Gluten free chocolate lasagne and layers

This weather is all about layers. The torrential rain means that you need about 12 waterproof layers to stay dry. The cold snap means you need several layers underneath your waterproof layers to stay warm. It is a well-documented fact that Norman (and most sausage dogs), regardless of the weather, love being in the middle of a few comfy layers.

So it was only natural that my food would begin to mimic these layers. It is with great delight that I present to you: chocolate lasagne.

No, it’s not chocolate pasta, and there is no chocolate cheese (the Boy assumed both of the latter) – it is just layers and layers of delicious, sugary goodness. Just looking at it makes your arteries quiver in fear.

The chocolate cake, once cooked, is perfect for large gatherings; children’s birthday parties, big family functions, picnics, etc. If you were to ice this cake and decorate it, it would be perfectly palatable. It’s moist and chocolatey and just sweet enough.

I took this cake one step further though. I made it tooth-achingly sweet. And colourful.

I made it a super happy chocolate lasagne cake.

It’s delightful. But the kind of thing that I feel obliged to warn you, should be eaten in moderation. This cake makes enough to serve about 30 people. It’s not for the faint of heart! I would recommend halving the recipe unless you’ve got a big function, because this is too happy a cake to keep to oneself.

Gluten free chocolate sheet cake

• 2 cups sugar
  
• 3 cups GF self-raising flour
• 1 cup cocoa
• 3 tbsp vanilla
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ¾ cups canola oil
• 90g choc chips

Marshmallow fluff:

Makes 5 cups

• 4 egg whites
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Chocolate ganache:

• 200g milk chocolate
• 1/3 cup thickened cream

Mix the sugar, flour and cocoa together. I used Well & Good’s gluten free self-raising flour, but this cake works with regular self-raising flour as well, it’s a very similar recipe to this, gluten-laden cake. Once all of the dry ingredients are combined, add the vanilla and egg yolks.

(Keep the egg whites, if you want to make the marshmallow spread.)

Add in the milk and canola oil gradually – if you add them in too fast you’ll find it harder to mix because there will be too much liquid too quickly. Once the mixture is shiny and consistent, pop the chocolate chips in as well.

Spread the mixture evenly into a baking tray. For those of you with eagle eyes, you’ll notice that this tray is exactly the same one that I used for my almost vegetarian lasagne.

Pop this in the oven at 170°C for 55 minutes, rotating it at about half an hour.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Once it is cool, transfer it to the fridge.

If you’re not satisfied with a plain, lovely, chocolatey sheet cake, whip out your corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and egg whites. This is about to get ten times more delicious.

Beat your egg whites at a medium-fast speed until stiff peaks form – this will take a while. While your egg whites are whipping, combine your sugar and corn syrup in a medium sized saucepan and set them over a moderate stove. Once the sugar has dissolved, allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring continuously as it does. Let it boil (big bubbles, like in the photo) for about a minute and keep stirring.

Remove from the heat and set to one side. Your egg whites should be forming stiff peaks now – this recipe is timed so that the sugar syrup and the egg whites are ready at the same time. If you’re not confident enough to have the egg whites whipping at the same time as the sugar is dissolving, do the egg whites first, then the sugar syrup, not the other way around, as the sugar syrup will set rapidly as it cools.

Pour your hot sugar syrup slowly down the side of the bowl into the stiff egg white, whipping at a slow-medium speed (I had Penelope set to 3.) When the sugar syrup is completely incorporated, take the speed up a notch (Penelope was on 4) for 3 minutes.

Turn your mixer up again and keep mixing until your bowl (and the mixture within it) has cooled down. By the time you’ve finished mixing, the white concoction in the bowl should be thick and stiff. It should be very much like the marshmallow fluff you can buy in the supermarket.

Use your finger to scoop a blob out of the bowl. If it moves, it’s not ready yet, keep mixing; if it stays perfectly still, it’s ready.

Slice your cake in half, lengthways and put the top to one side. Spread the exposed part of the bottom with the marshmallow – a spatula or knife dipped in warm water will allow you to spread the marshmallow easily.

You can use all of the marshmallow fluff on this cake, but I reserved 1 ½ cups of it to use at a later date, it keeps for a week. Top the marshmallow with sprinkles or choc chips of your choosing, then flip the top of the cake onto this layer to sandwich the marshmallow between two slices of cake.
Melt your chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat with the cream, stirring regularly. Make sure all of the lumps in the chocolate disappear, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool for a minute, then pour gently over the cake. Top with sprinkles and choc chips again.

Set in the fridge for ten minutes to set completely, and serve to the waiting hordes!

The happiness in this cake does require refrigeration – it may start to sag after being out at room temperature for too long.