Ingredients
- For the Frosting:
- For Cake
- 1 3/4 cup Gluten-free Cake Flour Blend
- 1 1/3 cups sugar or evaporated cane juice
- 3/4 cup pure gluten free unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup oil (extra virgin, grape seed, coconut, vegetable, canola, etc.)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup milk, room temperature or 80°F.
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Superfine white rice flour, for dusting
- 1/4 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, melted
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (Most are gluten-free. I use Philadelphia brand.)
- 2/3 cup pure cocoa powder
- 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1
To Make the Cake
Heat oven to 350°F.
Oil and dust with superfine rice flour, two 9-inch round cake pans.
In the bowl of your mixer, mix together all dry ingredients.
Add milk, oil, and eggs; and beat on medium speed (No. 6 on a Cuisinart mixers) until smooth.
Add in boiling water and mix on low until well blended; add vanilla and blend again.
Bake about 30 minutes or until it is toothpick clean.
Remove from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes; and remove from pans by turning it upside down onto your hand and then transfer down side down onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of your mixer, add the cream cheese and cocoa, mix well.
Add butter a little bit at a time, as not to curdle the cream cheese.
With mixer on medium-low, add a little powdered sugar and then a little milk; repeat until all is added.
Add vanilla, mix on medium-high until fluffy.
If needed add additional milk, but if you add too much your frosting will slide down the sides of your cake. It's best to have too thick rather than too runny. Thicker frosting will allow you to make swirls and tips for decoration.
How to Frost a Cake
Add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup frosting to center of cake layer that is on the plate. Spread evenly to the edges.
Add other layer, flat side down on top of the the first layer.
Remove about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of frosting and place it into a glass or cup; add a splash of milk to make it thinner.
Frost the top of your cake, with a thin layer, but thick enough to coat the entire top. Place the cake in the refrigerator, or let it sit out if it's not a real hot day, for about 10 minutes.
With the thicker frosting, frost the sides of the cake until smooth.
Add about 1/2 cup frosting to the center of the top of the cake and spread out to all areas.
If you desire, use the back of a spoon to create swirls or tips. Make sure you do this extra step immediately, before the frosting starts to harden on the outside. If you wish to write on your cake a flat top if needed. To achieve this, run a clean knife or frosting spatula under hot water, shake off excess water and use the slightly wet spatula to smooth out the top. Spread in one direction. Repeat with a clean knife as many times as needed.
Cover and refrigerator leftovers.
Tips
All oven temperatures vary. If your cake creates mounds in the center, next time bake at 325°F for a little bit longer than suggested. You may also just slice off the mounds to create an even layer. The best of bakers do this.