Accidental Leftovers Chocolate Cake

A few days ago I was presented with a last minute occasion to whip up some kind of dessert like you do. I was dealing with bare bones in the pantry and fridge with the need to go grocery shopping but also needing "a expected-GF-bakery-treat" solution fast, so I threw what I had into a bowl and made a chocolate cake. Like you do. I scraped up some leftover pumpkin puree...needing-to-be-used hot cocoa mix... and not really enough oil (all I had left) I would normally put in a cake....BUT....

To my humble surprise, it came out great! I was chicken-scratching on my notebook what I threw in so that I could share it with you. These are my kitchen problems. Food blogger problems, really. I know you really could probably care less about these issues, but it happens to me more than I would like to admit. These random miraculous recipes that come out of nothing wonderful and they surprise me every time. And then there is the part about how I should have "wrote that down" or my husband rolls his eyes and says with adoration, "how only I would have these problems" and "why am I so surprised". Truly. It is just as crazy to me every time how clearing out the pantry and fridge with mostly a huge dollop of love can make something great. Which is a great reminder that food sometimes has more to do with intentions and love than it has to do with recipes and ingredients.

So with effort of remembering and with the hopes that maybe you could too find what you need or what you have is enough to create something gluten-free-great. This recipe is that reminder to me. And truly I wanted to share. That is one of my favorite parts about actually taking the time to write down the recipe or recalling what magic went into the bowl.... it is so that I might share it with you and that you might share in the food-love and gluten-free-hope just a little bit more too. Much love and hope to you friends!

Accidental Leftovers Chocolate Cake Recipe

{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut, seed-free, and vegan}

1/2 cup of rice flour

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

1 1/4 cup of finely ground certified GF oat flour

3/4 cup of homemade hot cocoa mix (or use 1/2 cup cocoa powder with 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar)

1/4 extra coconut palm sugar 

2 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1 ts. of sea salt

1/4 cup of canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup of applesauce

1/4 cup of avocado oil (because this is all the oil I had- you could add 1/3 if you've got it ;)

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup of maple syrup

3/4 cup of coconut milk beverage or other non-dairy milk

In a large mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients in and then add in all the wet. Use a whisk to get it all bubbling and mixed well together. Then pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish that had be "greased" with a little organic palm oil shortening. And a last minute thing I also did after pouring in the batter was sprinkle over top of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips...about 1/4 cup. I wasn't sure what I was going to do or if I was going to frost or glaze the finished product so I sprinkled over the chips in effort to try something.... Then I baked in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until it was fully stiff and no gooey middle. I let cool completely and then I poured the following glaze over with other finishing ingredients...

Chocolate Glaze Recipe

1/3 cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup of Spectrum palm oil shortening

2 TB of pure maple syrup

2 TB of homemade hot cocoa mix (or 1 TB of each cocoa powder and coconut palm sugar)

pinch of sea salt

In a glass bowl over a bowling water pot, stir until it melts and then whisk fast to blend well. Then let sit until it cools just a bit ansd then pour over the finished cooled cake and let sit for a few hours to let fully dry and cool off. It will will be stiff when it cools. 

This cake reminded me much of a texas-sheet-cake type of cake. I bet you could sub out the palm shortening for some nut/seed butter as a good glaze topping sub. It would be a nice flavor touch as well. The key is looking at what you have to make this cake happen and trying to fit in what ingredients you gotta use up and deal with what you have to make it great. 

Much light and love, xoxo (and a little luck in the kitchen too ;)