The GFCF Recipe Experience: Chocolate Fudge Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

I originally posted this recipe back in 2008 but decided to repost in part because of the two cakes we made recently. This is an incredibly moist chocolate cake that have become our favorite for any occasion...



...such as the Cub Scout father-son cake bake.



The rules are pretty simple. Each scout and dad bake and decorate a cake based on a particular theme. At the April Pack meeting, the cakes are all judged and then ribbons are given for the top three in each category, as well as the best in show. The cakes are then each raffled off, with proceeds going toward providing Scouting to those less fortunate.





We went for simplicity this year, and my son chose to make a baseball cake in honor of his favorite sport. He did pretty much all the work, and I think he did a really good job! The cake itself is the GFCF chocolate fudge cake, which we divided and cooked in two 9" round pans, then trimmed into a semicircle after cooling. The frosting is our new favorite frosting, a GFCF version of the vanilla cream cheese buttercream frosting that Lauren at Celiac Teen recently posted (and that I made when I adopted her).









The cake turned out well, but there were some issues - namely, none of my other children were allowed to participate in the making of the cake! Coupled with the fact that my son didn't win any ribbons for his efforts, and the fact that we didn't win the cake back at the raffle (despite stacking the odds in our favor), and I had four disappointed children by evening's end.



At that point there was only one thing to do - make another cake!







My coworker happened to have a cake pan in the shape of a soccer ball, and she graciously let me borrow it to make a soccer ball cake! Once again we decorated using the cream cheese buttercream. This time all the kids helped make the cake as well as frost it.



But the best part for them was that they all got to eat it as well!







I love this recipe not just because of its simplicity, or the fact that it makes for a very moist cake, but also because of its versatility. We have made this into cupcakes and sheet cakes in addition to baseballs and soccer balls. And it has never failed to satisfy the craving for something sweet. Or chocolate!!



And the cream cheese buttercream frosting is, well, the icing on the cake!!







GFCF CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Adapted from a charity cookbook recipe







Ingredients



1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cf butter (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks work great!)

4 Tbsp cocoa

1 cup water

2 cups gf all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

pinch of salt

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp gf baking soda

1 tsp gf vanilla

1/2 cup cf buttermilk



Preheat oven to 350°. Bring first three ingredients to a boil. Mix remaining ingredients together. Pour the first mixture into the second mixture (you may want to do some tempering here) and mix well. The batter will be thin.



Lightly grease the cake pan of your choosing (this recipe will make 1 9"x 13" sheet or bundt style/specialty, two 9" round cakes, or 12 cupcakes)and pour the batter into the pan. For cupcakes, use cupcake liners and fill using a 1/4" measure.



Bake at 350° until a cake tester comes out clean. Approximate cooking times I have found are:



Cupcakes - 20 minutes

9" round - 30 minutes

9" x 13" sheet - 30 - 40 minutes

Bundt or specialty cake - 45 minutes - 1 hour







CREAM CHEESE BUTTERRCREAM FROSTING

Adapted from Lauren at Celiac Teen





Ingredients



4 ounces CF cream cheese (half a package) at room temperature (I used Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese)

1/4 cup CF Butter (half a stick) at room temperature ( I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 to 1 tsp GF vanilla





Beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy.



Gradually add in sugar, about a 1/2 cup at a time, until thoroughly incorporated.



Add vanilla and blend until buttercream is fluffy.