Cake of Success (egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free)

I ran a half-marathon on Sunday. A half-marathon is 21 kilometres or 13 miles.

During my training and especially the night before the race, I contemplated the notion of human endurance, and why, why, do humans set themselves endurance tasks, and more specifically, why do they run?

I came across an interesting article that suggests that what made us stand up (and stay standing up), was the need to chase animals over long-distances. Or maybe the need to run and beat hyenas to the nearest dead carcass. I think I may be over-simplifying.

Well, from kilometre 12 to kilometre 19, I can tell you that I was all for reversing evolution and dropping to all fours. It hurt, and no amount of energy gel, water or oranges helped. It still hurt.

But I did finish the race, it was very emotional.

And I feel I deserve a treat. So I have baked myself a cake. A cake of success. And it is all for me. Because I'm worth it.

Cake of Success

110g dairy-free spread

110g sugar

110g golden syrup

100g rice flour

75g buckwheat flour

60g cocoa powder

1 egg equivalent (I used 1 heaped tsp ground linseed, mixed with 2 tbsp water)

140ml rice milk (approx a quarter of a pint)

0.5tsp bicarbonate of soda

Icing

220g sugar

3 tbsps cocoa powder

90ml rice milk

85g dairy-free spread

1 tsp vanilla essence

• Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius


• Grease two round sandwich cake tins, 20cm in diameter


• Melt the dairy-free spread, sugar and golden syrup in a pan


• Seive in the flours and cocoa powder, mix well


• Add the egg equivalent


• Warm the milk slightly, add the bicarbonate of soda, mix it up, then pour into the pan


• Mix well


• Divide the mix between the two cake tins.


• Bake for about 15-20 mins (check after 12 mins) until risen and an inserted knife or skewer comes out clean


• Leave to cool for a while, then turn out onto a cooling rack.


• When the cakes are completely cold, put one half onto a serving plate / cake board


• Spread blackcurrant jam thickly onto the cake, (or other flavour jam) and sandwich the other cake onto the top

ICING

• Put sugar, cocoa, milk and dairy-free spread into a pan. Heat to a rolling boil (I do like that term) and stir vigorously for about 3 minutes.


• Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat until the mix starts to thicken slightly.


• I was in a hurry when I did this. I heated it for about 6 minutes, then took the pan off the heat and placed it into a sink of cold water (don't let the water come over the edge) and carried on stirring. It thickened up very quickly. I guess if you leave the icing to cool naturally, the net effect will be the same


• Gloop the icing onto the cake. If you're clever you'll keep it just on the top. If you're feeling lavish you'll let it gloop down the sides and run onto the serving plate.


• The icing has an extraordinary consistency, a cross between mozzarella and chewing gum. Very yummy!
  
  

© Pig in the Kitchen 2007