The ONLY Gluten-Free Devil's Food Cake

When is a gluten-free cake acceptable by my standards? When I can't tell it's gluten-free. 

This is the first GF cake I've made that has the texture of a traditional devil's food cake. It is moist, very chocolatey, and has the right leavening to lift up the GF flours that can usually weigh cakes down. 

This recipe calls for hot brewed coffee to be mixed into the batter just before baking. Coffee helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate, but it can be substituted with decaf, cocoa, Pero, or simply hot water. 

This recipe makes two 8" rounds, which can serve anywhere from 8-12, and can easily be doubled to make two 10" rounds. 

I initially made a chocolate frosting, but the cake is sweet, and next time I will try a raspberry whipped cream.

Prep Your Pans
For chocolate cakes, I grease the pans very well with coconut oil, and dust the pans with sifted cocoa powder instead of flour. Then also line the pans with parchment rounds. 

Preheat the oven to 350'

For the Cake
1 3/4C all-purpose GF flour (I like Bob's 1:1)
2C granulated sugar
3/4C sifted cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1t baking powder
1t kosher salt

1C buttermilk
1/2C neutral oil (I like grapeseed oil)
2 eggs (I always use XL)
2t vanilla extract

1C hot coffee (or decaf, or cocoa made with water, or Pero made with water)

For the Frosting
1C softened unsalted butter
3C sifted powder sugar
1/2C sifted cocoa powder
1t vanilla extract 
1/4C heavy whipping cream

Make the Cake
Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE COFFEE. Fold the dry into the wet. THEN stir in the coffee. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, and the cake starts to come away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto cake boards to cool completely. The cakes can be made a day or two ahead and wrapped well in plastic wrap until ready to frost. 

Make the Frosting
Cream the butter in a bowl with a mixer until soft and fluffy. SLOWLY stir in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and whipped cream. Mix for a couple of minutes until fluffy, but don't overmix, as the cream will eventually look grainy. Frost the cake and serve!

Alternate Frosting: Raspberry Cloud Cream
1C raspberry puree
2/3C sugar
2.5t gelatin powder (or agar-agar)
2C heavy whipping cream (keep it cold, and chill the bowl for whipping)

Stir together the gelatin and 1/4C of the puree and gently heat over a bain marie until dissolved. Stir in the rest of the puree and sugar and cool to room temp. Whip the cream in the chilled bowl til firm. Fold in the puree. Frost your cake and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. 

Note: The gelatin or agar-agar aren't absolutely necessary if you're going to frost and eat your cake immediately, but they do help keep the cream firm, and prevent the liquids from leaching out. 

Coconut Cake

It's so simple. And unless you hate coconut, a guaranteed crowdpleaser (even the vegans won't be able to resist). No expert skills needed for this one. A cake that's about as easy as a mix, whipped cream, and coconut. That's it. 

The photo is of an enormous 10" cake I made for my dear friend's baby shower. (I also made a tiny little 6" cake for the baby. IKR?) The recipe below is flexible and can fill 2 10x3 or 3 9x2 pans. You can split the 10" cakes in half to make 4 layers like I did, or stack the 3 9" layers (or split them to make an eye-popping 6-layer cake.) The batter will be a bit runny, and baking times can vary. I recommend wrapping the pans with soaked bake-even cake strips to help keep the sides from getting too dry. You can also trim away the sides after baking for a moister cake and nicer presentation. 

Don't be alarmed. I've included a lot of tips, but if you read through this a couple times, and have all your ingredients & tools laid out ahead, you'll do fine. Ready to make it? 

Tips: This cake can be baked up to two days ahead. Wrap the cakes well and store in the fridge. This cake can be assembled up to two hours before serving. Store uncovered in fridge. The chilled cake can be extra refreshing on a hot day. This cake can be filled with lemon curd or layered with berries. It's very versatile.

Preheat oven to 350'

Prep Your Pans (crucial)
Set each pan over a sheet of parchment and trace around the bottom of the pan with a pencil. Cut out the circle just inside your tracing line. Butter & flour the pans. I take a stick of butter and run it along the sides and bottom to coat well, then get in there with my fingers to evenly rub the butter into every nook & cranny. Then dump in about 1/4C of flour & tilt the pan around while tapping the bottom & sides so the flour coats evenly. Then knock the remainder of the flour out so you don't have clumps. Lay in the parchment round. 

