Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake
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Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 14–16
 
Ingredients
  • 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
  • 175g/6oz/scant 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 60g/2¼oz/scant ¼ cup rice flour
  • 60g/2¼oz/¹⁄₃ cup chestnut flour
  • 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • ½ tsp xanthan gum
  • 150g/5½oz/1¼ cups raspberries or strawberries, hulled, to decorate
  • Icing:
  • 200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
  • 300g/10½oz/scant 2 cups cashew nuts
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 pitted dates
Method
  1. Put the nuts in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak at room temperature overnight or for at least 12 hours.
  2. Drain and rinse the nuts thoroughly, then put them in a blender. Add the vanilla extract and dates and pour in 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup water. Blend for 10 minutes or until smooth.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease two 23cm/9in springform cake tins with dairy-free margarine. Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and rest it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.
  4. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Using a large spoon, carefully fold in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture and fold in. Make sure the mixture is well mixed but take care not to overmix it. Evenly divide the mixture into the cake tins and level the surfaces with the back of a spoon.
  5. Bake for 35–40 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely.
  6. Meanwhile, put the chocolate for the icing in a large heatproof bowl and rest it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Put the blended nut cream and date mixture in a food processor or blender, add the melted chocolate and blend until well mixed.
  7. Put the cake on a plate and spread half of the icing over the top. Put the other cake on top, flat-side down, and spread the remaining icing over it. Decorate with the raspberries and serve.
Recipe by Grace Cheetham at https://www.gracecheetham.com/gluten-free-dairy-freechocolate-birthday-cake