Our neighbors host a Downton Abbey viewing party each week with delicious snacks, cocktails and occasionally a Downton-inspired theme (for finales and such). A few weeks ago, our hostess, Cat, made her family recipe cinnamon chocolate chip cake, which was extricated from a beautiful little bundt pan and served to happy Masterpiece Theatre viewers.
I’ve bastardized her recipe in addition to just making it gluten free (I hope all five generations of the Horton family will excuse me) to suit my hopes for the cake. Cat’s cake was a delicious (from all accounts) and more of a coffee-cake/streusel type treat with mostly the same ingredients. Some of you might notice that this is quite similar to the buttermilk cake I make all the time for dessert in a pinch. As is the buttermilk cake, it’s a versatile any-time cake that’s easy to whip up and always a hit. Enjoy!
;)
Gluten-free cinnamon chocolate chip cake
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch baking pan of any shape.
2. Combine your dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl:
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
2 Tbs millet flour
2 Tbs sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
OR sub everything above for 1 cup gluten-free flour mix (that doesn’t contain leaveners, baking soda/powder)
1/2 cup sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)
1-1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3. Combine your wet ingredients in a separate bowl:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (I actually used goat milk yogurt, not Greek, with great results since we’re cow milk-less for the time being)
1/4 cup coconut milk (or any other milk of choice)
1 egg
1/2 stick (or 1/4 cup) butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4. Add wet to dry, and mix to combine well until batter is smooth. Mix 1/3 cup chocolate chips into the batter and pour into prepared pan. (or skip the chips and serve finished cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream, topped with jam, or frosted!)
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick poked in the very center comes out without dough-y goo. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store at room temperature, sealed in a parchment bag for up to 3 days or freeze.