Bake-Even Strips
If you bake a lot of cakes, these are a nice inexpensive investment that raises your game. Soak the strips for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water, and wrap around the outside of the pan, securing with the pin provided. The strips will help prevent overbrowning & dry sides. This cake has a lot of eggs, which can brown very quickly. When baking, you'll see that the top of the cake will get very golden brown long before the center is set. Don't panic. This is normal, and the top will end up kind of sticky anyway. If you don't have the strips, you can trim away the sides if they get too dark or dry, or leave them be. If you frost the cake with the whipped cream an hour or two ahead of serving and keep it in the fridge, the sides will soften up nicely. In fact, this whole cake gets moister the longer it sits in the fridge. Next-day slices are absolute heaven. 

Recipe
4C unbleached all-purpose flour
2t baking powder (always make sure it's fresh)
1/4t kosher salt
2C milk (you can use whole or lowfat)
12T unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
8 eggs (I always use XL) 
4C sugar
2t vanilla extract (for the love of god, use the real stuff)
1/4t almond extract (optional)

4C (2 pints or a quart) of heavy whipping cream
1/2C confectioners sugar
1t vanilla extract

About 2-3C shredded coconut (the weird sugared kind works best). I say 2-3C because you can use a little or as much as you want. You can layer it inside and cover the whole cake, or just cover the top and a little down the sides...it's not a science. 

baking powder costs about $2. don't risk it. buy a fresh can & date it. dump it after 6 months.

Make the Batter

1. You don't have to, but sifting the flour helps with your overall success. Whisk in the baking powder & salt. 
2. Melt the butter into the milk (I do this in the microwave for about a minute+. 
3. Beat the eggs & sugar for about 5 minutes until thick and pale. 
4. Stir in the extracts. 
5. Fold in the flour, making sure you get it all incorporated. 
6. Stir in the butter & milk. 

Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Tap each pan a few times on the counter to pop any large air bubbles. 

Baking times will vary depending on the size of the pans and your oven. 10" rounds can take 45 minutes. If you're using 9x2" pans, start checking after about 20 minutes. If your oven has a hot spot (like mine), rotate the pans carefully for the last 10 minutes of baking. 

Signs of doneness: 

• touch the top and the dough springs back
• toothpick or skewer comes out with no raw batter
• sides of cake start pulling away from the pan

Cool the cakes on wire racks for about 5 minutes, then invert the pans an release the cakes. If you prepped your pans well, they should slide right out. If the sides are stuck, run a thin knife along the sides, then release the cakes. 

Whip it Good
Keeping the cream in the fridge until right before you whip it will help speed up the process. You can also chill the metal bowl and beaters. Start on med-low so the cream doesn't splatter all over. 

Assembly
If you want a 4-tier cake, use a long, thin, sharp knife to carefully cut the cakes in half. Start by scoring the sides of the cake evenly, then join the cuts, then cut all the way through. Lay each layer out on your work surface. Place the bottom on your platter or base or lazy-suzan. Cover with whipped cream all the way to the sides. Sprinkle on some coconut. Stack on the next layer. Repeat. Once the layers are all stacked, coat the whole cake generously with whipped cream, and cover with coconut. It. Will. Get. Messy. 

Either serve immediately, or chill in the fridge uncovered for up to two hours. 

на здоровья!

Budapest Coffee Cake

I've been making this cake for over 20 years. It's a crowd-pleaser, it's easy to make, and it keeps well (not that it will last beyond a day). The sour cream (undetectable by sour cream haters) keeps the cake incredibly moist. The modest amount of sugar in the recipe garners many compliments that the cake is not too sweet. 

Batter
11T Butter (5.34oz), softened 
1.5C Sugar
3 Eggs
1t Vanilla Extract
3C Unbleached AP Flour
1/2t Salt
1.5t Baking Powder
1.5t Baking Soda
2C Sour Cream (1 Pint Tub)

Filling
1/4C Brown Sugar
1t Cinnamon
1t Cocoa Powder

Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350'.

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add dry in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts. 

The finished batter will be thick. 

Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Spread 1/3 of the batter in the bottom of the bundt pan. Sprinkle with the filling. Add another layer of batter, and another layer of the filling. Top with the final 1/3 of the batter. Spread smooth. Bake for 50-60 minutes til the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. 

Ready for the oven. The cake will rise past the top.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting.

Cool completely before cutting. 

Tip: Store extra filling for next time.

Mad props to my baking femtor, Jule Vranian for the recipe!