Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake. This rich and moist cake is perfect for birthdays. Dairy-Free Option Included.
“Can I turn this cake into chocolate cake? If I add cocoa, do I subtract some flour? thank you!!”
This comment came in on my gluten-free white cake recipe the other day. I read it, I went, “Hmmm…”
Cake recipes are somewhat finicky. And gluten-free recipes are definitely finicky. Put those two things together and you’ll understand why I didn’t have a simple suggestion for transforming my gluten-free white cake recipe into a chocolate cake.
But what I did have was a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe. Several actually.
Chocolate cake appears on the cover of two out of three of my cookbooks. So, yeah, I know chocolate cake.
What those recipes lack is the use of a gluten-free flour blend. I decided that needed to change.
This chocolate cake is based on the recipe that appears in Easy Gluten-Free Baking, which at the time was based on a reader’s recipe. Her recipe was based on a classic favorite from Hershey’s. This cake has a long lineage. And today it’s getting even longer.
As much as I love my original gluten-free chocolate cake recipe, I wanted to tinker with it a bit. Think of this recipe as your favorite celebrity that takes some time off and comes back looking “refreshed.” (ahem)
The Gluten-Free Flour
This swap was easy. I replaced the white rice flour, sweet rice flour, and cornstarch with an equal amount of Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. (not sponsored. I just like the flour.) Since the blend contains xanthan gum, I omitted the teaspoon of xanthan gum called for in the original recipe.
The Sugar
The original recipe called for two cups of granulated sugar. I reduced this to 1 3/4 cups. The cake still tastes great and, really, the sweetness level seems about the same.
The Cocoa Powder
Use natural cocoa powder in this recipe. A high-fat cocoa powder, like Penzey’s, is a great choice, but supermarket cocoa powder, like Hershey’s, also works in this recipe. The acid in the cocoa powder combines with the baking soda and enhances the rise.
Cocoa powder, especially high-fat cocoa powder, tends to clump. I know it’s a pain but sift it before using to prevent it clumping in the batter.
The Eggs and Milk
Occasionally folks reported that they experienced the chocolate cake sinking in the center. I wanted to fix this. So I added an extra egg and reduced the amount of liquid from 2 cups to 1 1/4.
And let’s talk about that liquid. The original recipe used milk and hot water. I got rid of the water and now use all milk. If you’re dairy-free, use dairy-free milk or coffee. Both work well! The coffee adds a pop of flavor that goes great with chocolate.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the Oven. You want to put the cake into a hot oven. Turn your oven on before you start preparing the batter. The oven should be at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes before you start baking.
- Mix the Batter. This recipe comes together like a cake mix. (except you need to measure the “dry” ingredients.) Simply whisk together the dry ingredients, add the eggs, milk, and oil and whisk until smooth. You can use a stand or handheld mixer if you’d like buy whisking by hand is fine for this recipe–it’s how I always do it. Just be sure your bowl is large enough.
- Bake the Cake. The cake takes about 30 minutes to bake. Look for it to be set, not jiggly, in the very center of the pan.
- Cool on a Rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for about five minutes. Then turn the cake out onto a wire rack(s) to cool. Transferring the cake to a wire cake keeps the bottom of the cake from getting soggy. But don’t move the cake before five minutes or it might break. When the cake first comes out of the oven, it’s delicate. If you move it too fast, it might fall apart.
- Frost it. I like this cake finished with chocolate buttercream but any frosting that you love works! Be sure to cool the cake completely before you frost it or the frosting will melt into a sad puddle.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake: FAQs
Can I make this cake without eggs?
No. This recipe doesn’t work without eggs. It comes out really gummy when made with egg replacers.
Can I make this cake without milk?
Yes! Replace the milk called for with an equal amount of dairy-free milk or coffee.
Can I replace the flour with almond flour or coconut flour?
Grain-free flour, like almond flour or coconut flour, doesn’t work with this recipe.
Can I freeze the cake?
Absolutely! Allow the cake to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Allow cake to thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes?
Yes! This recipe makes 24 cups. The bake time is included in the recipe.
Can I use this recipe for a 9×13-inch cake?
Yup! The bake time for a sheet cake is included in the recipe.
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake. This rich and moist cake is perfect for birthdays. Dairy-Free Option Included.
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- 1 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk or coffee
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Chocolate Buttercream
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. (Or grease with vegetable shortening and dust with cocoa powder.)
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Whisk together gluten-free flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vegetable oil. Whisk batter until smooth.
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Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
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Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
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Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert pan onto a wire rack and allow to cool.
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When cool, frost with chocolate frosting. Wrap cake and store at room temperature for up to three days.
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Prepare the Frosting: Sift together confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter and 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase mixer speed to medium-high. Beat frosting until fluffy and smooth. If frosting seems too thick, add the additional tablespoon heavy cream.
Recipe Notes
Dairy-Free Variation
Replace the milk with an equal amount of dairy-free milk or cooled coffee.
