http://artofglutenfreebaking.com
-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, by Ree Drummond
Special Equipment Needed
-a stand mixer is nice, but a hand mixer will do
-9x13 baking pan
Ingredients
For the Cake
2 C Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp aluminum-free, double-acting baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 heaping TBL unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large or extra large eggs
1/2 C buttermilk or milk with 2 tsp apple cider vinegar added
1 C hot water
extra melted butter and tapioca flour for the pan
For the Icing
14 TBL (1 3/4 sticks; 5 oz) unsalted butter
4 heaping TBL unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
6 TBL milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 C finely chopped toasted pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour your pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy--3-4 minutes. Add sugar, beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beat for 2 minutes more.
Add your flour mixture and your buttermilk alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour mixture. After everything is mixed together, very carefully add the hot water to the batter and stir until just combined.
Pour batter into your prepared pan. Thump on counter once to release any trapped air bubbles.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--or until tester comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make your icing. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Add the milk and the vanilla, whisk again. Add the powdered sugar, a bit at a time, whisking after each addition until the entire thing is smooth. Add the pecans if using.
As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the hot cake. Try to distribute it as evenly as possible--you don't want to do too much fooling with it. I had a bit of frosting leftover after generously covering the top of the cake. It stores well in the fridge and serves as kind of a chocolate pecan fudge for snacking! You can also cut the frosting recipe in half if you want a thinner layer on top of your cake.
Cool completely in pan. Ree says: "Please make this cake today. I don't want you to live another day without it."
Enjoy!