Some cakes are just meant to be....like a classic chocolate cake. There are days when nothing else will do, only a no-frill chocolate cake with gooey frosting. Decadent, yes, but simple and comforting.
Just the kind of cake I wanted to share with some of my amazing friends when we met for a fun-filled, Sunday afternoon! Here's the twist in the story ( there always is, right?) I wanted to make it gluten-free, so this Buckwheat Chocolate Layer Cake w/ Salted Dark Chocolate Frosting happened!
Buckwheat flour is my favorite alternate flour to bake with. Then adapting my most dependable old chocolate layer cake recipe into a gluten-free one, using buckwheat, was a no-brainer. Not a single ingredient was altered. Nor was any measurement touched. And it worked! So beautifully that this has really become my go-to gluten-free chocolate cake recipe.
I strongly suggest keeping a close eye on the baking time though. Mine were done in about 22 minutes. This is not the cake you can risk overbaking.
Despite all that frosting and the jam filling, the cake is not achingly sweet. I did choose a jam that's got a sour note to it and there is cocoa in the frosting and in the batter. Over the years, I have dialed down on the sugar used in the cake from 1 1/2 cups ( yes, I'm shuddering too!) to 3/4 of a cup. Trust me, it only makes the chocolate flavor stand out more.
The cake is soft, moist and so luxurious. Look at that crumb....! The deep, rich, dark chocolate flavor comes through beautifully. The frosting is creamy velvety smooth. And yet it doesn't feel too heavy at all. So go ahead have two slices, and enjoy.... It's a chocoholic's dream come true!
So if there is one no-fail chocolate cake recipe you need, this is it, folks! Whether you choose to make it with all-purpose or buckwheat flour...this really is it. I hope you will try this and enjoy it as much as we do.
If you're looking for more buckwheat flour recipes, here are some for you to browse through:
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📖 Recipe
Buckwheat Chocolate Layer Cake w/ Salted Dark Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1.5 cups Buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 Eggs
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar
- 3/4 cup Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup Yogurt
Simple Syrup
- 4 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1-2 Tbsp Rum optional
Frosting
- 1 1/4 cup Dark chocolate I used half 55% half 70%
- 2 Tbsp Salted Butter I used Amul
- 1/2 cup Cream
- 1/4 cup Icing sugar
- 2 Tbsp Cocoa optional
- 1-2 Tbsp Rum optional
Filling
- 4 Tbsp Cape gooseberry Jam You can use any other jam of your choice, bitter orange marmalde or raspberry jam will be wonderful here
Instructions
Cake
- Pre heat the oven to 180C. Grease two 8" round cake pans.
- Sift all the dry ingredients together - buckwheat, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt; in a large bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar very well, using an electric mixer, until doubled in volume.
- Add the oil and vanilla extract, mix well.
- Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture in three batches alternating with the yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Your batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes. Turn the cakes out on a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
Simple syrup
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Let it cook for a couple minutes. Take it off the heat. Let it cool, then add rum (if using)
Frosting
- Combine butter and cream in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat them gently, until the butter melts. Take off the heat. Add the chocolate. Stir it in gently, until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
- Whisk in the icing sugar. At this point, you can add in a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder, if you like a deeper chocolate taste - We do, so I did add the cocoa. Stir in rum, if using.
- Let cool completely. It should get thick enough to spread easily.
Assembling the cake
- Place one cake layer, right side down, on a platter. Brush over the simple syrup liberally. Spread a third of the frosting over the top. Carefully spread the jam on top of the frosting.
- Brush some of the simple syrup on the second cake layer's bottom. Carefully place this layer on top of the first, right side up. Spread the remaining frosting all over the cake, covering the sides and the top.
- Using a butter knife, make some swirl patterns on top and serve!
Erin says
Hi Natasha! I had pinned this page to be able to make the cake, but upon returning to look at the recipe, it doesn't seem to be on the page anymore. Can you help? It looks delicious!
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Erin, thank you for your interest in this recipe! Its one of my most loved one! Please refresh your page and see if you can see the recipe card. Maybe there was a glitch. Do let me know please.
Erin says
That worked, thanks so much!
Natasha Minocha says
That's great! Happy baking!