Gluten and Dairy free Chocolate Cake

cooking time 45 minutes serves 10-12

contains: egg, soya

200g dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids
150g dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing
180g xylitol or fruit sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
80g rice flour
20g gram flour
20g maize flour
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
½ tsp xanthum gum

icing:
200g dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids
80g xylitol or fruit sugar
200ml soya cream
1 tbsp cornflour

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 22½ x 7½cm baking tins with dairy-free margarine.

2 Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl. Rest the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir from time to time until the chocolate has melted.

3 Using a hand-held electric whisk, beat the margarine and xylitol or sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the vanilla extract and then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4 Put the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk using the clean hand-held electric whisk until they form stiff peaks.

5 Sift the flours, baking powder and xanthum gum into the bowl containing the margarine, sugar and egg yolk mixture and carefully fold in with a metal spoon. Fold in the whisked egg whites making sure the mixture is thoroughly combined but not stirred too heavily, or the air will be lost.

6 Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, dividing evenly, and spread it into the corners with the back of the spoon. Cover the tins with 2 pieces of greaseproof paper, making sure the ends of the paper are tucked under the tins. Bake in the hot oven for 40 minutes until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre has just a little mixture sticking to it. Remove from the oven, remove the greaseproof paper and discard. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

7 When the cake layers have cooled, prepare the icing. Melt the chocolate as above. Add the sugar and stir in until thoroughly blended. Meanwhile, heat the soya cream in a small saucepan. Add 1 tbsp water to the cornflour in a small bowl and stir to form a smooth paste. Add the cornflour paste to the soya cream and, using a hand-held electric whisk, whisk the mixture until it has thickened. Pour into the chocolate mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed in.

8 Take one of the cake layers and spread more than half of the icing onto the side which was on the bottom of the cake tin. Sandwich the two layers together and spread the remaining icing on the top.

(Source: Sandra Chef, FoodsMatter)