Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Gluten free dark chocolate sponge cake :

A perfect cake for birthdays as it accommodates icing very well. Hold itself pretty well with the perfect rise and the cake web! This can be used for making the yummiest Gluten Free  Black forest cake.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup Dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup oil ( I prefer butter in liquid form in case of no allergy to dairy )
• 2/3 cup Roasted Rice Flour ( check under the heading" Making of Roasted Rice Flour" below )
• 13/4 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp soda bicarb
• 1 tsp pure Vanilla powder ( or extract taken from half a Vanilla pod)

METHOD:

1. Beat eggs and powdered sugar with an electric beater till four times in volume and very frothy. A basic hand blender does the job beautifully. However if you have an intensive unit like kitchen-aid or Ken-star, it will make your life simpler in terms of time taken as well as the effort.
2. Sift the "Roasted rice flour" , baking powder, cocoa and soda bicarb. Keep aside
3. Add the oil /butter gradually to the frothy egg mixture and keep beating slowly. Add Vanilla (powder or extract). Mix well.
4. Using a wooden spoon, with an upward and downward motion, fold in the rice flour, gradually, a little at a time. Do not over mix. Fold gently.
5. Transfer to a greased and dusted baking tin and bake at 180 degrees C/350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes depending upon your unique oven. I prefer to line the baking tin with butter paper. This particular cake comes out easily without a fuss leaving the tin clean, even in the absence of a lining. Generally for all gluten free baking butter paper lining is recommended.
6. Test the cake by inserting a clean knife in the center of the cake. If the knife comes out clean, the cake is ready. Remove from the oven. Remove Cake from the tin after it has cooled down a bit.

This post is again done in a hurry on request from two mothers with gluten free children who needed it as soon as possible. Pictures will soon be added.

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The Making of "Roasted Rice Flour":

Ingredients :

Raw Rice 

Method :

Wash the rice very well in running water till the water is clear.

1. Soak Rice in enough water for about 4 to 6 hours.
2. Drain all the water using a colander and let this wet rice sit in the colander for some time till  the water stops dripping.
3. Spread this damp (nearly wet) rice on a cotton fabric length and let them be without any fan for roughly an hour or two. Depending upon the weather it can take more or less time for the rice to be ready for the next step.
4. Once the rice seems a bit dry , but  damp from inside, upon breaking, you are ready to take it to the flour mill (A mill that does not process gluten) and have it ground as fine as possible.
5. Once it is ground very fine, take a big Kadai on a very low flame and start dry roasting the still damp rice flour , while continuously stirring it all the time . Preferably do this in small batches . This step is the key to get the best rice flour which binds very well and is a blessing for gluten free family.
6. Dry roasting should be done on very low flame till the time every grain of fine rice flour can be felt when you take a pinch in your finger tips. it should be free flowing just like a new packed of free flowing salt.
7. There should be no change in the color of rice . 
8. Spread this rice in a big plate for it to cool down and then pack it up in an airtight container. 
9. Huge quantities are not recommended to be done at a time. Small batches of freshly done rice flour is the best for both the texture (binding etc) , taste and health.

It is always best to grind your own flour when suffering from allergies like gluten and others. However, In the absence of a mill , gluten free rice flour can also be purchased from supermarkets in India. However most times that flour is made by grinding raw rice and hence the results would wary. 



This is my first attempt at blogging and will request readers to try these recipes and post their suggestions , recommendations in the  comments  section for me to improvise. 
Thankyou all :)