Fast, Easy, and Elegant Chocolate Cake

The best way to prepare your pan for a cake layer such as this is by lining the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper. No other greasing or flouring is needed. By doing this, you make sure the cake doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, but the rest of the cake has some traction to climb up the sides of the pan to allow it to achieve its fullest possible height.

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 cup (145 g) Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsweetened cocoa, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (4 oz, 115 g) unsalted butter, melted and warm (but not hot)

1 1/4 cup (190 g) dark brown sugar (packed)–you may also use light brown sugar if you prefer

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water

For the Ganache

1 1/4 cup (8 oz, 230g) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup (235 ml) heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/Gas Mark 4.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are pale in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, beat for 2 minutes more. Carefully add the melted butter, beating on low while you add it to the egg mixture. Beat about 1 more minute. Add the vanilla extract. Beat to combine.

With beater on low, beat in flour mixture. Very carefully add the hot water to the mixture and beat on low until just combined. Pour batter into your prepared pan--pour into the middle of the pan so you don't shift the parchment paper. Thump the pan on the counter once to release any trapped air bubbles.

Cupcakes: Line 10-12 muffin tin spots with paper liners or grease well. Spoon batter into muffin tins–about 3/4 full for each cupcake–and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on cooling racks while you get your ganache ready.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes for a 9" pan or cupcakes and 35-40 minutes for an 8" pan (or until tester comes out clean). Let cool in pan for five minutes and then turn out onto rack to cool completely. Peel off parchment paper round.

While the cake is cooling, make your ganache.

Carefully heat the cream in a heavy bottomed pan until it is hot--watch carefully, you don't want it to burn. Take it off the heat. Add the chocolate chips to the pan and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Wait until the mixture has cooled and thickened up a bit before pouring onto cooled cake.

Once the cake is cooled, place it on your serving plate. When the ganache is ready, slowly and carefully pour the ganache over the top of the cake. You want to cover the top with ganache, and let it drip down the sides to cover the sides. You will have little pools of ganache form on the plate at the bottom edges of the cake. This is fine. You and your guests will want to scoop up these ganache pools as the cake is being served because they are so good!

Cupcakes: Let ganache cool until it is spreadable consistency (not pourable). Frost each cooled cupcake.

Enjoy!