Best Ever Chocolate Cake
First… The inspiration!
We made this cake as a secondary one for mud pie, but it ended up being my favorite! This time it gets center stage.
The BEST GF Chocolate Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake:
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules, or instant espresso
1 cup boiling water
1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, leveled
3/4 cup raw cacao powder, or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 -1/3 cups coconut sugar*
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 -1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup avocado oil, or olive oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 -1/2 cups chocolate chips, optional
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
8 ounces dark chocolate, I use two 85% chocolate bars**
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 pinch sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Bake the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper too.
Mix the coconut milk and vinegar together in a mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Add the Instant Coffee granules to a measuring cup and fill with 1 cup boiling water to make 1 cup of coffee (or you can brew one cup of coffee. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Add the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt to a large bowl and whisk well until combined. Set aside.
If using chocolate chips, add them to a measuring cup with 2 teaspoons of flour and stir well to coat the chocolate chips in flour (this ensures they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake during baking).
Add the avocado oil, eggs, and vanilla to the mixing bowl with the coconut milk and use an electric hand whisk (or beat by hand) to mix together wet ingredients on medium-high speed until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Stir in the chocolate chips (if adding) until well combined.
Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For the best result, use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the cakes. They are fully cooked once they reach an internal temperature of 190 to 200 degrees F.
Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the spring form pans.
While the cakes are baking or cooling, prepare the chocolate buttercream (if using).
Once cool, release the cake from the spring form pans and place one of the cakes on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread a thick layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the cake, then place the second cake on top of the buttercream, creating a 2-tier cake. Use the remaining buttercream to spread all over the cake – you can go as liberal or conservative as you’d like here depending on how much you love buttercream.
Prepare the Ganache:
Prepare the chocolate ganache. Chop the chocolate bars and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Note: the finer you chop the chocolate, the quicker the ganache will come together, so try to chop it nice and small.
Microwave (or heat on the stove top) the coconut milk until very hot, but just under boiling. Pour the coconut milk into the mixing bowl with the chopped chocolate and allow it to sit for 1 minute (this loosens up the chocolate so that it will melt nice and easy). Stir the mixture well until all clumps of chocolate are out and the mixture is nice and creamy. Taste for flavor and add sea salt and pure maple syrup to taste. If you’re using super dark chocolate (85% or higher), I’d suggest about 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
Pour and spread the chocolate ganache over the chocolate buttercream.
If desired, sprinkle the cake with shaved or grated chocolate bar.
Serve with a huge glass of milk (or non-dairy milk) and enjoy!