Size Variations
24 Cupcakes
Line 24 standard cupcake cups with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake cupcakes until they're set and spring back to the touch, about 20 minutes.
9x13 Cake
Grease a 9x13-inch cake with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter evenly into the bake. Bake until set, a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean, about 35 minutes.
Yvette Lachance says
Hi, made this cake recipe for my son birthday, it was excellent. Everybody (16 people) said it was the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had. 🙂 I do have a question regarding the frosting. I found it a bit thin. I used coconut oil based butter, which I know is thinner consistency than regular butter. Is there something I can do to thicken it up a little. Thanks for the recipe, I also made cupcakes too, just as delicious!!
Elizabeth says
Yes. Coconut oil is sensitive to temperature. It goes to liquid when warm. To make the frosting thicker, reduce the amount of liquid you use and add additional powdered sugar.
Marisa Sim says
I made them as cupcakes and they were quite dry. Is there a way to make them more moist? Thanks
Elizabeth says
This cake is very moist. I would not recommend adding more liquid or fat to it. How long did the cupcakes bake?
Jola says
Hi,
great recipe – i’m planning to try it out this evening.
Just one question – do you think cocoa powder can be switched with carob powder?
thanks,
Jola
Elizabeth says
It should work with carob powder. Since the flavor of carob is lighter, the cupcakes might not taste as chocolate-y as ones made with cocoa powder.
Deb says
Can I substitute the granulated sugar with powdered erythitol?
Elizabeth says
I don’t think that would work but I haven’t tested it.
Kate says
You mentioned that coffee adds a pop of flavour but there is none in the ingredients – I was just wondering if you decided not to add this or how much coffee would you add to the dry ingredients?
Thanks!
Elizabeth says
You can replace the milk with coffee. I’ll update the recipe list to clarify. Enjoy!
Ritika says
DELICIOUS! it looks yummy and a mouth-watering cake. I will definitely try to make it soon.
Thanks!!!
Erika says
I have been baking gluten free cakes for years and this is by far the BEST gf cake I have ever tasted. It is soooooooo moist! I love it!! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious and EASY recipe. 🙂
Elizabeth says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Celeste says
Hi, I would love to give this a try however, I have a gas oven and the time and temp never work out for me. What would you recommend I do differently to get a good end result. Many thanks
Elizabeth says
I would invest in an oven thermometer. It sounds like your oven might not be running at the correct temperature. Once you find out what’s happening inside the oven, adjust the dial accordingly. Some ovens run too hot; other too cold.
Nikki says
Hi, I have made this cake before, and it is super rich and moist! Would the recipe work the same way if I omitted 1/4c of the sugar?
Elizabeth says
I think so. I hesitate to say because tinkering with the sugar can sometimes cause a recipe to fail. But, in this case, I think a reduction of 1/4 cup would work.
Emily says
This was delicious but very dense. Could that have been because I used a 12-cup bundt pan? I baked it for 49 minutes, until the tester came out clean but the cake was over baked. How long should I have baked it for?
Elizabeth says
This cake is very dense. I haven’t tested it in a bundt pan but, like you noticed, would assume that it would turn out pretty dense. As for the baking time, I can’t say because I haven’t tried this one as a bundt. It’s usually done when a cake tester comes out clean or has only a few crumbs clinging to it.
Sorry I don’t have additional info!
Ai says
Hi Elizabeth! I was initially planning to make the white funfetti cake recipe you’ve got, but then I saw this! I still want the colour pop, though, so it should be fine to just add the rainbow sprinkles into the batter just before pouring into pans, right?
Also, I have a tiny oven and only one pan. Would it affect if I keep the 2nd half of the batter out while waiting for the 1st half to bake then cool, before reusing the same pan for the 2nd half? Just wondering if the consistency of the 2nd half would be different due to being left out for ~40 minutes.
Ai says
I made the cake – the sprinkles completely disappeared, hahaha. Did they melt, I wonder?
And about splitting to 2 reusing the same pan, the problem was an uneven split. So my 1st pour accidentally had lesser than the 2nd, hence was denser and shorter too. But overall, so absolutely delicious! I paired it orange buttercream, being inspired by Terry’s Chocolate Orange (my favourite holiday treat)
Would definitely make this again sometime!
Elizabeth says
Yay! Glad you liked it. I think the sprinkles probably just couldn’t be seen in the dark batter. They do sort of melt and without a white or yellow cake, I think they’d be hard to see!
And I LOVE chocolate and orange. Excellent pairing!
Gabriela Aoun says
Made this cake for a birthday party yesterday and everyone loved it! It was so dense and delicious. I substituted coconut sugar for granulated and coconut milk for dairy milk. Will definitely make this again.
Eric says
I made my first cake ever using this recipe, and it turned out fabulously. Thank you so much.
One thing: in the text you say to use 1-1/4 cup of flour but in the instructions you say to use 1-3/4. I went with the latter and it word great.