Perfect Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake!

       So it’s nice to have desserts with fancy names like Maconut Cake, or Almond JOY Cake, or even York Peppermint Cake.  But sometimes, you just want to go old school, back to the basics of baking. 

       Like my editor once said, every woman needs a go-to LBD (or little black dress for those of you like me who had no idea what that meant).  It's a good basic piece that you can dress up or dress down.   

       Well, then I guess this recipe would be the LBC (Little Black Cake) that every baker needs.  It's the perfect base cake recipe that you can tweak and experiment with to make beautiful, yummy new creations.  I hope you enjoy what I call the PERFECT GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE!  

  
You'll need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 cup dark cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup Kerrygold Butter, Melted

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ cup dark chocolate chips 

1 cup of hot water 

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two 9” round Pans by lightly coating with cooking spray or oil. 

     In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

       In a separate bowl, whip together the Butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. 

       Then slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until both mixtures are fully combined.  Next, fold in the chocolate chips.

 

       Add hot water to the batter and mix well, until the batter is thin.  Then pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

       Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to completely cool before frosting!

 

Creamy Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1 ½ cups of Kerrygold Salted Butter

3 cups Powdered Sugar

¼ cup dark cocoa

1 tsp chocolate extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heavy Whipping Cream, as needed

       In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Next, whip in one cup of powdered sugar, then add in the cocoa and flavorings.  To finish, whip in the remaining two cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Beat well between each addition and alternate with the heavy cream as needed.

       Spread the frosting over the bottom layer of cake for the filling, then place the second cake on top.  Finish frosting the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

       You can dress up this cake with any garnishes you would like or simply enjoy it as is!