I've been off cane sugar for many years and recently had to stop eating wheat and dairy, so instead of just killing myself I adapted a one pan chocolate brownie recipe for this delicious, easy cake.
It won't be the fluffiest cake in the world, but then I'm not much of a fluffy cake baker even if I did use sugar and wheat flour and dairy. I'm more of a cross country cook really. This one does have eggs in it, although I'm aware there are egg replacement options for those poor souls unable to consume eggs.
The other nice thing about this recipe is it's so versatile, you can add several alternatives if you don't have all the ingredients, and it stops you getting bored with it.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Dairy free margarine (Nuttelex, there's also a new macadamia margarine, olive oil margarines etc) but if you can tolerate dairy then butter is fine
1/2 cup cocoa
4 squares sugar free chocolate or unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup fructose or palm sugar or xylitol - I like a mix of palm sugar and xylitol, as there is less of a glycemic hit for my body to process . Alternatively, try a third of a cup plus a third of a cup of rice syrup, maple syrup or pear/apple juice concentrate - but if you use a syrup you can take out a tablespoon of the margarine as the syrup adds moisture. If you like a bit less sweetness, just cut the quantities down to taste.
2 eggs
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour (to lighten the buckwheat )
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional extras
1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, coconut, blueberries, or anything else you like the taste of with chocolate cake.
A little note about the flour - buckwheat is a little heavy on its own; sometimes i've used coconut flour, but it's heavy too, which is why i mix in some rice flour - if you prefer you could use another lightening flour like corn flour, amaranth flour or potato flour. Alternately you could use one of the gluten free flour mixes on the market. As i'm also not able to eat potato (it's one of those nasty deadly nightshades that arthritics should avoid) many of the commercial mixes are out for me.
There a lot of information on the gluten free flours available on the web if you want to go looking.
(I've made a double batch here, so you'll see twice the ingredients listed above in the photos)
It won't be the fluffiest cake in the world, but then I'm not much of a fluffy cake baker even if I did use sugar and wheat flour and dairy. I'm more of a cross country cook really. This one does have eggs in it, although I'm aware there are egg replacement options for those poor souls unable to consume eggs.
The other nice thing about this recipe is it's so versatile, you can add several alternatives if you don't have all the ingredients, and it stops you getting bored with it.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Dairy free margarine (Nuttelex, there's also a new macadamia margarine, olive oil margarines etc) but if you can tolerate dairy then butter is fine
1/2 cup cocoa
4 squares sugar free chocolate or unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup fructose or palm sugar or xylitol - I like a mix of palm sugar and xylitol, as there is less of a glycemic hit for my body to process . Alternatively, try a third of a cup plus a third of a cup of rice syrup, maple syrup or pear/apple juice concentrate - but if you use a syrup you can take out a tablespoon of the margarine as the syrup adds moisture. If you like a bit less sweetness, just cut the quantities down to taste.
2 eggs
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour (to lighten the buckwheat )
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional extras
1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, coconut, blueberries, or anything else you like the taste of with chocolate cake.
A little note about the flour - buckwheat is a little heavy on its own; sometimes i've used coconut flour, but it's heavy too, which is why i mix in some rice flour - if you prefer you could use another lightening flour like corn flour, amaranth flour or potato flour. Alternately you could use one of the gluten free flour mixes on the market. As i'm also not able to eat potato (it's one of those nasty deadly nightshades that arthritics should avoid) many of the commercial mixes are out for me.
There a lot of information on the gluten free flours available on the web if you want to go looking.
(I've made a double batch here, so you'll see twice the ingredients listed above in the photos)
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Prepare and assemble
First, preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (or 350 F) so it's the right temperature when you put your cake in to cook. I have a fan forced oven but i used to make this in my regular oven and it just took a couple minute longer to cook.
Assemble your ingredients to make sure you have everything you need. I can't tell you how many times i've started making something only to find i have to run out to the shops to get eggs/margarine/baking powder. Not the most organized cook in the world here, hence the instructions...
I like to set up my recipe somewhere handy to read it as i go along. I got to the end of a cake baking expedition only to find the eggs sitting quietly by the sink. That cake didn't quite work out so well.
