Read through before you start. The most common problem with allergy baking is cross-contamination.
Baking Notes: not complete and not limited to -
1. No wooden utensils: they are highly absorbent [no rolling pin, no cake board]
2. No wooden and plastic cutting boards: nicks, grooves and scratches can retain particles
3. No Plastic storage containers (absorbs gluten like food odours and colours). New containers, if used.
4. Dont use the same flour-sifter for gluten-free and regular flours.
5. Dont prepare gluten-free foods on the same surface used to prepare foods with gluten unless the surface has been thoroughly cleaned.
6. Flour "dust" hangs in the air for hours after baking: no gluten baking before GF baking ..
Cocoa Cake - GF/LF/DF
¾ cup dairy free spread*, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup Gluten Free flour blend**
1/3 cup ground almonds or hazelnuts
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons Gluten Free baking powder***
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons boiling water
Sift GF flour with cocoa powder, GF baking powder and finely ground nuts.
Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with baking paper.
Cream the softened butter with sugar. Add one egg at a time, mixing well before adding another egg. Beat in vanilla.
Add sifted ingredients - mix until just blended.
Add 6 tablespoons of boiling water and mix well.
Bake at 350oF for 40-50 minutes. Check that a wooden skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.
Stand 5 minutes in pan, then turn out onto wire rack to cool. Remove lining carefully while hot, but once cool, cover so the cake will not dry out.
* A dairy-free vegetable shortening or spread such as Nuttelex or Earth Balance is recommended - check the dairy case of the supermarket as there are other brands.
** If you are not baking consistently gluten-free, it is not worth the effort to purchase individual GF flour/starches and mix your own blend. There are numerour commercial blends available. Check the packaging for vegetable gum [xanthan or guar gum] as an ingredient. If it is not, then you will have to purchase either gum also - add 1½ teaspoons of gum to the recipe. Gums can be expensive, so unless you intend to bake GF - purchase a GF blend that includes the gum.
*** Check that the baking powder is gluten free.
Frosting
1/2 c dairy-free spread such as Nuttelex or Earth Balance
2 cups confectioners sugar [check if GF]
1 ts vanilla extract
2 tb almond milk or soymilk [check if GF]
Cream spread for 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar gradually at a low speed. Increase speed to high, beating, add enough liquid until smooth and creamy. Chill until spreadeable consistency.
Fudge Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar [check if GF]
¼ cup dairy-free spread such as Nuttelex or Earth Balance
¼ cup almond milk or soymilk [check if GF]
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream the sugar with the spread until combined. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla with enough almond milk until spreadable.
