Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
This one bowl gluten free chocolate cake is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or just because! It’s moist, fluffy with the perfect tender crumb, and I promise you’ll have no idea it’s gluten free and dairy free friendly.
I don’t even know where to begin because I have no words to describe how much I love this homemade gluten free chocolate cake! It’s easy (like one bowl in 10 minutes easy), moist, fluffy, rich, spongey, cakey (that’s a given) and undetectably gluten free.
Seriously, if you gave someone a slice and then proceeded to tell them it was a gluten free chocolate cake (made completely from scratch!), I doubt they would believe you.
It’s topped with a silky smooth chocolate buttercream that melts in your mouth. It can be dairy filled or dairy free, but I made it dairy free by using vegan butter. The cake itself is naturally dairy free, so the buttercream is your choice!
You most definitely don’t need a special occasion to make this cake, but if you serve it to friends, I promise they’ll be impressed- it tastes just like the real deal. You’ll never go back to a boxed gluten free cake mix again! Not into chocolate? Don’t worry, try my gluten free vanilla cake, chocolate peppermint cake or gluten free strawberry cake instead!
Key ingredients
FLOUR. Any good cake needs a good flour! For this recipe and most of my gluten free cake recipes, I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. I suggest that one to keep the recipe consistent, but if you use a different blend, just make sure it has xanthan gum.
COCOA. Cocoa is how we achieve a rich chocolate flavor! You will need one full cup for this recipe.
EGGS. Three large eggs will make this cake fluffy and hold all ingredients together so it doesn’t fall apart or crumble.
SUGAR. You will need a mix of white sugar and brown sugar to get the perfect sweetness but a rich flavor from the molasses in the brown sugar.
MILK. I used almond milk because that’s what I had on hand, but any milk, either dairy or non-dairy will work.
COFFEE. I love using coffee in chocolate recipes because it brings out such a rich flavor. If you don’t want to use coffee, you can use hot water instead.
OIL. Any plain oil will work here! I used refined avocado oil. Olive oil is also great and adds a rich flavor like in my gluten free chocolate loaf cake.
How to make gluten free chocolate cake
Prepare either one 9×13 cake pan or two round 8 inch cake pans. Spray the bottom(s) with oil then add parchment paper just to the bottom. I like to use these parchment rounds to make it easy. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients aside from the coffee/boiling water. Whisk in the sifted dry ingredients.
Pour in the coffee or boiling water and whisk until combined. The batter will be fairly thin.
Add the batter to the prepared cake pan. If making a layer cake, try to measure each cake as equally as possible, or use a kitchen scale for best results.
Bake for 35-45 minutes for a sheet cake, 32-37 for layer cake, or until a toothpick comes out clean. All ovens are different so just keep an eye on it.
Let cool in the pan(s) for about 10-20 minutes, then carefully flip onto a cooling rack. They should slide right out, then peel off the bottom parchment paper and flip back so they’re upright.
Let cool completely before frosting. Once cool, add your buttercream and any sprinkles or other toppings!
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The best flour blend
I am very loyal to my favorite Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. It has never failed me and manages to yield recipes that are moist, fluffy, not gummy and just really well balanced.
King Arthur also has a good gluten free blend, but I strongly recommend using the Bob’s Red Mill for best results since all gluten free flour blends are different.
Just be sure you use a blend that has xanthan gum! To successfully bake without gluten, you usually need xanthan gum and/or eggs to help bind all ingredients together. Works well in my mint chocolate cake!
Getting the perfect texture
There are a few things that not only make this cake moist, but also give it the perfect spongey texture that isn’t too light but also not dense.
The first is the eggs! You need three whole eggs for this recipe, which helps the cake rise and contributes to the perfect cake texture. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend a vegan substitute for the eggs, but I have a vegan and gluten free chocolate cake recipe you can try instead!
The second is the mixing technique! Over-mixing cake can be just as big of a disaster as under-mixing, which is why you need to find a balance.
With an electric mixer, you run the risk of getting too much air into the batter, which can cause the cake to sink in the middle and collapse after it comes out of the oven.
