Chocolate Birthday Cake (Gluten Free, Egg Free)

It took me months to try and perfect this cake in preparation for my son's 1st birthday. I wanted him to have a smash cake that was all his own, but I also safe wanted to make sure it was completely safe for him.

This recipe is a modified version of Silvana Nardone's Chocolate Birthday Cake from her book Cooking for Isaiah.

The difficulty I found while trying to perfect this recipe was with the flour blend and the egg substitute. Originally I had used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour and using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flaxseed Meal as the egg replacement. The product was great - nice texture and taste, but my digestive system was not a fan of the Garbanzo Bean Flour or flaxseed meal (pass the Beano please!) and I was afraid it would have the same affect on my little guy and his tiny belly.

So finally I broke down and purchased the separate flours that Silvana recommends for her all purpose blend - well worth it! You get so much more for your money.

The egg substitute was a little more tricky...I played around with all the normal options - applesauce, bananas, Ener-G Egg Replacer, but finally I tried unflavored gelatin and ta-da!

Carter's 1st Birthday Cake:Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with "buttercream" frosting

 The end result was a chocolately, moist, and spongy chocolate cake.

Chocolate Birthday Cake:Temp: 350          Time: 30 minutes          Size: two 9-inch rounds or one 9x13, greased

1 Decaf Tea/Coffee Bag
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
2 tbs GF vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 packettes unflavored gelatin
2 cups Gluten Free All-purpose Flour Blend*
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar - or - agave
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Step 1:In a small bowl steep the tea bag with boiling water - let cool slightly. Whisk in the gelatin and then follow with the cold water, vanilla and oil.

Step 2:
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, brown sugar, granulated sugar (if using agave, add it to the bowl of liquids), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 3:
Divide the batter between the two rounds, or pour directly into the 9x13. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


*Gluten Free All-purpose Flour Blend (extra can be stored in air tight container)
3 cups white rice flour
1.5 cups tapioca flour
3/4 cup potato starch
1 tablespoon xanthum or guar gum
1/4 tsp salt

"So...let them eat cake!"