Chocolate Gluten Free Easter Cake with Carrot In Each Slice

Ingredients:

For the Orange Cake:
• 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup Carla's Gluten Free Self-Rising Cake Flour Blend
• 1 teaspoon gluten free red food coloring (McCormick) (or much less of AmeriColor gel food coloring)
• 1 teaspoon gluten free yellow food coloring (McCormick) (or much less of AmeriColor gel food coloring)
• 1/8 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (to offset flavor of food coloring)
For the Chocolate Cake:
• 1 cup Carla's Gluten-free Cake Flour Blend
• 3/4 cup *Carla's Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour Blend*
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup pure gluten free unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed makes it darker - Rodelle brand is GF)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup neutral-flavored cooking oil (light extra virgin, canola)
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup milk of choice, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 egg white, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure/gluten-free vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache & Garnish:
• Scant* 1/2 cup chopped semi-sweet, bittersweet, or dark gluten free chocolate (or Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
• 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Corn starch, for dusting
• 4 oz. green gluten free fondant recipe, for garnish, or as needed**
• 1 7 oz. bar gluten free chocolate, for shavings

Instructions:

To Make the Orange Cake:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and beat just until blended.
4. Add the flour and food coloring; and beat until thoroughly combined.
5. Transfer to the loaf pan, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
7. Remove the cake and the parchment and allow the cake to cool completely on the wire rack.
8. Once the orange colored cake is completely cool, remove and discard the paper. Place the cake standing up tall. Using a toothpick or skewer, draw a carrot shape on the small side. Draw the same shape in approximately the same place, but as a mirror image on the other small side. Now take a knife to carve out this shape from one small end to the other so that when you cut the cake you it will show an orange carrot in each slice.
9. Oil or butter the same loaf pan and line it with new parchment paper.
10. Set the orange carrot carving in the prepared pan with the small tip facing upward. Just lean on one of the sides of the pan for now; and set aside.
To Make the Chocolate Cake:
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
12. In the bowl of your mixer, mix together the flour blends, sugar, cocoa, and salt.
13. Add the milk, oil, eggs and egg white; and beat on medium speed  until smooth.
14. Pour in the boiling water; and mix on low until well blended.
15. Add vanilla extract and mix just until incorporated.
16. It is helpful to use wooden skewers to hold the carrot up straight. Thread the skewer near the top of point of the carrot and allow the skewer to rest on top of the pan. (This will allow the batter to rise above it and cover the entire thing.)
17. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan around and on top of the carrot piece. Lift the carrot section up just about 1/2-inch so that it does not touch the very bottom of the pan. This will allow some of the chocolate batter to go beneath the orange cake. If you have any leftover batter, make muffins out of them. (They'll bake up in 18 - 19 minutes.)
18. Bake on the center shelf of your oven for about 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the chocolate portion comes out clean. Watch it closely as it bakes. You'll eventually be able to remove the skewers and lower into the batter as it thickens in the oven.
19. Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool for 10 - 15 minutes in the pan. Remove from pan and transfer to the cooling rack. Once slightly cooled, remove parchment paper and discard. Allow cake to completely cool on rack.
To Make the Icing:
20. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Once almost melted, stir. Add the cream and sugar and stir again until thick and glossy. Turn the heat off, but allow the bowl to remain over the warm water until ready to use.
To Frost and Decorate the Cake:
21. To level the chocolate cake, using a long, serrated knife, cut the top off.
22. Place the even top bottom side down on a serving plate; and set aside.
23. Lightly dust the work surface with cornstarch or potato starch; and roll out green fondant icing. Shape into little balls. Then shape into ovals or thin grass strands. Allow balls or strands to dry for 1 to 2 hours or until set.
24. Warm the chocolate ganache a little if necessary; and pour over the top of the cake, and, if desired, allow it to drizzle down the sides.
25. Add the green decorations while the ganache is still moist. Once it sets, the decorations will not adhere to the ganache.
26. Using a vegetable slicer/potato peeler, shave off curls of chocolate to add on top. (For larger curls, I will be posting my chocolate curl recipe soon; and I will link to it on this page.)
27. Slice and serve. Freeze slices individually, wrapped in plastic wrap.

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