This deliciously moist and fudgy chocolate cake gets a flavor boost from gluten-free teff flour. It's easy to make in about 30 minutes with just a bowl and a whisk.Top this chocolate teff flour cake with swirls of peanut butter frosting for a single-layer cake worthy of special occasions that's quick enough to make on a school night. With dairy-free and vegan options.
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 20 minutesminutes
Total: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 8servings
Ingredients
1teaspoonsoftened butter, for the pan
Dry Ingredients
½cup(80 g) teff flour(such as Bob's Red Mill)
3tablespoons(23 g) sweet rice flour(such as Koda Farms)
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper cut to fit.
In a large bowl, sift together the teff, sweet rice, and tapioca flours with the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and hot water to the batter. Add the egg and quickly whisk the batter until smooth and no lumps remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back to the touch, 18-22 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool at least 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan, peel away the parchment, and place on a wire rack to cool completely, 20 minutes. Transfer the cake to a serving board or platter.
Swirl the frosting over the cake, and sprinkle with a little flaky salt for finishing if you like. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.
The cake keeps well for several days; I like to store it airtight in the refrigerator, but be sure to serve it at room temperature so the frosting softens.
Notes
*Ingredient substitutions:
In place of teff flour, use an equal weight amount of oat flour, buckwheat flour, or chestnut flour
In place of sweet rice flour, use an equal weight amount of cassava flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
In place of tapioca flour, use an extra tablespoon of sweet rice flour (1/4 cup total)
In place of brown sugar, use an equal weight amount of coconut sugar
In place of buttermilk, use plain, whole-milk yogurt thinned with milk or water to a buttermilky consistency (or plant yogurt & plant milk for dairy-free)
The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead, frosted or unfrosted. Cover and store at cool room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
The unfrosted cake can be covered and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw before frosting and serve and room temperature for best results.
Leftover cake keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
Vegan Teff Flour Chocolate Cake:Use 1/4 cup aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas or other white beans) or Just Egg in place of the egg. Thin plant yogurt (such as Forager cashewgurt) with plant milk (such as oat milk) until it's the consistency of buttermilk and use in place of the buttermilk. Use vegan butter in the frosting in place of the dairy butter (I'm partial to Miyoko's brand), decreasing or omitting the salt if the butter is salted. The cake may need a slightly longer bake time, so be sure to test it with a toothpick for doneness. Extra-Peanutty Chocolate Teff Cake:In place of sunflower oil, use roasted peanut oil such as La TourangelleExtra-Chocolatey Chocolate Teff Cake:Top the cake with swirls of coconut milk ganache. Teff flour chocolate layer cake: double or triple the recipe and divide the batter between 2 or 3 pans, respectively. Spread each layer with frosting. Teff flour chocolate sheet cake: double or triple the recipe and bake in a 9x12-inch pan, increasing the baking time as needed. The triple batch will make a deep layer cake to feed a crowd, while a double batch will be thinner, closer to the singer layer cake shown here.Nutritional values are based on one of eight servings.