With a wooden spoon, you don’t get enough air into the batter which can yield a dense cake. A whisk allows just the right amount of air into the batter for a moist, spongey cake.
The third is the other liquid ingredients such as the milk, oil and boiling water! I know boiling water seems like an odd thing to put into a cake, but it “activates” the cocoa powder, giving the perfect rich chocolate taste that isn’t dry. I promise, it works like a charm and I use the same method in my gluten free snack cake.
Storage and baking tips
This gluten free chocolate cake will store at room temperature for 3-4 days in an air tight container, or in the fridge for about 1 week. If kept in a container, I promise it will stay very moist! No dry cakes here. I will usually just store mine on the cake stand with a cake cover on top and it keeps it fresh!
Finally, be sure to place your cake in the center of the oven as it bakes. This ensures it bakes evenly and doesn’t rise too quickly or too slowly.
A cake that rises too quickly can lead to a cracked and very domed top, which we don’t want! Keep it in the center for an even bake. The eggs, baking powder and baking soda are what help this cake rise.
You can freeze the cake layers before frosting if you want to prep ahead of time. Just let cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until you’re ready to decorate.
Is flourless cake the same as gluten free?
A flourless chocolate cake is one that is made without flour and is therefore usually gluten free by default. However, a gluten free cake is not necessarily flourless!
This cake is made with gluten free all purpose flour and is not flourless.
Try these next!
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Funfetti Cupcakes
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Protein Chocolate Cake
- Classic Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Dry:
- 2 ⅔ cups Gluten Free All Purpose baking Flour sifted
- 1 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet:
- 1 cup milk dairy or non-dairy
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vinegar white or apple cider
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup oil safflower, canola, refined avocado etc.
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee or boiling water
Buttercream:
- ¾ cup butter 1 1/2 sticks
- ½ cup sifted cocoa powder
- 3-5 cups sifted powdered sugar adjust to get your desired consistency
- 2-4 tbsp milk dairy or non-dairy
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare either 1 9×13 cake pan or 2 round 8 inch cake pans. Spray the bottom(s) with oil then add parchment paper just to the bottom. I like to use these parchment rounds to make it easy. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients aside from the coffee/boiling water.
- Whisk in the sifted dry ingredients along with the baking soda, powder and salt.
- Pour in the coffee or boiling water and whisk until combined. The batter will be fairly thin.
- Add the batter to the prepared cake pan. If making a layer cake, try to measure each cake as equally as possible, or use a kitchen scale for best results.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes for a sheet cake, 32-37 for layer cake, or until a toothpick comes out clean. All ovens are different so just keep an eye on it.
- Let cool in the pan(s) for about 10-20 minutes, then carefully flip onto a cooling rack. They should slide right out, then peel off the bottom parchment paper and flip back so they’re upright.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- To make the buttercream, add softened/room temperature butter to a bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the sifted cocoa powder.
- Beat in the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Finally, beat in the milk and vanilla until well combined.
- Frost the cake and add sprinkles if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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Did you use natural cocoa or Dutch process?
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Dutch!
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Hands down the best Chocolate cake ever and Gluten Free! Moist & Delicious! As a novice gluten free baker, make note to use the Blue Bag of Bob’s Red Mill all purpose baking flour. I made 1 and 1/2 batch of the frosting…can’t have too much buttercream frosting! I will absolutely make this again and share this recipe with my GF friends & family!
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Thank you, Dianne!
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I’m new to gluten free cooking, but just made a very gummy lemon olive oil cake! I’m wondering about trying your recipe – can I use extra light taste olive oil?
Also, you commented on overbeating vs underbeating – are you just combining/folding until there are no lumps or are you actually beating the mixture?-
You’re whisking, not beating! So not electric mixer here. Just whisk until no clumps. And yes, olive oil is fine!
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Thank you for drawing my attention to the fact that you used a whisk and do it by hand. I must have still been picturing the other recipe where an electric mixer was used.
Your cake came out beautifully. I was so pleased with the texture and flavour. Thank you very much!