Very important: test your eggs to make sure they are fresh enough to cook with. Put them in a glass of water and see if they float. If they do throw them away being careful not to break them or you could have a very smelly kitchen. Rotten eggs fill up with hydrogen sulfide which causes them not only to be supremely odiferous, but to float, which is handy because you don't have to crack them to see if they will stink you out.
I like to prepare all my ingredients for the making stage to make it all go smoothly, but more often i just do things as i go along. So for this one i prepared the flours, and chopped the chocolate to be ready ahead.
Assemble your ingredients to make sure you have everything you need. I can't tell you how many times i've started making something only to find i have to run out to the shops to get eggs/margarine/baking powder. Not the most organized cook in the world here, hence the instructions...
I like to set up my recipe somewhere handy to read it as i go along. I got to the end of a cake baking expedition only to find the eggs sitting quietly by the sink. That cake didn't quite work out so well.
Very important: test your eggs to make sure they are fresh enough to cook with. Put them in a glass of water and see if they float. If they do throw them away being careful not to break them or you could have a very smelly kitchen. Rotten eggs fill up with hydrogen sulfide which causes them not only to be supremely odiferous, but to float, which is handy because you don't have to crack them to see if they will stink you out.
I like to prepare all my ingredients for the making stage to make it all go smoothly, but more often i just do things as i go along. So for this one i prepared the flours, and chopped the chocolate to be ready ahead.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
The recipe didn't mention a measurement for the vanilla so I used a 1/2 tsp. since that's similar to what I've seen in other recipes.
I used Xylitol to sweeten. Without the icing, I don't think it would have been sweet enough to serve alone, and we are used to eating less sweet food, less often, being fairly regimented in our intake of sugary treats. I'd like to try it again with the rice syrup to see if that amps the wow factor a little more pre-icing.
What I liked best about this recipe is it is fairly easy to make and doesn't have a million ingredients like many other gluten-free cakes require. It is the kind of treat you could make as often as you would brownies or cookies. The batter is super easy to mix...I prepared it all in the small saucepan I used to heat the butter which made cleanup easy. And with all the variants it does give a range of flavors and executions. I only had to buy a few extra ingredients to put it together which also simplified the effort involved. Thanks for sharing with us!
Ingredients
1/3 cup rice bran oil
1/2 cup palm syrup or maple syrup or mix of the two
2 large eggs or 3 smaller ones - helps if they are really fresh!
1 tablespoon vanilla (alcohol free)
1 cup almond meal
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 or up to a cup cup frozen blueberries or raspberries
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. This is a low enough heat not to dry your cake out inside, and high enough to get a nice crispness to the outside if you like that by leaving it in the oven an extra few minutes.
In a pan mix the oil and palm syrup/maple syrup, heating til it just moves a bit (doesn't have to boil) or place in a bowl and microwave for a minute. Cool, then add eggs and vanilla. Mix until shiny and smooth.
Cut together with a knife or fork, or if you have time, sift dry ingredients:
Add the flour mix to the batter. Mix well by stirring with a wooden spoon, til there are no lumps.
Add 3/4 cup (more or less to taste) of frozen (or fresh if you have them available) berries. My absolute favourite for this recipe is blueberries, and raspberries are a real treat too.
Pour into an greased lamington pan or muffin pan. Set oven timer for 18 minutes. While it's baking, lick the pan and spoon. This really is the best bit, but you can't just eat the whole cake batter without baking an actual cake. No, really, you can't. Trust me on this one.
Do not over bake. At 15 minutes check to see if it's getting done by gently touching the top with your finger, if it springs back, then insert a butter knife. If it comes out clean, or with a hint of moisture but no 'batter' then it's going to be cooked just right. If there is batter still on the knife, bake another 5 minutes before testing. You might see the edges slightly pulling away from pan.
Cool, then remove from the pan by slipping a flexible knife or spatula around the edges and underneath a little at a time. Turn onto a serving platter and eat. I find it will store in fridge for up to a week if I can restrain myself!
It grows on these bean-like vines with little white flowers.
I've decided the blueberries version is my favourite!
And for a slight variation, i put this batter in a slightly larger tin and overcook it 5 to 10 mins it's a tad crunchier, more like a slice. Anyway, it's a versatile recipe and resilient to changes.
Thank you!
The only downside is that you may be obliged to start a Gluten Free Choc Cake Recovery group in your area for people who become powerless over their urge to make more of this delicious hot choc goodie : )