Orange and Chocolate Birthday Cake

1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup corn starch (tapioca starch would work)
3/4 cup millet flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 cups sugar
8.5 oz water
8.0 oz butter, melted (0.5 pounds or 2 stick)
1 tsp orange extract (more if you want - just taste the batter and see)
1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

Top it with Gluten Free Chocolate Icing

Directions:

1. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a baking stone on it and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Start by mixing the flour, xanthan gum and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk by hand with a fork for 1 minute or at medium speed on a hand mixer for 30 seconds. Set the flour aside.

3. Put the sugar into a large mixing bowl. Heat 6 oz. of water (3/4 cup) to a simmer. Add the hot water to the sugar and mix to dissolve the sugar. Beat in the butter, orange extract, and salt at medium speed.

4. Add a third of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix at low speed just until incorporated and then add in remaining flour a third at a time. Total mixing time for this step should be approximately 5 minutes. (Taste the batter at this point and see if you want to add more orange extract.)

5. Add the last 2.5 oz of water and the eggs to the batter and mix until just combined.

6. Pour the batter into one 9" x 13" cake pan or two 9" cake pans. Be sure to grease and flour the pans first; or grease the pans and then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Drop the pan onto the counter from a height of 4" to remove any large air bubbles.

7. Place the cake in the oven on the stone and bake until the cake reaches an internal temperature of 209 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a digital baking thermometer, the cake should spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean, but moist. The cake should not pull away from the sides until after it is out of the oven.

8. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool. Then cover it with icing, take a slice, and enjoy!

*Or go out to Safeway and buy Duncan Hines gluten free cake recipe mix that is so delicious!