Gluten Free Chocolate on Chocolate Cake

I did this cake for a small boy's pirate-themed birthday party. It is gluten free and lactose free, but is not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy.  When you make it, allow lots of time for chocolate to set - I made the chocolate decoration days ahead of making the cake.


To find a good picture for the decoration, I did an internet search for colour-ins on my theme.

This takes a bit of time, but the result is a very yummy cake!

To melt chocolate:  break into
small pieces, and place in a bowl.
Put bowl inside a larger bowl of hot water.
Do not allow any water to get
into the chocolate.

Ingredients

For cake:
125g dairy-free margarine
90g caster sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1/2 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
100g dark cooking chocolate (check it is dairy-free)

For ganache:
125g dark cooking chocolate
125ml lactose-free cream

For decoration:
100g block white dairy-free chocolate
100g block "milk" dairy-free chocolate
(Sweet William chocolate works well.)



To make:

1. Find a simple line drawing to base your chocolate decoration on.
2. Place the drawing on a biscuit tray, and tape securely in place.
3. Place baking paper over the drawing, and tape in place.
4. Melt the "milk" chocolate, over warm water.
5. Use the chocolate to draw the lines of the drawing.  (I use a toothpick like a paintbrush.)
6. Place the biscuit tray with the outline carefully in refrigerator. Chill until set (preferably overnight).
7. Melt the white chocolate over warm water.
8. Use the white chocolate to "colour in" your chocolate drawing.  (Use the toothpick for small areas, and the back of a teaspoon for larger areas.)
9. Place biscuit tray in refrigerator. Chill overnight.
10. .
11. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. 
12. Line a 20cm round springform cake pan with baking paper, making the baking paper higher than the cake tin.
13. Cream margarine and sugar together and add eggs, one at a time, beating in between.
14. Fold in almond meal, baking powder, sifted flour and cocoa.
15. Melt 100g dark cooking chocolate, and mix into the cake batter.
16. Spread mixture into cake tin, and bake for about 25 minutes (depending on your oven) until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
17. Cool cake in the cake tin.
18. To make ganache, place 125g dark cooking chocolate and 125ml lactose-free cream in a small saucepan.  Stir gently over low heat, until chocolate melts and ingredients are combined. 
19. Pour ganache over cake (still in tin) and refrigerate overnight.
20. Carefully remove tin and baking paper from cake.
21. Carefully peel chocolate decoration from baking paper and place on cake.