Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Cake
This gluten free chocolate peppermint cake is the perfect holiday dessert recipe! With a mist and rich chocolate peppermint sponge and peppermint buttercream frosting, this recipe is a total crowd pleaser!
Chocolate peppermint is hit or miss with some people, but I am personally a huge fan. This gluten free chocolate peppermint cake is my favorite holiday recipe!
It’s made in just one bowl, makes a small two layer, six in cake so it’s perfect for a smaller party or family dessert.
It has a rich chocolate flavor with peppermint sponge and is finished with a peppermint buttercream frosting. Leave as is or top it off with a chocolate drizzle and crushed candy canes.
If you love this recipe try my chocolate peppermint cookies, gluten free gingerbread loaf or gluten free gingerbread cookies next.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One bowl
- Perfect for the holidays
- Gluten free
- Dairy free friendly
- Smaller batch
How to make chocolate peppermint cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients aside from the boiling water.
Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour and cocoa powder. While you’re whisking that up, whisk in the boiling water until everything is well combined.
Pour into your prepared pans, keeping them as even as possible. Bake for 42-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack. After you flip them, flip back over so the top is actually face up. Meanwhile, beat the butter for the frosting in a mixing bowl for about 2 minutes.
Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the milk, peppermint and salt. If it’s too thick, add a bit more milk, if it’s too thin, add in more sugar.
Taste and adjust as desired. Once the cake has cooled completely, frost and top with crushed candy canes. Enjoy!
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Ingredient swaps
FLOUR. I used the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1:1 baking flour, which I recommend here. You can use a different blend, just make sure it has xanthan gum. If you are not gluten free, you can use regular all purpose flour.
SUGAR. A mix of brown sugar and white sugar will give this cake a rich flavor and a balance of a fluffy and moist texture. I do not recommend any liquid sweeteners here, but you can swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar if you prefer.
OIL. Any neutral flavored oil will work here. I generally use refined avocado oil.
MILK. I used almond milk because that’s what I had on hand, but any kind of milk, either dairy or non-dairy will work.
EGG. Since this recipe only calls for one egg, you should be ok with using a vegan substitute. I would suggest either 3 tablespoons of applesauce or a flax egg.
To make a flax egg, simply combine one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside to thicken then proceed with the recipe as usual.
How to store and freeze
Once frosted, this chocolate peppermint cake stores best at room temperature or in the fridge covered with a cake pan cover or foil for about 3-5 days. If you’re worried you’ll have too much leftover, you can just halve the recipe and make one layer instead!
Once it’s sliced, it will dry out faster, so I like to put some parchment paper or plastic wrap on the part that is sliced to keep the air out.
Once baked, you can freeze both cake layers and frost when you’re ready to serve. Just be sure to let them cool completely, then wrap each layer in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. You can frost right when it’s frozen!
Make cupcakes!
This recipe will make about a dozen cupcakes. Follow all of the same instructions except add to a lined cupcake tray and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool, then frost as usual and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
More gluten free cake recipes!
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Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Cake
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- ½ cup oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk dairy or non-dairy
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup boiling water
Dry
- 1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose baking flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- ¾ cup butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. I like these parchment rounds.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients aside from the boiling water.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour and cocoa powder.
- While you’re whisking that up, whisk in the boiling water until everything is well combined.
- Pour into your prepared pans, keeping them as even as possible.
- Bake for 42-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack. After you flip them, flip back over so the top is actually face up.
- Meanwhile, beat the butter for the frosting in a mixing bowl for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the milk, peppermint and salt. If it’s too thick, add a bit more milk, if it’s too thin, add in more sugar.
- Taste and adjust as desired.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, frost and top with crushed candy canes. Enjoy!
Notes
Comments
-
Hello !
I was SO excited to make this today (in preparation for Xmas tomorrow) but my cakes did not rise (😞 )- I bake a lot and followed to the letter (used bobs 1;1 etc)
Was there supposed to be baking powder also (the recipe lists only baking soda … I checked your chocolate cake and it’s very similar (base) and that definitely has baking powder also …
Also, do you whisk in the boiling water right after whisking the wet at dry together (which is what I did) or add the boiling water and whisk at the same time (as dry ingredients)
Not sure if I have the time now, but I’d be keen to try it again sometime once I know if baking powder should be part of the recipe
Also .. the chocolate drizzle – how do you make this ?
I would love to ace this !
All that aside merry Xmas to you !
Cheers🥂
Lucie 🥰-
No it’s just the baking soda as baking soda is much stronger than baking powder and this is a smaller batch recipe than the other chocolate cake. You whisk boiling water in after you mix in the other wet ingredients. For the drizzle, just google ‘chocolate drip for cake’ and use one of those! The cake should definitely rise, it could be your oven. Did it seem gummy in the center or under done at all? what was the texture like?
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