My mission: to create a delicious chocolate cake free of the top 8 allergens (especially wheat, eggs, milk, and butter) that could be served up at birthday parties and which could be enjoyed by EVERYONE, not just my 3 year old son Kai on his restricted diet!
On my quest to find a gf chocolate cake recipe that I could use as a foundation to my creation, I first searched through The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook (Cybele Pascal, 2009). Her Chocolate Layer Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting sounded ideal… with some changes and adaptations. Firstly, I messed with the flour. I chose to use sticky white rice (sweet white rice flour) as the base as this provides a ‘fluffier’ end product – which is rare in gluten free baking. I also used corn starch rather than potato starch, simply because it is a more accessible ingredient and I prefer its flavour. In doing so, I also had to change the quantities because through my gluten free bread baking experience, different starches thicken a batter to different degrees. Avoiding as many additives as possible, I also ditched the xanthan gum and Ener-G egg replacer (i.e., methylcellulose). Although these additives create a more ‘puffed up’ cake, I prefer the mud cake consistency, and besides, these additives may cause ill side effects for some people.
So how do I add nutrition to what would otherwise be a serving of empty calories? Chia and beetroot, of course! Chia is a great egg replacer. It binds the batter and also adds protein, fibre and essential minerals. And why beetroot? It has a great way of ‘hiding’ in a chocolate cake, but also adds sweetness as well as vitamins, protein, minerals and dietary fibre. As for sugar, I prefer to use coconut sugar as it apparently has a lower glycemic index and a higher mineral content than refined white sugar.
So here is the recipe I came up with, and it worked! In fact, it worked too well. I had to make 3 batches in one week because some family members kept scoffing down the cupcakes that I was going to put in the freezer to be taken out for birthday parties Kai attended. Oh well. Too good to resist I suppose
Kai's Choice Chocolate Cake (GF, EF, DF)IngredientsCake
250g White sticky rice (e.g. Sushi rice)
20g Chia seeds
300g Coconut sugar (or raw/white sugar)
110g Cocoa powder (100% pure)
55g Corn starch
45g Tapioca flour
1.5 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda
2 teaspoons Cream of tartar
1 pinch Salt
150g Raw beetroot, peeled and quartered
Seeds of 1 Vanilla bean
160g Plain yoghurt of choice (e.g., coconut yoghurt)
110g Coconut oil
340g Milk of choice (e.g., rice milk)Icing200g Coconut sugar or raw sugar
15g Tapioca flour
25g Cocoa powder (100% pure)
50g Nuttlex or dairy free margarine
30g Milk of choice (e.g., rice milk)
DirectionsCake
Step 1. Set oven to 180ºC / 356ºF (fan forced). Line a 21cm (8.5") cake tin with baking paper.
Step 2. Add the rice and chia to the thermomix bowl and mill for 2 minutes at speed 9.
Step 3. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix for 15 seconds at speed 5. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.
Step 4. To the thermomix bowl, add beetroot, vanilla seeds, yoghurt and oil. Puree for 20 seconds at speed 9, scraping down the sides of the bowl after 10 seconds. Add the milk and mix for 10 seconds at speed 5.
Step 5. Set the thermomix to speed 3 and gradually add the dry mixture. Then mix for 20 seconds at speed 5.
Step 6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for approximately one hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Icing
While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing
Step 1. Add the sugar to the TM bowl and mill for 20 seconds at speed 9. Add the tapioca flour and mix for 5 seconds, speed 6.
Step 2. Add the cocoa powder and mix for a further 5 seconds, speed 6. Set sugar/cocoa mix aside in a separate bowl.
Step 3. Add the margarine to the TM bowl and melt for one minute or more at 60ºC, speed 2. (Skip this heating stage if you prefer a thicker icing that does not pour).
Step 4. Add the milk to the margarine and mix for 3 seconds, speed 5.
Step 5. Continue at speed 5 and gradually add the sugar and cocoa mixture until well combined (around 5 seconds).
Serve icing in a small jug to pour over warm cake. Or place it in the fridge to set and then ice the cake as usual. This is also amazing if served with berry coulis and a few baby mint leaves.
Enjoy!
You can see the full blog post here:
http://nomorereactions.com/blog/kais-choice-chocolate-cake-gf-ef-df-with-a-little-bit-of-hidden-goodness/Tips & HintsYou don't need the tapioca flour - instead you can increase the corn starch to around 80g (check it is pure corn - not wheaten corn starch). The final product might be a little more crumbly, but the flavour will be the same. Tapioca gives it a little structure.
Although I haven't made this without the beetroot, you could easily leave it out and perhaps add a little more liquid e.g. milk.
Members' commentsmcmich - The cake looks fabulous Juanita. I will certainly keep it mind as quite often I have to bake for friends with allergies. Just wondering if you think arborio rice would work and if the chickpea flour could be substituted for the tapioca flour?
JuanitaS - Mcmich, yes the arborio rice would work well in the same quantity as the sushi rice, being a sticky 'glutinous' rice. As for adding say 45g of chickpea flour (great idea by the way!) and taking out the tapioca, I would probably increase the corn starch to 80g… I would imagine the chickpea flour would give a slightly heavier cake, but hey I love heavy mud cakes! Feel free to experiment and let me know how it turns out.
kmw - Thanks Juanita. Great recipe did a test run tonight - cooked for 1 1/2 hrs at just under 170c, my oven is a hot one so I've been dropping the temp & cooking longer and so far no burnt bottoms 😄 yay
Oh tapioca flour - I didn't have enough so I ground tapioca pearls for 1 min speed 9, also you can get it in Asian shops. I also used cacao powder instead of cocoa.
Cake was a hit yesterday & the icing was also great. We iced the cake straight away and then put it in the fridge. I would use this icing for any cake I loved the taste. Thanks again for the recipe.
Tasty - So I realised I actually have tapioca starch (from a recipe I have yet to make that I was supposed to make months ago).....is that the same thing as Tapioca flour?
kmw - From what I read they are the same thing.
JuanitaS - Yes Tasty, tapioca flour and starch are the same thing.... but potato starch vs flour are different. Also corn starch vs flour is named differently between USA and UK/Aust. I use pure 100% corn starch - white - rather than wheaten starch or maize flour, which is a yellow colour, and not starchy. It all gets a bit confusing. lol.
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Thank you for sharing, it means a lot to me. And yes, Kezza, chia seeds are my best friend 
I'm actually thinking of just making a triple quantity of this one for the whole family instead of buying Milo which is ridiculously expensive. I'd be interested to hear what others think of the flavour and texture, particularly those that have had milo regularly in the past. 