The only gluten-free chocolate cake Alison Needham needs, thanks to Hershey's Cocoa and a little tweaking on her part. And you get to reap the yummy rewards!
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The only gluten-free chocolate cake A Girl Defloured needs, thanks to Hershey's Cocoa and a little tweaking on her part. And you get to reap the yummy rewards!
Often, our search forthe oneturns out to be fruitless. We dabble here and there, but end up settling for second (or third) best. We spend our lives with a muted version of the one we really want. Sure, it’s good enough. But is it really what we have been longing for? Are we really satisfied? Are our needs really being met?
Friends, there is no need to settle, because I can introduce you tothe one.The onewho will restore your faith and hope.The onewho will give you comfort in times of need.The onewho will be the hit at the party.The onewho will steal your heart.
I metthe onequite a few years back, before I was gluten-free. I too, had settled for something that was inferior, thinking that my needs would really never be met. But I decided to set out again, in an effort to find the happiness I deserved. And it took some time, but I did find true love. On the back of theHershey’s Cocoa Powder box. It was love at first bite.
I’ll be the first to admit our love became a bit obsessive. I wanted it all the time. It was so easy to be passionate about a gluten-free chocolate cake I could make from scratch in less than five minutes. I took it everywhere. It played a starring role at all of our birthday celebrations.
But then I found out I had celiac disease. I was terrified that the one I loved so much would leave me. That I would never be able to experience another love, another relationship, like I had shared withthe one. But after I made the cake for the first time, usingCup4Cup flour, I realized that ours was a love that would stand the test of time. In sickness and in health. With regular flour or gluten-free flour. ‘Til death shall us part.
In time, I experimented with using other gluten-free flour blends (like mine). They work well…but admittedly not quite as well as Cup4Cup, which lends such a moist and tender crumb to the cake. Though the recipe is perfect as it is on the box (as my friendTamarpointed out, box recipes are usually the best tested recipes in the world), sometimes I like to mix it up a little. Usually I add hot coffee in place of the boiling water. Sometimes I add a little cinnamon and cayenne to make a Mexican chocolate cake. But however you make it, even if you have never had success with a homemade cake recipe, you can have success with this one. Because it truly isthe one.
The Best Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Alison Needham, A Girl Defloured
The only gluten-free chocolate cake Alison Needham needs, thanks to Hershey's Cocoa and a little tweaking on her part. And you get to reap the yummy rewards!
½cupbutter or dairy free stick butter substitute of your choice, melted and cooled slightly
⅔cupgood quality cocoa powder, unsweetened
3cupspowdered sugar, sifted
⅓cupwhole milk or milk substitute of your choice
1teaspoongluten-free pure vanilla extract
pinchof salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch cake pans with gluten-free cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine the sugar, flour, xanthan (if using), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Carefully whisk in the hot coffee. The batter will be runny.
Evenly distribute the cake batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling completely.
Make the frosting. Whisk the melted butter into the cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Alternate adding the sugar with the milk while beating until the frosting is smooth and glossy and a spreadable consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add a splash of additional milk. If it seems too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt.
Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.
If the flour you are using doesn't already contain xanthan gum, combining quarter of a teaspoon to every 200g/7oz of gluten-free flour will help to improve the crumb structure of your bake. You can also use guar gum or a combination of the two.
Add some almond flour: Using a small amount of almond flour in your baking can enhance the taste and texture dramatically. ...
Add more fat or liquid: It might just be that you need a bit more moisture in your recipe, especially if you're converting a regular “gluten-ful” recipe to gluten-free.
To summarize, applesauce is a secret weapon for creating moist and healthier cakes. Its natural sweetness and moisture make it a great substitute for high-fat ingredients like oil or butter. So go ahead, embrace the power of applesauce and elevate your cakes to new levels of deliciousness!
Moisture – for some reason gluten-free cakes tend to get a little dry. Any gluten-free cake will dry out super-fast and get hard on the outside if it's not properly refrigerated and covered. I swear by always using buttermilk and adding a little more fat into the batter to compensate for the dryness.
Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture.
We recommend covering your batters and doughs and letting them rest for at least half an hour. Note: This will also help batters become thicker and doughs to firm up.
Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.
2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.
Baking soda is a pure chemical compound, known as sodium bicarbonate. It is an alkaline substance and requires an acid to activate its leavening properties. When combined with an acid (such as vinegar, lemon juice, or yogurt), it produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes the batter or dough to rise.
One common ingredient swap that is known to help make cakes remarkably moist is using milk instead of water. Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise.
In addition to its delicious taste, butter adds richness and flavor to your baked goods. Different types of butter are available, but salted and unsalted butter are the two most commonly used in baking. As the name suggests, salted butter contains salt, and unsalted butter does not.
Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.
Substitute by weight, not volume. Moreover, because they are finer, they weigh less than all-purpose flour, so it is a good idea to substitute your blend for the all-purpose by weight, rather than by volume. If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend.
These breads take longer to bake because the gums and fiber in Gluten-Free Bread Flour hold onto water more than gluten (which is typical of gluten-free flour), so they take longer to fully bake and “dry out.” If you have a digital thermometer, the internal temperature should be between 208°F to 212°F.
Remember, baking times for gluten-free foods vary greatly, and it's important to keep a constant eye on your creation to monitor for the colors and textures that indicate doneness. These recipes often call for longer baking times at a lower temperature compared to traditional recipes.
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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