It’s literally a gf version of the cake I’m already using for my son’s wedding, so this will provide the other option. So pleased. Thank you again.-
Amazing! Thank you!
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My question is about measuring out ingredients. Most of the gluten free recipes I have made give weights of ingredients instead of cups. Do you know the conversion of cups to weight per ingredient?
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All recipes have a metric conversion in the recipe card, though these are just estimates. Most American bakers (which is most of my audience) use cups so that is what I primarily go with.
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The metric conversion in the recipe card just changes it to decimals, not weights unfortunately. I kind of disagree with the Americans use cups thing, specifically in the gluten free world. Increasingly bakers are realizing that weight is the only way to bake accurately.
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I do think the use of metric is increasing, but I have received countless comments from my users that they appreciate the use of cups, so I continue to do that. The metric button switches over to grams and mL, which is standard.
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Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s absolutely the GF cake recipe I’ve ever used. So simple and so very very yummy. My daughter loves to make cake pops from the leftover top cake crumbs and that amazing butter cream frosting. 😋 😍 Thank you! ❤️ ps…. some of my family didn’t know it was GF 😁🤣 that’s how yummy it is!!!! 10/10 🥰🥰
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Love the idea of the cake pops! Thanks, Sherry!
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I have made this cake twice now. The first time the cakes rose a little so had to level off the second time they erupted and cracked in the centre. Still moist and quite soft, though not sure why they cracked.
Both times there was a distinct after taste of soda bicarbonate/baking powder, even though I reduced the amount I added the 2nd time.-
With that amount of baking soda/powder, there should be no flavor. It is only there to help rise, it should not affect the flavor at all. Make sure you are measuring properly. Using cake strips (you can find them on amazon) can help with the first problem – if you give that a try let me know!
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Tried this recipe. Fantastic. Recently diagnosed as celiac and as a baker that was a bummer. The bobs 1:1 flour is a game changer. I also made cupcakes and baked them for 14 mins. Turned out perfect. Next time I might reduce the sugar a tad but I also used dark brown sugar instead of light brown and I omitted the vinegar. Thanks for a great recipe!
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Thank you, Laurel! Hope you find other recipes you love!
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Receive instructions is missing when to add non sifted dry ingredients.
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It’s all the same step! Just sift everything together.
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I can’t get a plain flour that has xantham gum in it, only self-raising. Is it possible to use a plain flour and add xantham gum, in what proportion? Thank you
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You want about 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum for every 1 cup of flour.
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This was the best GF chocolate cake I’ve ever made it was simple to make too, it’s true you can not tell it gf in fact it’s better than any other cake.
I put all in one tin so it took longer to cook & was so soft and moist I struggled to cut it through the middle.
I didn’t do the buttercream as I’m not usually a fan of it, I made chocolate ganache instead but the cake was so good I will try it with the buttercream next time.
Thank you ☺️-
Makes me so happy, thank you Kerry!
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Do you need to remove cake from 9 x 13 pan, or can if stay in pan and be frosted and stored in the 9 x13 pan?
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You can just keep it in the pan!
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I cooked this cake in one pan and unfortunately cooked unevenly and cracked. The cake the next day was pretty dry. Do you have any suggestions on what to try or what may have happened. Would two tins work better? Thanks!
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What size pan did you use? If you do just one pan it needs to be a 9×13. Using all of the batter in just one 8 or 9 inch pan will not work.
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Can’t wait to make this. Question : is the icing recipe large enough for icing top and middle layers as well as around the outside? The picture looked as if it’s just top and middle.
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Enough to go all around! Just hard to tell from the photos!
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I made this recipe this evening and it’s absolutely divine!
Made it in 2x 7inch tins.. i have a gas oven and it took almost 55mins for them for fully bake. They rose beautifully to about 2 inches tall and didn’t sink when cooling.
Baked almos5 completely flat so almost no leveling needed, and i didn’t even use baking strips.Definitely doesn’t taste ike the packaging the ingredients come in!
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Simply a scrumptious recipe. Definitely will bake the chocolate cake again, also very curious of all the other recipes. A treasure chest of goodies 💝
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Thank you, Izzy!
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