Ghiradelli Grand Fudge Cake, the GF Version!

Tomorrow is my son Jeff's birthday.  I called him tonight to wish him a "happy birthday eve" and asked what he'd like for his birthday dinner tomorrow.  He requested meatloaf and mashed potatoes, so on my way home from work I will stop to pick up all the fixings and get right to it the minute I walk in the door.  His cake, though, will be ready and waiting, since it is in the oven tonight, and I'll finish assembling it tomorrow morning before I head out the door.  I am making an ice cream cake (we're on a kick) similar to the one I made for Meghan's birthday two weeks ago.  Jeff's cake is going to be a chocolate layer divided by a thick center of Stewart's chocolate swirl ice cream, and frosted in whipped cream, all to be frozen together while I'm at work tomorrow.   The cake is Ghiradelli's Grand Fudge Cake recipe, found on its can of natural, unsweetened cocoa.  At first I had planned to make the Hershey chocolate cake recipe, but didn't have enough Hershey's cocoa.  Then I remembered that I had a whole canister of Ghiradelli cocoa, and right on the label I found this simple recipe.  Unlike the Hershey cake, this one does not use melted butter or boiling water.  This cake is a simple process of creaming butter with sugar, and then alternating the dry ingredients with wet.  The batter was so light and fluffy, almost chiffon-like.  It's in the oven now, so I am not sure what the finished cake will look like, but it smells great.  Because Jeff is gluten-free, I substituted Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour in this recipe.  The packaging says that it can be substituted measure-for-measure for regular AP flour, so that's what I did.  I do not have xantham gum which is recommended when making the substitution (it puts back in some of the stickiness that is missing in GF flour) but since this cake will be served frozen in the form of an ice cream cake, I don't think anyone will miss it.

Jeff's birthday is always reason for happy celebration in our home.  We waited a very long time to be able to celebrate this special day with him, and this is the 11th year that we've had that privilege.  I posted the story a couple of years ago on this blog, and if you haven't read it before, you may find it interesting.  It's definitely a story with a happy ending.

Happy birthday to my first-born child.  I am so fortunate to be celebrating this birthday with you!  (I'll add photos of the finished cake to this post once the cake is complete).

And here it is!

GHIRADELLI GRAND FUDGE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tsps. vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Grease and flour two 9 x 1 1/2 inch pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture) while mixing on low speed.  Continue to mix until smooth.  Pour into prepared pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.