Gluten-free Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Icing

Serves: 8

Time to make: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Olive oil spray
• 60g butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free Dutch cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• Frosting
• 125g gluten-free white marshmallows*
• 1 tablespoon low-fat milk
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup gluten-free Dutch cocoa, sifted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a 20cm-round cake tin with olive oil and line with baking paper. Place butter, sugar and vanilla extract into the small bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Sift flour with cocoa and bicarb soda. Add half the dry ingredients and half the milk to butter mixture. Gently fold together using a large metal spoon. Do not over-mix. Fold in remaining flour mixture and milk.
3. Spoon mixture into cake tin and smooth top with the back of a wet spoon. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
4. To make frosting, combine marshmallows and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds, or until smooth. Using an electric hand-beater, beat egg white and a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. With beater motor running, slowly add cocoa to whites, beating continually until well combined. Fold marshmallow mixture into egg white. Stir until well combined and smooth. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until firm enough to spread.

Tips:

For best results, use regular butter when making this cake, not dairy spread. Dutch cocoa was used as it gives a strong chocolate colour but has a delicate, milder flavour. Regular cocoa will also give a great result - but read the label to ensure it is gluten-free.

*The Coeliac Society of Australia confirms that Pascall marshmallows are fine to use even though the packaging lists wheat glucose syrup as an ingredient. It is only used to line the moulds the marshmallows are made in and is not an actual ingredient in the marshmallows.

(Source).