Cake:
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. buttermilk
1 c. Coca-Cola
½ c. light corn syrup
¼ c. + 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 ¾ c. gluten-free all-purpose flour
¼ c. corn starch
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
Icing:
1 stick butter
½ c. Coca-Cola
¼ c. + 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 c. powdered sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. (Creaming is a method of combining a solid fat and sugar using a mixer. The sugar cuts into the fat to begin the process of adding air to your mixture, which will add texture to the final baked product.)
2. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Whisk out any lumps and combine thoroughly. Set aside to add after finishing the wet ingredient mix.
3. Add beaten eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, Coca-Cola, and corn syrup to creamed mixture, and mix on low until combined, being careful to not splash too much. Gradually add dry ingredient mix to liquid, and increase mixer speed to medium and beat about 2 minutes.
4. Pour batter into greased 9x13 pan, and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Remember to check about 20 minutes in to see if the pan needs to be turned. Cake is done when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
5. For the icing, melt butter in large sauté pan on medium heat, and measure out powdered sugar into a bowl. Add Coke, cocoa, and salt to melted butter, whisking until all lumps are gone. Gradually add sugar, whisking constantly to keep from burning. Bring mixture to a rolling boil for about 3-4 minutes (240° if you have an instant-read thermometer handy). Remove from heat, add vanilla extract, then pour over cake.
6. Allow cake and icing to cool for at least 2 hours. Fudge icing may harden, start new cuts by stabbing through the fudge near the edge of the pan, then slicing through to other side, sawing through icing layer. Do not push down on icing with the knife blade, it will crack, and shards of the fudge icing will squish the cake underneath. It’ll still taste amazing, but the presentation won’t be too pretty.
After cutting a fresh slice, top with a large scoop of your favorite vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy the absolute bliss on your tongue after your first bite, then hate yourself as you realize that a single piece probably contains half your daily Calories. But you know what? Once in a while for special occasions won’t kill you…well, probably won’t.
Also, I’ve tried this recipe with both dark cocoa powder and regular, and despite the dark cocoa making the cake and icing appear black, I like the flavor a little better. The classic recipe does use regular cocoa powder, so I used the regular to shoot the video, and my mom likes the regular cocoa recipe more. I made fun of her for having the palate of a 5-year-old, since she also likes plain Hershey’s milk chocolate where I like fancy tempered dark chocolate in flavors like mint, orange, and chili. Depending on your tastes and the crowd you’re baking for, feel free to play with your cocoa for this recipe.
You may not be able to eat at Cracker Barrel anymore since you went gluten-free, but you can enjoy this delicious take on one of their best items. Enjoy!
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