This gluten-free Chocolate Buttermilk Cake is fabulous, even if we do say so ourselves, and it’s pretty straightforward to make.
The couverture chocolate and cocoa give it a rich, very chocolatey flavour and the buttermilk creates a wonderful texture.
It is excellent as a stand-alone cake simply dusted with icing sugar or served with whipped cream and fruit.
But icing with chocolate frosting or ganache lifts it to a more special status and when layered with a luscious ricotta, chocolate and mustard fruit filling it’s perfect for a real celebration. Double the mix and you’ll feed the masses.
Our Chocolate Buttermilk Cake is dangerous to have hanging around though, so make sure you invite enough people over to eat it all in one sitting.
Cheers,
Rosie
CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE WITH RICOTTA AND MUSTARD FRUITS
Serves 8-10
95 gm unsalted butter
150 gm dark couverture chocolate
225 gm Revenge No.2 Gluten-free Almond Plain Flour Mix (see below)
60 gm Dutch processed cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
280 gm caster sugar
300 ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
Melt butter and chocolate together over a double saucepan or carefully in a microwave. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool.
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Combine the buttermilk, vanilla and eggs and add to the dry ingredients, mixing well to form a batter-like consistency. Add the chocolate/butter mix and fold in well.
Transfer to prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Stand on a cake rack for 30 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
Cut the cake horizontally into three layers.
Place one layer onto a cake plate, spread with half the filling (see below) and top with another cake layer. Top this with the remaining filling then place the remaining cake layer on top.
Spread the icing (see below) on the top and sides of the cake and press the almond slivers around the side.
Decorate the top with extra mustard fruits if desired.
Ricotta and Mustard Fruit Filling
250 gm fresh ricotta, drained
70 gm caster sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (optional)
60 gm mustard fruits, finely chopped (or a mixture of glace fruits)
30 gm glace ginger, finely chopped
30 gm dark couverture chocolate, finely chopped
Beat ricotta and caster sugar until smooth. Fold in Grand Marnier, mustard fruits, ginger and chocolate.
Icing
80 gm caster sugar
5 tablespoons water
155 gm unsalted butter
120 gm dark couverture chocolate, melted and cooled
90 gm flaked almonds, lightly toasted
Extra mustard fruits (optional)
In a small saucepan, over a moderate heat, stir sugar and water together until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Cream butter and add the cold sugar syrup a few drops at a time. Gradually add the cooled, melted chocolate and beat until well combined.
TIPS: Try cooking the chocolate cake until only just set, allow to cool in the tin, dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream and fresh berries doused with aged balsamic for a very adult dessert.
Mustard fruits are readily available from Italian grocers or good delicatessens.
REVENGE NO. 2 GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND PLAIN FLOUR MIX
280 gm almond meal
280 gm fine white rice flour
175 gm corn flour
130 gm potato starch
80 gm tapioca flour
Mix up a batch and store in the fridge.