This is a recipe from the PIONEER WOMAN COOKS new cook book. Having done a few of her other recipes from her blog, with good success, I was hopeful for the same success with her cook book. This was my first recipe from the book……WOW!! It was easy to make, very easily converted to gluten free….and amazingly delicious!!! This will be a cake I will make again and again. This was also the first time I have ever baked with COCONUT FLOUR and again…. WOW! I love it!!! This combination of flours creates a really nice texture to the cake. I also used less sugar than what the recipe called for by ½ a cup, used soy milk with vinegar instead of buttermilk , included chopped walnuts instead of pecans, and because my family loves mocha, made mocha icing instead of chocolate.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1 cup coconut flour
½ cup sweet rice flour
½ cup tapioca starch
1 ½ cups sugar (I always bake with fructose sugar)
2 rounded tsp. Xanthan gum
¼ tsp. Salt
Mix in a large bowl, whisking till incorporated, and set aside.
In another bowl whisk:
2 large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ cup buttermilk (I used soy milk with 1 tblsp. White vinegar mixed in)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
In a saucepan, melt 1 cup butter, and add in 4 heaping Tblsp. Cocoa. Add in 1 cup boiling water and mix well.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture, mixing to cool the chocolate, then add in the egg mixture, beating well to remove any lumps. My mixture was fairly thick – the original recipe says to pour into an ungreased sheet pan, or jelly roll pan – I had to spread out my cake mixture with a spatula, spreading out evenly. Bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the icing.
¾ cup butter
4 heaping Tblsp. Cocoa powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 lb. Icing sugar
6 Tblsp. Strong espresso coffee or for chocolate add in 6 Tblsp. milk
½ cup chopped walnuts
Melt the butter in a sauce pan low to medium heat. Add in the cocoa powder stirring well until smooth. Add in the espresso coffee, vanilla, and icing sugar. Mix well, then add in the chopped nuts, stirring well to combine.
When the cake is done – immediately pour over the icing quickly spreading all over the cake.