I’ve been eating this cake for as long as I can remember. There were no gluten-free flour mixes available when I was a child and this was one of the few recipes which worked well with brown rice flour. It quickly became my mother’s go-to cake. I think it formed the basis of practically every birthday and special event cake throughout my childhood.

When I was little, the recipe was written up in Mum’s book as Richard’s Favourite Chocolate Cake. In the next iteration of the hand-written recipe book it had become Ruth’s Favourite Chocolate Cake. Dad had been demoted. These days, Mum has taken a more democratic approach. The cake is now known as Everyone’s Favourite Chocolate Cake. Much fairer!

I think this cake tastes slightly different each time I make it but it’s great every time. It can be made with gluten-free plain flour or with brown rice flour. You could make a dairy-free version by replacing the butter in the cake and icing with a dairy-free margarine. Of course, if you don’t have to watch what you eat, you can use normal plain flour.

This recipe is fail-safe. Once, when I was about 12, I forgot to add the eggs and didn’t realise until it was just in the oven. Amazingly, it coped with being dragged out and having the eggs added.

Everyone’s Favourite Chocolate Cake is one of those great, quick cakes which you can make with minimal fuss. I made this one while Elena was in her highchair eating breakfast. I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m crazy.

I didn’t have time to make icing for the cake this time so I dusted it with icing sugar instead.

Everyone’s favourite gluten-free chocolate cake

2 cups brown rice flour or White Wings Gluten Free Plain Flour
1 teaspoon psyllium husks
1 ¾ cups caster sugar
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 ¾ teaspoons bi-carbonate soda
pinch salt
2/3 cup cocoa
2/3 cup (150g) soft butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 cup water
2-4 drops cochineal
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

Icing

Sift 1 1/3 cups pure icing sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 cup cocoa
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla,
1 tablespoon of water.

Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Line a 33cm x 22cm x 5cm cake tin with baking paper.

Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add butter (soft, not melted), water, vanilla, and cochineal. Beat for two minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating mixture until light and creamy (it will change colour slightly).

Pour into tin. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

To make icing

Sift sugar, salt and cocoa. Add butter, vanilla and water. Beat until smooth.