One of my most favourite things is chocolate. One of my other most favourite things is chocolate cake. And this is my recipe for the best ever lactose-free chocolate cake. Easy and utterly delicious, I urge you to give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!
I use goat’s butter as an alternative to regular butter (because I’m lactose intolerant) and spelt flour instead of wheat (as I’m gluten intolerant and spelt has less gluten than wheat). And the chocolate fudge frosting uses coconut oil instead of butter (and it adds a hint of extra deliciousness).
LACTOSE-FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS
300grs brown sugar
250grs goat’s butter
370grs spelt flour
4 eggs
120grs cocoa powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
400mls water
100grs cooking chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
75grs coconut oil
1/3 cup warm almond milk
200grs icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
200ml lactose free cream
200grs cherry jam
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C. Mix the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 60 seconds. Add the eggs and mix for another 30 seconds or so.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and water in two or three lots. Pulse until all the ingredients are wet and fully mixed.
Pour into a deep greased and floured cake tin and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off, leaving the cake to continue to bake in the residual heat for five minutes or so. If you poke a skewer into the centre (otherwise it will sink in the middle, which is what happened on this occasion but I took the above photo before that happened lol), it should still be very slightly gooey (but not too much!). Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Once cool, very carefully slice the cake in half and put the top of it to one side (very carefully – you don’t want to break it) and then spread the jam over the bottom half. Whisk the cream until stiff before spooning it onto the cake, over the top of the jam. Place the top half of the cake back on top and set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, before adding the coconut oil. Remove from the hot water and add the icing sugar, vanilla sugar and the almond milk. Beat (I use an electric whisk) until smooth. Allow to cool in the fridge for 15 minutes or so before spreading over the top of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge until needed.
If you’re lucky enough to be based in the London area and would like to hone your cookery skills, then check out Atelier des Chefs cookery school who also sell gift cards – the perfect git for Father’s Day (if your dad likes to cook!). Clearly I could do with taking a few classes if you noticed how cracked my cake was LOL!!!! 😀
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