This gluten free cocoa cake is vegan and uses whipped Aquafaba as an egg substitute!
It is soft and flavorful, a delicious gluten free chocolate cake!
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I have been experimenting with Aquafaba and when I managed to get a fluffy batter out of it, I decided to use it to bake a simple gluten free vegan cocoa cake.
Truth be told, I didn't know what to expect. I was bracing myself for a total failure, like the cake wouldn't cook and I'd witness some sort of sad soggy baked pudding in a pan, ready for its journey from the oven to the trash bin.
BUT, the Gods of Baking were watching over me that day! And what I found the moment I cut a piece of my experiment was what you see in the picture. Fluffy, glutenfree, dairyfree and most definitely eggfree cake *_* Thank you Gods of Baking, I know you're there.
Making this cake is super easy, the most "demanding" part is whipping up the Aquafaba, but if you use the cooking liquid out of bean/chickpea cans it will take you 15 minutes top. On the other hand, if you decide to cook dried legumes yourself, like I had done, it will take a tiiiiiiiny bit longer, as you can see from my post about aquafaba.
Anyway, pre-heat the oven at 350° F/180° C, then you'll start by mixing the dry ingredients for the cake, then add the wet ingredients, whisk them all together and finally add the whipped aquafaba, as you would do with whipped egg-white, a couple spoons at a time and very gently incorporating it to the cake batter. I noticed immediately that it looked different from my usual cake batters (where I use flaxseeds to replace eggs), more airy, but a bit more liquid too. Hence my worry for the outcome.
Well, now pour the batter in a non-sticking baking pan and into the oven for 30-35 minutes. But after the first 20-25 minutes keep the cake checked every few minutes, especially at the center.
You know, by inserting a toothpick in the cake and when it comes out dry the cake is ready.
Once out of the oven it's very important you let the cake cool down before slicing it.
As happy as I was with the result and the taste, I have to admit it tends to crumble a bit.
Baking without gluten, dairy and eggs definitely is challenging, funny yes, but challenging nontheless.
But I'll keep going and try to perfect my experiments and I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and advice on the matter 😀
Ciao!
Sonia
📖 Recipe
Gluten free Cocoa Cake (with Aquafaba)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 gram gluten free brown rice flour
- 100 grams potato or other gluten free starch
- 70 grams brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons baking powder (or 1 teaspoon baking soda + 2 teaspoon cream of tartar powder)
Wet Ingredients
- 40 grams melted vegan butter
- 200 grams gluten free plant based milk
- 100 grams whipped aquafaba (see post for direct link to recipe)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven at 350° F/180° C
- In a bowl mix the dry ingredients
- Add the milk and the melted vegan butter and mix well
- Now add the whipped aquafaba two tablespoons at a time, carefully incorporating it to the batter with a spatula, with movements from the bottom to the top of the bowl
- Don't over mix, the batter has to be liquid but airy
- Pour the batter in a 9 inch (non-stick or previously greased) pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. BUT, after 20-25 minutes have passed, keep an eye on the cake, checking it - especially in the middle - by inserting a toothpick. When it comes out clean, the cake is ready
- Once out of the oven, let the cake cool down completely before slicing, as it may crumble.
- Dust it with vanilla powdered sugar for extra flavor
Karin Carney says
Nice recipe, I’d like to try it. What size baking pan should I use?
Sweet Sensitive Free says
Hi! I think I used my small pan for this one, 8 or 9 inch diameter 🙂
Let me know how it goes!