Chocolate Walnut Cake with Cinnamon Frosting

The cake layers themselves are a gluten-free adaptation of this recipe: http://www.belsandia.com/chocolate-walnut-cake.html. I doubled it to make two layers and switched the water for coffee to help boost the chocolate taste. I then improvised a cinnamon buttercream to go along with it.

Fair warning that this recipe is very high in calories, with all the fats and sugar, plus the walnuts, so eat at your own risk. ;P But it is also absolutely delicious. I love the spicy cinnamon kick of it.

GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN CHOCOLATE WALNUT CAKE (WITH CINNAMON FROSTING)
adapted from belsandia.com

Dry Ingredients
140g sorghum flour
110g brown rice flour
130g corn starch
45g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
400g organic cane sugar

Wet Ingredients
120mL neutral-tasting oil (I used canola)
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
480mL brewed coffee, cooled down (shortcut: 2 tsp instant coffee powder in cold water)
125g chopped walnuts

The method is on the original recipe page, just replace their water with the coffee. Keep in mind that my version is also doubled so their quantities are different, and I also used two 22cm round cake pans instead of their one glass dish.

Cinnamon Frosting
175g vegan shortening*
65g vegan margarine*
600g powdered sugar
4 tbsp plant milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the shortening and butter together until fluffy.
2. Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time, beating in between. (Add some of the milk if the frosting starts becoming too dry before the sugar is completely incorporated.)
3. Add in the milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon, then beat until combined.
4. Make sure your cakes are cool before frosting, else it will melt.

*You could use only vegan shortening or only vegan margarine for your fats in this frosting; the texture might turn out slightly different, but overall it should be fairly similar.