wheat-free vegan cocoa-coffee cake with cardamom icing

 i've been trying to refine my wheat-free baking, and something i think i've discovered (which is probably not new to many experienced gluten-free wheat-free bakers) is using less flour than a recipe calls for helps a lot. this has led to moist baked goods instead of dense, grainy ones. so that makes me thrilled!

 last night was fat tuesday, and my little baby i'm growing inside is half new orleanian, so i wanted to make something sweet! i have a little gold baby from a king cake my husband made a couple of years ago, so i topped my creation with it

wheat-free vegan cocoa-coffee cake with cardamom icing

i adapted the recipe from this blog  

2 1/2 cups wheat-free flour: i used about 3/4 cup of white rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 2/3 cups oat flour, and a pinch of potato starch and xanthan gum to fill to 2 1/2 cups

2 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup cocoa (i use this black cocoa i get from vitacost that is SO bitter it's wonderful, if you like sweeter cocoa don't go this dark)

2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

2 cups coffee (or water, but your cake won't be as deep in flavor)

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp white vinegar

generous splash of vanilla

for the frosting*:

1/2 cup vegan shortening

1/2 cup non-dairy butter

5 cups powdered sugar

splash of coffee

1 tbsp cardamom

generous splash of vanilla

vegan milk around 1/4 cup, enough to keep things moving

preheat oven to 375 degrees, prepare two greased cake pans (i think cupcakes would be great too, would just have to research cooking time)

whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl

mix wet ingredients in mixer and add the dry ingredients until just incorporated

pour into pans and bake 25 minutes (make sure cake tester is clean)

take out and let cool, then frost

*this makes a lot of icing, i kind of like a messier application so i might cut the portion in half next time