Gluten-Free. Vegan. Chocolate Cake!

**update: I've received lots 'n lots of fun (& challenging) requests since posting last week. So, let's take a breather on the requests for now, and after I tackle the first creation (and succeed! - yes we must remain +'ve!!) I'll open up the request-line again!

"hey, Dreena, I need a recipe for a gluten-free vegan chocolate cake!"

Okay! Here you go...

This cake inspired my teaser post on Wednesday. You see, I received an e-mail from a gal that was referred to me by a long-term follower of my blog. She was needing a recipe for a gluten-free vegan chocolate cake for her daughter's birthday. Her daughter had some food sensitivities, and so a regular wheat, or even spelt cake was not an option.

I immediately referred to my Triple Layer Chocolate Cream Cake from TEV. I threw on my gluten-busting apron (complete with cape and GF logo) (kidding!) and got to testing! I ran two trials. The first was very good, but just a touch sticky and almost chewy. Yet, the taste was great, and it was moist, so I knew I was on track. Test #2... the cake was moist, chocolatey, sliced nicely, and was not at all gritty or crumbly as some gluten-free baked goods can be.

I surprised myself with the texture and taste of this cake. Surprised, because I was fully expecting a grainier, drier mouth feel to the cake. Surprised, because I could easily serve this cake with the chocolate cream, without any hesitation that guests would notice it is gluten-free or vegan.

So, I give you the recipe for this gluten-free vegan chocolate cake. Keep in mind that I baked it in 2 round pans, rather than three that I've used for the original cake. I was cautious that the cake layers would be slightly too delicate for a three-layer cake, so I opted for two. That won't interfere with your frosting... just means you might be able to pack away a lil' container of extra frosting in the fridge for spoonish snacking! Ohhh yeah, baby. Or, serve it on its own with a simple sauce and fruit, as shown. The cake is tender and tasty enough to stand on its own.

And... this brings me back to my teaser post. This isn't the first time I've 'customized' a recipe for someone, and yet ultimately I realize that I really enjoy doing this kind of thing. It's a good feeling to be able to provide a food solution to someone! Especially when it's for a special occasion, like this birthday party. So, I thought I'd expand on this idea: Dreena, create-me a recipe! (oh my, that's truly awful grammar, ha).

So:
- do you need a wheat-free or gluten-free recipe for a muffin, cake, or cookie?
- do you need a soy-free version of a vegan recipe? (ex: I'm currently working on two versions of a "fit-tucine alfredo" - one with soy, the other soy-free)
- do you have a favorite childhood recipe that you'd like to make vegan?
- do you have a hankering or idea for a dish that you'd like to see formalized in a recipe?
- or, do you just want to challenge the dickens out of Dreena?

E-mail me (dreena@everydayvegan.com) with your request. If it's something I think I can tackle, I'll post about it and then later post the results along with the recipe. And, the recipe may even make it into a future book or other cooking project. Please keep in mind that priority of which recipes I work on 1st, 2nd, etc, will depend on a number of factors (ex: how quickly a recipe is needed such as for a birthday, ingredients I have on hand, and also my own life schedule). Having mentioned my life schedule, if you do have a need for a recipe for some event, please let me know a couple of weeks in advance. I am a mom of two busy kidlets afterall, so my recipe testing gets squeezed in during small windows of any given day. So, the more notice, the better!

I really hope you enjoy the cake like I did... let me know if you make it and what you thought!

Now, go eat, drink & be vegan (and um, gluten-free)!! :)