Today I offer you a super soft, very fragrant, and delicious gluten-free coffee and cocoa pantry cake that will be liked even by those without particular dietary needs or intolerances. (The original recipe is a gluten-free water cake by the talented Monica Bellin which you can find here). I have made some modifications based on my tastes and needs, with extraordinary results. This dessert is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or as a dessert to offer along with a good cup of coffee or tea, or accompanied by soft creams with coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and so on.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 13
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3 medium whole eggs (at room temperature)
- 130 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml light vegetable oil
- 60 ml moka coffee (warm or cold)
- 70 ml milk at room temperature (also lactose-free or plant-based)
- 200 g rice flour
- 50 g potato starch
- 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder, gluten-free
- 5 g instant soluble coffee powder
- 2 g fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or liquid
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 packet gluten-free baking powder
Steps
To make our delicious and soft coffee and cocoa cake, let’s grab a large bowl, a steel whisk, and a round mold (20 centimeters in diameter and 2 inches high or a bit larger, or alternatively, a loaf pan of 12 inches).
Start by taking the eggs and milk (or plant-based drink) out of the fridge at least 15 minutes before.
Prepare the coffee as we usually do and let it cool, or, for convenience and to speed up, we can replace the 60 milliliters of coffee and 70 milliliters of milk with 130 milliliters of milk in which to dissolve the instant coffee, without preparing the moka coffee.
Line a round mold of 8 inches in diameter, with high edges of 2 inches (or a larger mold, 9-10 inches for a lower cake) with parchment paper. We can also butter the mold (with lactose-free butter) and flour it with rice flour; it’s your choice.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare all the ingredients in front of us to have them at hand.
1) In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (rice flour, potato starch, cocoa, and baking powder), stir with a steel whisk or a fork to mix perfectly, and set aside temporarily.
2) In another bowl, crack the eggs, add the sugar, and beat them together with the steel whisk for a couple of minutes.
3) Now add the liquid ingredients, (milk, moka coffee, and lastly, the vegetable oil) one at a time, and mix to incorporate them into the egg and sugar mixture.
4) Now add the sifted powders, instant coffee, salt, spices, and, always gently, incorporate them into the mixture just enough to obtain a creamy, smooth, and rather liquid batter.
5) Pour the batter into the mold, gently tap it on the table to distribute it evenly, and bake immediately on the central rack for about 35-40 minutes. Cooking times may vary depending on the type of oven and cooking. In my case, with a gas oven that cooks only from the bottom, the cake took 40 minutes to cook perfectly. Always do the toothpick test (I use skewers) which should come out dry. In this case, turn it off and immediately remove the cake, letting it cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the mold, as it might break.
Store it well sealed in a cake carrier. The next day it will still be super soft and good.
The gluten-free coffee and cocoa cake pairs perfectly with custard and vanilla cream.
Bon appetit
