Chocolate Layer Cake

Serve this beautiful cake as a birthday party treat with the vanilla frosting below, topped with gluten-free sprinkles. This recipe can also be baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan, or even made in a bundt pan.

2 cups brown rice flour or sorghum flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum*
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 cup prunes
½ cup virgin coconut oil
1 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.

In a medium sized bowl place the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt; mix together well with a fork or wire whisk.

Place the prunes in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Place the prunes and water into a blender or Vita-Mix and add the coconut oil, maple syrup, water, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Blend until very smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well, though be careful not to over mix.

Immediately pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for about 25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes in the pan and then gently invert onto a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com


*Update 7/2011: The xanthan gum in this recipe can be replaced with 1/4 cup ground chia seeds. Add the ground chia seeds to the blender with the warm water and soaked prunes. I also added an extra 1/4 cup of coconut oil. The combination of both of these ingredient changes made the cake a little denser and more fudge-like.

I did the substitution with the chia seeds, but I didn't add more coconut oil. IT's dense enough already! Also, I had to add way more water than the recipe says. But it's a big hit.
One more substitution -- I used teff insteaad of rice flour on the advice of my friend's chef

I love fudgy brownies what do you think? Is this fudgy enough for brownies? Would make a nice christmas treat. I'm betting I could use flaxseed meal for the xanthum gum too. When it's blended awhile it turns to a creamy thin pudding.

For brownies i would add the extra coconut oil. I hope I have some taste buds back by Sat. -- if I can taste it, I;ll be able to give you a better opinion.

THe cake was beautiful! I made it a butterfly with pomegranate seeds and berries on top of coconut to make the wing patterns. The eyes were blueberries with a pomegranate seed pupil. I wish I knew how to post pix. I still have no taste buds, but most people seemed to like it.

You are fabulous Brigid, great cake idea.

was wondering if your Zink levels are low. I also expierienced no taste and smell. My doc put me on extra Zink and cooper which really helped that. Doc also told me that people with hvc normally are low in zink. She also warned that if you take extra Zink to also include cooper as the zink will deplete the cooper levels. 2 mg of cooper is what doc recomended for me.

I'll check the zinc/copper thing, but I think it's just from the WHooping cough. All the sinus irritation. 'Cause usually my sense of smell is acute -- I can pick up a cigatette yards away outside.