Chocolate Almond Layer Cake

This was a hit! The only thing I would do different next time is use less frosting, as it was too sweet.

     Also . . . this is a "Hanunyah Creation" (I didn't follow a recipe, as always :) ). That's where my blog title came from, because I'm known to never follow a recipe exactly. Anyways, how this cake came about . . . We had no vanilla, so I used almond extract in a yellow cake recipe, and added cocoa powder to the other layer. And the coconut? Well, that was just to make it a bit fancier looking, and to cover up my mistakes :). This was the first layer cake I have done (I have made more layer cakes since I made this one, I'll have to post later).

Sorry for the not very exact measurements . . . sometimes I make things and it's just "dump and mix until it looks right".

Chocolate Almond Layer Cake (Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free)


Cake:

1/2 cup lard, shortening or oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (I use rice)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda + 

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/4 cups milk (I use goat)
1 teaspoon almond extract (somewhere around 1 teaspoon, I don't know exactly how much I used)

Frosting:

Powdered sugar

a few tablespoons cocoa

almond extract (1/2 teaspoon would be good)

water

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare one 9x13 pan or two 9-inch round pans (I used two 11-inch round pans) by greasing them thoroughly.

2. Mix the ingredients together in the order they're listed - creaming the softened butter and sugar first, then adding the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and finally the liquids. Mix well. 

Immediately pour into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops spring back slightly when pressed.

Let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes, then flip the cakes out of the pans and cool completely.

3. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the frosting. Put one of the layers on a plate, and frost the top of it. Place the second layer on that, and finish frosting. Garnish if desired with almonds, coconut, chocolate, etc.

~ Hanunyah