Don't let the gluten-free label fool you–this gluten-free chocolate cake is rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey. It's made with cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, and other simple ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now, and it's topped with a creamy chocolate frosting.
I've made this recipe for birthdays, holidays, bridal parties, and potlucks more often than I can count. It gets rave reviews every single time, and honestly, no one can ever tell it's gluten-free!
Before you jump to the recipe card, here are a few notes about this recipe...
Recipe Notes
- Moist & Chocolatey: The texture is soft, tender, fluffy, and moist, with a rich cocoa flavor.
- So Easy: It's a very straightforward recipe with simple ingredients. It's so easy, my kid can make it!
- Versatile: I baked my cake as a three-layer 6-inch cake, but you can make it as a two-layer 8-inch cake, a sheet cake, or even cupcakes.
- Crowd Favorite: Everyone loves this chocolate cake recipe, whether they're gluten-free or not!
Key Ingredients
Although the ingredients in this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe are simple, there are few things to note about some of the ingredients to make sure you end up with the best chocolate cake:
Cocoa powder: Make sure you use pure cocoa powder, not hot cocoa mix. Trust me, I've made this mistake, and the end result was disappointing. This cake recipe uses Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Baking powder: Not all baking powders are gluten-free! Be sure to check the packaging to make sure it's gluten-free.
Oil: I like using neutral oils like avocado oil, or light olive oil. Using oil instead of butter helps to keep the cake super moist.
Buttermilk: Using buttermilk will also make your cake moist. If you don't have buttermilk, you can combine ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk and ¼ cup (60ml) sour cream or plain yogurt. If you're dairy-free, you can mix ¾ cup non-dairy milk and ¼ cup mayonnaise.
Hot Coffee: This helps to bloom the cocoa and enhance the chocolate flavor in the cake. You can use freshly brewed coffee, reheated leftover coffee, or instant coffee dissolved in hot water. If you want to skip it, you can also use equal amounts of hot water, which will still help to bloom the cocoa, but won't add any depth to the flavor of the cake.
What gluten-free flour is best for cake?
It's essential that you use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. My go-to is Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The xanthan gum gives the cake structure and that classic tender crumb you expect from a traditional cake.
Baking Tips
Use room temperature ingredients. Letting all your ingredients come to room temperature will help them combine evenly and gives a better rise.
Let the batter rest. With gluten-free baking, it's important to let your batter rest about 20-30 minutes to let the flour hydrate. This helps to prevent the cake from having a crumbly, gritty texture that none of us likes.
Don't overbake it. Be sure to check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center at the 32-minute mark, and only bake for longer if you see more than a couple moist crumbs on the toothpick.
Frosting & Decorating Tips
Although I went with a classic chocolate buttercream for this cake, it would also be delicious with cream cheese frosting, peanut butter buttercream, or a whipped ganache. Here are some helpful tips for frosting and decorating your chocolate cake:
Level off the cakes. Before you start stacking, use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to trim the domed tops off your cake layers. This creates flat layers that are of equal height.
Crumb coat. Apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake to seal in any loose crumbs, and chill the cake for 30 minutes. This crumb coat will help to make the final layer of frosting cleaner and smoother.
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¾ cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 flour blend
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee
Frosting
- 1½ cups butter softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 to 3 tablespoons milk optional
Instructions
Cake
- In a medium bowl, sift together gluten free flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour in the hot coffee and stir again until a smooth mixture forms. Let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes.
- While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and grease and line three 6-inch round pans (or two 8-inch round pans) with parchment paper.
- Evenly pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 32-35 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before taking them out onto a cooling rack to let them cool completely.
Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and a little fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat again.
- Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time. Beat it, and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each addition.
- If needed, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
- Frost the cake and decorate it however you like!
Notes
Nutrition
Storage Instructions
The storing method depends on what frosting you used to decorate your cake with.
Traditional frosting: You can store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Cream cheese frosting or Dairy-free frosting: Store your cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can wrap each cake slice tightly with a couple of layers of plastic wrap, put them in a freezer bag, and store them in the freezer for 1-2 months.
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
Here are more delicious gluten-free cake recipes:
If you want more chocolate cake, this gluten free German chocolate cake is calling your name! It's just as moist, with a decadent coconut pecan frosting.
Not a fan of frosting but want an impressive cake? Make this gluten free pineapple upside down cake recipe!
This gluten free coffee cake is perfect for brunch. It's fluffy, moist, cinnamon-y, and pairs so well with a good cup of coffee!
Another delicious cake to serve at brunch is my gluten free lemon poppy seed cake. It's sweet, tangy, and so moist.
My gluten free pound cake is dense, buttery, and moist like a traditional pound cake! I love to have it with a dollop of whipped cream and some berries.
Gluten free whoopie pies–are they considered cake? Whatever you consider them to be, this recipe's a keeper!
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