This has to be my favourite cake recipe, it’s the one I use most often for birthdays and celebrations (it’s also become my mum’s favourite chocolate cake recipe too). The only adjustment I’ve made to make it suitable for the low FODMAP diet is to swap the wheat flour for a self raising gluten free flour mix which includes added xantham gum to help mimic the texture of normal flour. The cake recipe uses oil instead of butter which seems to work particularly well with gluten free flour (the texture – which is really light and springy – and flavour of the cake is exactly the same as when using standard wheat flour). It contains a small amount of normal milk which would be fine as the amount of lactose per portion is well within limits. This is another of the recipes which I first learnt to make while working in the kitchens of a fishing lodge during my school summer holidays a long time ago, making afternoon tea for the guests (the low FODMAP pancake recipe is another), it’s been a favourite ever since. Note that this is not a particularly healthy or low calorie option (although using oil instead of butter means it has a lot less saturated fat than most cake recipes) but everything in moderation and all that…
If you’re looking for some more cake ideas, take look through my low FODMAP baking recipes.
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- Wet ingredients
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- 2 eggs
- ¼ pint of milk
- ¼ pint vegetable oil
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- Dry Ingredients
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- 185g gluten free self raising flour (I used Doves farm)
- 140g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
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- Chocolate butter icing ingredients
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- 225g sifted icing sugar
- 110g softened butter
- 50g melted dark chocolate
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan oven) then grease and line a 9 inch, round (or heart shape!) cake tin
- Place the wet ingredients into a jug and set aside
- Put the dry ingredients into a food processor, switch it on then pour in the wet ingredients and let it run for a minute or so until all the ingredients are well combined
- Pour the cake mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes (insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to check if it's cooked through - it should come out clean)
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack
- Use a hand mixer to make the chocolate butter icing by creaming together the softened butter and icing sugar then beat in the melted chocolate
- Cover the cake with a layer of icing then serve
This cake sounds wonderful, please could you tell me how much xantham gum to the 185g of gluten free sr flour. I am currently rotating between a fantastic Polenta Lemon drizzle cake (thanks to Nigella), flour free chocolate brownies and flour free flapjacks for my little treats. I have used Spelt flour successfully in pancakes as I make my own Spelt bread, which I found much better than any gluten free flour variety, which was a disaster. I have been making my own bread for about 35 years, but if you had seen the gluten free offering you would not of thought so, whereas the spelt flour is just as good as my normal wholemeal/white mix bread.
Thank you for your interesting site, which I found when looking for a bolognese sauce recipe.
Hi Marion, thanks for leaving a comment. The Doves Farm SR flour that I used has xantham gum already added, it’s last on the list of ingredients in the flour mix so there’s probably not that much in it. I would guess about 1/2 a teaspoon for this cake. If you’re using a plain flour mix then just add an additional teaspoon of baking powder. I use spelt flour a lot for bread making too, it’s lovely. I’ve also tried doing gluten free bread in my breadmaker – total disaster!
Thank you for the help.
Very dry, bread like cake, if that’s what you like! I prefer a more luxurious take on
a celebration cake with chocolate used in the cake itself and much, much less flour as a ratio to other ingredients. This is not especially sweet or moist, just spongy and very vaguely cocoa tasting. I hope this helps others make an informed choice before baking a disappointing birthday cake.
Hi Rosanna, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the cake. It’s a recipe I use quite often and personally I haven’t had trouble with the texture or it being dry. I specifically use the Doves Farm self raising flour which has added xantham gum and this can really help the texture. If you used a different flour this could be the reason the texture wasn’t to your liking. Best wishes, Louisa
made this cake for sunday tea and everyone said it was really good and loved it will make it again , jazzed up for christmas . many thank for all the recipes were all liking them alot .
Thanks for the feedback Anita, that’s great to hear you all enjoyed it! Best wishes, Louisa
This cake was spectacular!. I made a triple recipe for my daughters birthday..recently diagnosed so following FODMap …put a band of kit kats around (she didnt eat these…..it was for the children!) made a cross with kit kat fingers on the top then filled each of the 4 segments with a variety of small chocs…..very moist, rich cake. Thankyou so much
gloria
Thanks for the feedback Gloria, really good to hear everyone enjoyed it! It’s been a popular recipe for years with my family 🙂 Best wishes, Louisa