The cake I just had to have for my birthday.

Hi Bakers,

I made this cake for my birthday, and it was perfect. Easy to make, moist, and super chocolatey too. It’s delicious plain and would be perfect with a dusting of powdered sugar or a bit of whipped cream. If you want to make it like I did with a jam filling and chocolate ganache, the instructions are in the recipe below. Enjoy! ~Carolyn

Rich and Moist Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Recipe modified for gluten-free from Samin Nosrat’s Midnight Cake recipe.

Cake

Dry Ingredients

1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder ( I used Ghirardelli)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free (original blend) Multipurpose Flour

1/4 cup blanched almond flour

1 teaspoon sweet rice flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

Wet ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/4 cups boiling water

2 large eggs

Filling

1 cup fruit jam (I used spiced plum)

Chocolate Ganache Icing

1 cup heavy cream

11/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2  tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two full-sized loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a small well in the center and set aside. Whisk together the oil and vanilla in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, add applesauce and the boiling water. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix well. Next, add the eggs and stir until mixed. The batter will be thick. Evenly divide batter into the two pans and place them on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes almost clean. Let cool for 20 minutes and then remove from the pans and cool completely on a rack. Spread the jam on top of one of the cakes and put the other cake on top. Wrap the cake in plastic or foil and chill.

Ganache

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until just bubbling. Stir to make sure the cream does not burn on the bottom. Add the chocolate and butter and let sit for 5 minutes or until the chocolate has melted. Stir gently until smooth. Let the ganache cool until thick but still pourable. Unwrap the cake and place on a plate. Pour ganache over the top and let it run down the sides. Smooth over the entire cake and make swirls for a pretty effect. Let it chill completely for a few hours. To serve, top with fresh fruit or some chocolate shavings. Enjoy!