Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

This one bowl cake is gluten free chocolate. It’s wonderfully moist, fluffy with a tender crumb and I swear you would never know that it was gluten free and dairy free.

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I don’t even know where to start because I can’t even begin to explain how much I love this homemade gluten free chocolate cake! It is effortless (just 10 minutes in one bowl easy), moist, fluffy, rich, spongey, cake (obviously) 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 is topped with a smooth as silk buttercream of the chocolate variety which simply melts in your mouth. The latter can either be packed with dairy or dairy-free; however, I made mine dairy-free by using vegan butter. As for the cake itself, it is naturally devoid of dairy which makes the choice of butter cream yours!

You do not have to wait for any special day to make this cake though if you serve it to your friends, they will be impressed – it tastes just like real thing.

Key ingredients

FLOUR. The flour used for a perfect cake is very important! I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour for this recipe and most of my gluten-free cake recipes. However, if you use another mixture, ensure it contains xanthan gum.

COCOA. Cocoa makes our chocolate rich. You will need a cup of cocoa for this recipe.

EGGS. With three large eggs, your cake will be fluffy and all ingredients will stick together so that it does not crumble or fall apart.

SUGAR. In order to have just the right amount of sweetness without too much molasses flavor from brown sugar, you’ll want to use both white sugar and brown sugar.

MILK. I used almond milk because that was what I had on hand but any other kind; either dairy or non-dairy can be used.

COFFEE. When baking with chocolate, I enjoy coffee as an ingredient because it enhances the taste wonderfully well which is divine! If you don’t like coffee then hot water would work instead.

OIL. Any type of plain oil works here! Personally, I went in for refined avocado oil in this case.

How to make gluten free chocolate cake

Place one 9×13 cake pan or two round 8 inch pans is what you need to do. You can also spray the bottom with oil and place parchment paper in it. Personally, I use them so that my work becomes simple. Set aside.

Take a large mixing bowl and whisk together all of the wet ingredients other than coffee/boiling water. Then, add sifted dry ingredients and whisk.

Pour in the coffee or boiling water and whisk until combined. The batter will be pretty thin.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan: For layer cakes, try to measure each cake as equally as possible or use a kitchen scale for best results.

For sheet cake bake 35-45 minutes; for layer cake bake 32-37 minutes till toothpick comes out clean. But since every oven is different just keep an eye on it.

Leave in pan(s) to cool for about ten to twenty minutes after which carefully turn over onto cooling racks. They should slip right out then peel off bottom parchment paper and flip back up right.

Allow them to thoroughly cool before frosting. After they have cooled down, frost your buttercream with some sprinkles or other toppings!

The best flour blend

I have an extreme attachment to Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour. I have never had a bad outcome from it and its results are consistently moist, fluffy, non-sticky and perfectly balanced.

However King Arthur has also good gluten free blend but I strongly suggest using Bob’s Red Mill for better results since every gluten free flour blend is unique.

Just make sure you use a mix with xanthan gum! For successful gluten-free baking, you typically need xanthan gum and/or eggs that can help bind all the ingredients together. Works well in my mint chocolate cake!

Getting the perfect texture

Some things that not only makes this cake moist, but also makes it spongey just enough without being too light or too heavy.

Firstly, the eggs! This recipe calls for three whole eggs that give the cake volume and contribute to excellent mouthfeel.

Secondly, mix technique! Over-mixed cake can be just as tragic as under-mixed; thus you have to strike a balance.

There is however a risk of too much air getting into your batter through an electric mixer which will eventually cause your cake to sag in the center and collapse once off from heat.

A dense cake can result from not putting enough air into the batter using a wooden spoon. On the other hand, a whisk is good for allowing an adequate amount of air into the batter to make it moist and spongey.

The last one is milk, oil or even boiling water as part of other liquid ingredients! I know you think this is strange but while it seems that way, adding boiling water to cocoa powder makes it “active” so as to give great chocolate flavor that is not dry. Believe me, it’s awesome!

Tips on storage and baking

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. It keeps extremely moist when left in a container. Never have I had a dry cake.

Typically I just put mine on top of my cake stand with a cake cover and it stays fresh!

Lastly, ensure that as you bake your cake place it right in the middle of your oven. This allows for uniform baking and prevents rising too fast or too slow.

No one wants a cracked top with a very high dome caused by excessive rising! For an even bake keep it in center and make sure eggs, baking soda as well as baking powder are used to rise.