Serves a Crowd

Chocolate Wedding Cake

January  4, 2011
3.5
2 Ratings
  • Makes 2 9-in rounds
Author Notes

This is the chocolate cake I invented and made at my wedding last summer. I'm gluten-free/low dairy and I've got friends who are soy-free, nut-free, and legume-free, so I wanted something that would work for everyone there. (The vegan gluten-free cupcakes were on the side for the vegans.) Everyone said it was the best wedding cake they'd ever tasted--even our wedding photographer! My husband and I are huge Green Lantern comic book fans, so having a Green Lantern cake complete with action figures just seemed to fit (hence the picture). —beyondcelery

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Cake
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup unfiltered apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon limoncello (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1/2 cup vanilla sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 cup amaranth, white rice, or brown rice flour
  • 3/4 cup sweet rice flour
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1.5 ounces Theo chocolate (Madagascar)
  • Glaze / Filling
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 190 milliliters limoncello (more or less as needed)
Directions
  1. Put 1 cup raspberries into a large bowl and cover over with limoncello (about 190ml, depending on depth of bowl). Soak for 15 hours. It's very important not to soak too long, or the limoncello will overpower the raspberries.
  2. Mix 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 1/2 Tbls lemon juice together and let sit till all powdered sugar lumps have dissolved. Stir a few times while you make the cake.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans with canola oil or coconut oil and line with parchment paper on the bottom.
  4. Sift all dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl. This is very important for the cocoa powder, so it won't retain any lumps in the cake. If you don't have a sifter, shake a mixture of cocoa powder and flours through a wire strainer or sieve. If you don't have anything like that, then mix it very well and mash out as many cocoa lumps as you can.
  5. In a separate bowl, beat together oil, eggs, apple juice, 1 Tbls limoncello (if using), apple cider vinegar, and molasses.
  6. In a small saucepot over low heat, melt the Theo chocolate.
  7. Mix wet ingredients into dry, stirring very well or using an electric mixer or wire whisk attachment for your standing mixer. When it is mixed, slowly beat in melted chocolate.
  8. Immediately after mixing, scrape batter evenly into two prepared cake pans. If you allow the batter to sit for more than 5-10 minutes before baking, it won't get the same height as you will by baking it immediately.
  9. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. When cake layers are cool, strain out raspberries and use them as filling between the layers. Mash the raspberries very gently so they're almost a paste between the layers, but you can still see intact whole raspberries. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour after this step.
  11. After cake is chilled, glaze with lemon powdered sugar glaze and allow to set in the fridge at least 2 hours before serving.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Simon Di Giacomo
    Simon Di Giacomo
  • vvvanessa
    vvvanessa
  • monkeymom
    monkeymom
  • Sagegreen
    Sagegreen
  • beyondcelery
    beyondcelery

8 Reviews

Simon D. March 9, 2018
Looks great! How did the icing go standingout for a period of time? I am looking for a vegan cake Nd icing recipe that will stand up to warm temperatures, even if only for a small while.
 
beyondcelery March 10, 2018
The icing held up great! It wasn't a hot day, but it was July and the cake was well chilled ahead. I don't think it melted at all that day and it was out at least 2 hours before eating. Just keep the icing thick if you use it. Cashew & coconut cream frosting bases are also usually hardy for a couple of hours if you want a thicker layer.
 
vvvanessa October 20, 2011
awesome photo. and i have no doubt that cake is delicious!
 
monkeymom January 8, 2011
Your cake looks awesome!
 
beyondcelery January 8, 2011
Thank you!
 
Sagegreen January 5, 2011
Green Lantern, that's adorable. Gorgeous cake. I had wondered if it was a beam me up Scottie at first.
 
beyondcelery January 5, 2011
Thank you! My favorite part of the wedding planning by far was creating this cake.
 
Blissful B. January 5, 2011
What a creative cake! And I love your Green Lantern couple.