Two Little Chefs, 1 Yummy Dessert!

(This yummy cake recipe came from the website www.www.nourishingmeals.com a great resource for healthy eating!)

Chocolate Layer Cake

Serve this beautiful cake as a birthday party treat with the vanilla frosting below, topped with gluten-free sprinkles. This recipe can also be baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan, or even made in a bundt pan.

2 cups brown rice flour or sorghum flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum*
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 cup prunes
½ cup virgin coconut oil
1 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.

In a medium sized bowl place the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and sea salt; mix together well with a fork or wire whisk.

Place the prunes in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Place the prunes and water into a blender or Vita-Mix and add the coconut oil, maple syrup, water, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Blend until very smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well, though be careful not to over mix.

Immediately pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for about 25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes in the pan and then gently invert onto a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com


*Update 7/2011: The xanthan gum in this recipe can be replaced with 1/4 cup ground chia seeds. Add the ground chia seeds to the blender with the warm water and soaked prunes. I also added an extra 1/4 cup of coconut oil. The combination of both of these ingredient changes made the cake a little denser and more fudge-like.

Sugar-Free Vegan Frosting

This easy-to-make frosting can be made pink with the addition of a small amount of fresh, raw beet juice. A few teaspoons does the trick. I take small, peeled chunks of raw beets and squeeze them through a garlic press to get the juice out.

2 cups organic palm shortening (Spectrum)- I used coconut oil instead as I do not like palm shortning
1 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
4 teaspoons non-alcoholic vanilla
2 teaspoons almond flavoring (non-alcoholic)
2 to 4 teaspoons beet juice (optional)

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and whip up with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. This can be made a day ahead of time, stored at room temp. Just re-whip before frosting the cake.