Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup lukewarm milk of choice
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour two 8-inch cake pans.
2. Cream butter and sugar until white and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.
3. Slowly mix in dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and continue mixing until batter is smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Smooth the top and place in preheated oven on middle rack. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
5. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on rack. Assemble and frost.
Classic Chocolate Frosting
¾ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
6 cups confectioner’s sugar
⅓ cup cream or non-dairy creamer of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 squares melted unsweetened baking chocolate, cooled
2 tablespoons light gluten-free rice syrup or corn syrup
1. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar, alternating with cream and vanilla. Add cooled chocolate, scraping bowl often, until well mixed and of spreading consistency.
Chai Frosting
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla
½- ⅔ cup cream or non-dairy creamer of choice
½ -1 tablespoon Chai Spice Blend
1. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, spice blend and enough cream until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.
Chai Spice Blend
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground fennel*
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Mix the spices together until well blended. Store in refrigerator until used.
*TIP To make your own ground fennel, lightly toast fennel seeds in a dry skillet until you smell the licorice aroma. Then grind seeds in a coffee grinder. Store in refrigerator until used.
