingredients together until well combined, and then whisk for approximately 2 minutes, until light and fluffy!
8. Spread your icing on the cake, and decorate with whatever you like! Coconut flakes or desiccated coconut is a good start!