Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe and Weekly Menu Plan

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Not only is it a new week, but a new month and a new year! There is something all fresh about a new year. You can stop beating up yourself for the things you didn’t do and just look forward to the new exciting things ahead. Ahhh….

Looking back for one second though, last Wednesday, (which was last year – seems so long ago!) was my birthday and no I am not telling you which one. My hubby and boys made me the above cake to celebrate my special day. I usually get them to buy a packet gluten free cake mix to mix up and bake as it’s easier for them. But this year I forgot to buy it so I decided to use the one chocolate cake recipe I have that I know works gluten free no problems. There is a bit of fussing around in the method but I told hubby just to put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Just to make it easy for them and if it worked out, it works out. Well it did. it worked out and was soooo yummy that this is our gluten free chocolate cake recipe from now on.

I got the recipe from Destitute Gourmet: Stunning Food from Small Change by Sophie Gray. She also features the recipe in cookbook Enjoy! which she shares a gluten and dairy free version. Sorry Sophie but that recipe is still too complicated for this simple recipe loving family. So I shall show you how we do it – and it works. This cake is delicious and moist even for a few days after the main event plus it freezes really well.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups gluten free plain flour  – I used Orgran
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp bi carb soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk – any sort – I used skim
• 100g melted butter or margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix
• Pour into cake pan, I used a round one sprayed with cooking oil spray
• Cook for 45 – 50 minutes
• Cool cake in tin
• Turn out to ice

Note: Sophie also has a fancy pants icing recipe, me, I just mix icing sugar, cocoa powder and water to the right consistency and ice.

Another note: Sophie warns in her recipe book that as the recipe has bicarb in it then you need to bake the cake straight after mixing it otherwise it will not rise when cooked.

Weekly Menu Plan

I am using one of my favourite recipe books this week for inspiration, some people don’t like it as it is too simple and you use some prepared ingredients but hey I am a busy mum and I need all the help I can get. All the below meals are recipes from 4 Ingredients Gluten Free by Kim McCosker and Rachael Bermingham

Monday – Mixed Bean Korma – served with steamed rice and some greens

Tuesday – Tuna and Tomato Risotto we like homemade wedges with our risottos -  so yum

Wednesday – Polenta and Zucchini Lasagne – yet to try this so will be interesting to see what it’s like – with a salad

Thursday – Tostadas – with a salad

Friday – Homestyle Baked Beans – boys can have bread but I will have homemade wedges.

Saturday – Macaroni Bake – served with veg or salad – whatever is left in the fridge

Sunday - leftovers

I am linking to Org Junkie‘s Menu Plan Monday where there are lots of menu plans that link up, great for inspiration.

Have a great week!