Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake (gluten and dairy free)

I wanted to make my big brother, Ben, a gluten and dairy free birthday cake (he can't eat either) that was really tasty. This is a chocolate sponge recipe I adapted from Liam Charles' recipe to make it Ben-friendly. I replaced the plain flour with gluten-free plain flour, dark choc chips for vegan choc chips, buttermilk for coconut cream and I added some xanthan gum as an added stabiliser (keeps everything together). I was so happy with how it turned out and my brother had two slices he liked it so much!

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This first recipe has added pictures, the second is just the recipe...

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge

415g golden caster sugar

400g gluten free plain flour

70g cocoa powder

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.5 tsp xanthan gum

Pinch of salt

260ml instant coffee (5 tsp coffee granules + 260ml boiling water)

260ml coconut cream

240ml vegetable oil

4 large eggs

150g vegan chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Buttercream

125g dairy free spread (I used avocado oil spread)

200g icing sugar

100g chunky peanut butter

Dark Chocolate Ganache

300ml coconut cream

300g dairy free dark chocolate (I used Sainsbury’s own brand)

Pinch of salt

Decorations

50g crushed peanuts

Method

1. Oven on to fan 160°C/180°C. Line two 8 inch cake tins with butter and baking parchment.

Make sponges

2. Sift dry ingredients (caster sugar, flour, cocoa powder, bicarb, xanthan gum) into one bowl. Whisk to combine. Wet ingredients (coffee, coconut cream, veg oil, eggs) into another bowl. Whisk to combine.

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3. Tip ⅓ dry ingredients into wet ingredients, whisk to combine. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Mix in choc chips.

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4. Divide batter into tins. Smooth. Bake in middle of oven for 30-35 minutes until skewer comes out clean.

7. Cool in tins for 10 minutes. Tip onto cooling racks. Leave to cool.

Make ganache

8. Coconut cream in a pan. Break up chocolate in a bowl and sprinkle over salt. Heat cream gently until steaming, almost boiling. Pour over chocolate. Leave for 5 minutes. Mix to combine. Cover and put in fridge to chill.

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Make buttercream

9. Beat spread until pale and smooth. Sift in half of the icing sugar and beat to combine. Repeat. Beat until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix to combine.

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Assemble

10. Use a bread knife or cake leveller to level off tops of sponges. Set off cuts aside to nibble on later.

11. Put one sponge on your serving plate. Spread a thick layer of buttercream. Put other sponge on top.

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12. Take ganache out of fridge. Whisk until starts to thicken. Spread all over cake. Use cake scraper to smooth ganache.

13. Sprinkle over crushed peanuts in desired pattern. Put remaining ganache in piping bag. Pipe on desired ganache decorations.

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---

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge

415g golden caster sugar

400g gluten free plain flour

70g cocoa powder

1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.5 tsp xanthan gum

Pinch of salt

260ml instant coffee (5 tsp coffee granules + 260ml boiling water)

260ml coconut cream

240ml vegetable oil

4 large eggs

150g vegan chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Buttercream

125g dairy free spread (I used avocado oil spread)

200g icing sugar

100g chunky peanut butter

Dark Chocolate Ganache

300ml coconut cream

300g dairy free dark chocolate (I used Sainsbury’s own brand)

Pinch of salt

Decorations

50g crushed peanuts

Method

1. Oven on to fan 160°C/180°C. Line two 8 inch cake tins with butter and baking parchment.

Make sponges

2. Sift dry ingredients (caster sugar, flour, cocoa powder, bicarb, xanthan gum) into one bowl. Whisk to combine. Wet ingredients (coffee, coconut cream, veg oil, eggs) into another bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Tip ⅓ dry ingredients into wet ingredients, whisk to combine. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Mix in choc chips.

4. Divide batter into tins. Smooth. Bake in middle of oven for 30-35 minutes until skewer comes out clean.

7. Cool in tins for 10 minutes. Tip onto cooling racks. Leave to cool.

Make ganache

8. Coconut cream in a pan. Break up chocolate in a bowl and sprinkle over salt. Heat cream gently until steaming, almost boiling. Pour over chocolate. Leave for 5 minutes. Mix to combine. Cover and put in fridge to chill.

Make buttercream

9. Beat spread until pale and smooth. Sift in half of the icing sugar and beat to combine. Repeat. Beat until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix to combine.

Assemble

10. Use a bread knife or cake leveller to level off tops of sponges. Set off cuts aside to nibble on later.

11. Put one sponge on your serving plate. Spread a thick layer of buttercream. Put other sponge on top.

12. Take ganache out of fridge. Whisk until starts to thicken. Spread all over cake. Use cake scraper to smooth ganache.

13. Sprinkle over crushed peanuts in desired pattern. Put remaining ganache in piping bag. Pipe on desired ganache decorations.