By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On January 22, 2023
This easy gluten-free chocolate cake is super simple, and has the perfect texture.
You won't know it's gluten-free! It's my favorite gluten-free chocolate cake recipe and it will be yours too.
And it makes the best gluten-free birthday cake!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Sometimes you just need a little gluten-free cake chocolate cake to get you through the day. We make this chocolate cake recipe at least once a month.
It's simple, uses minimal ingredients, and it bakes up quick.
I often find that gluten-free cake recipes are complicated or call for a kazillion ingredients (ok, not a kazillion - but a lot).
I don't have the time or the brain space to bake up crazy big recipes, or recipes that have tons of steps in them.
I need gluten-free cake recipes to be simple, have less than 15 ingredients, and require two bowl or less - otherwise my kitchen ends up a massive wreck.
You know what I'm talking about right?
Piles and piles of dishes, all for one delicious thing - a gluten-free chocolate cake. You might be wondering why it has to be that way. Well, It doesn't.
There are amazing recipes out there, and they don't take forever to make or require you to hire a housekeeper to clean up after you in the kitchen. You just have to look for them.
Give this gluten-free chocolate cake a try and see what I mean. We often use this gluten-free cake recipe to make gluten-free birthday cake.
Do you love whipping up delicious desserts in the kitchen, but want to improve your skills? Take this Raw Vegan Desserts Course to become a gluten-free, dairy-free dessert pro!
When we first switched over to a gluten-free diet we struggled. Gluten-free recipes were over-complicated and we got frustrated in the kitchen.
We were tired of having to hunt down ingredients and even more tired of recipes failing.
Chocolate cake was one of the things we missed the most. Not flour-less chocolate cake, not chocolate cake made with nut butters, but regular old-fashioned gluten-free chocolate cake.
The kind that is crumbly on the outside, and spongy in the middle.
We tried a couple of gluten-free chocolate cake mixes (mind you, this was seven years before this post) and weren't satisfied. Most of them tasted like grass.
It wasn't until I started creating recipes from scratch that we found our perfect, easy gluten-free chocolate cake.
How to make gluten-free chocolate cake
There are a couple of tips and tricks to getting the right texture with gluten-free cake. First, you have to follow the recipe.
So many people comment on recipe posts saying that they made a ton of substitutions and the recipe didn’t turn out.
Other than the dairy substitute, I haven’t tried other substitutes in this recipe. If you use substitutions, you are doing so at your own risk.
Second, you want to mix at the right time and not over-mix. When you are beating the oil, sugar, and eggs you’ll want to beat it for the time listed.
This adds air which in turn helps the cake rise. Beating any longer will cause the batter to stiffen.
Can I make this gluten-free chocolate cake dairy-free?
Yes, you can make this gluten-free chocolate cake dairy-free. Simply use dairy-free milk in the gluten-free chocolate cake mix and use dairy-free butter in the frosting.
Can I make this gluten-free chocolate cake egg-free?
I haven't tried using an egg substitute in this gluten free chocolate cake but a few others have tried it with flax-egg.
If you make it egg free please stop back by and let me know which egg replacer you used.
If you don't want to experiment, you could always start with my Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes.
What causes a gluten-free cake to crack on top?
If your temperature is too high, or your cake is placed in the oven too high your cake may bake up into a high, cracked dome.
The heat of baking activates the baking powder and causes it to release carbon dioxide, which forms bubbles and raises the cake.
If your oven is too hot, that process is sped up. Make sure to place your cake in the center, and regularly check your oven's temperature.
Some of my favorite gluten-free cake recipes:
Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake
Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Ganache Cake
If you are looking for cupcake recipes, just search cupcakes in the search bar on the right. Here is a video of my gluten-free chocolate cupcakes, which uses the same ingredients as this chocolate cake.
Why did my gluten-free cake sink?
There are several reason why cakes sink, one is from over beating the batter and adding too much air. Also, cakes often will sink when there is too much moisture.
This is more common in humid climates where added moisture can collect naturally in ingredients such as flour.
When this occurs, cupcakes may rise rapidly and then fall during baking.
In higher elevations, the leavening agent works twice as hard and may cause the batter to rise rapidly and sink before it’s had a chance to set up.
All these tips are relevant to most cake and cupcake recipes, not just this Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake.
This gluten-free chocolate cake recipe is a family favorite.
I wanted to share it with you so you can find your happily-cake-ever-after.
This gluten-free cake recipe is simple enough that anyone can make it (yes, even the non-baker folks). Serve it with Gluten Free Ice Cream for an extra special treat.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! If you like cake then you'll also love my Gluten-Free Lemon Cake and my Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes.
If you make this gluten-free cake please stop back by here and let me know what you thought!
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
This easy gluten-free chocolate cake is super simple, and has the perfect texture.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups (320g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (285g) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (see note about flour blends below)
- ¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) gluten-free baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
- 2 large eggs (110g), room temperature
- 1 cup milk (260g) (or dairy-free milk)
- ½ cup (110g) vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 ½ teaspoons (4g) gluten-free vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (150g) boiling water (for activating the cocoa)
For the frosting:
- ½ cup (115g) butter (or dairy-free butter)
- 1 ½ teaspoons (4g) gluten-free vanilla extract
- ½ cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 ½ cups (450g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (40-60g) milk (or dairy-free milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps.
- Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for two minutes.
- Stir in boiling water.
- Spoon batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack.
- For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add cocoa powder and beat until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Slowly beat in milk. Beat in additional milk if needed, to obtain desired consistency.
- Frost cakes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- Flour Blend: I used my gluten free blend in this recipe and I've used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. I do NOT recommend using Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour blend has chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour) in it. Chickpea flour goes rancid rather fast and when it does it creates a dry and sour/bitter flavor. It also does something funny to this recipe.
- When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weight it but I don't have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16 slicesServing Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 407Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 347mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 2gSugar: 49gProtein: 4g
Jennifer
Wow what a delicious cake! Beats out all others I’ve made, gluten free or not. I made it in a 9 x 13 and it was perfect at about 36 minutes. Thank you so much!
Wendy Stoltz
That's great, Thanks Jennifer.
Cindy
This is my go to chocolate cake recipe, even fory non-gluten free family and friends! So delicious!!!
Wendy Stoltz
Thanks Cindy, glad you enjoyed it!
Simone Wright
What is gluten free blend flour?
Can I use shop brought self raising flour??
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Simone,
Some people battle to find gluten-free flour, so I made these blends for you to mix yourself https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/gluten-free-flours/. The recipes requires an all-purpose gluten-free flour not made with chickpea flour.
Melanie
How do you print this without all the ads?
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Melanie, go to the recipe card and click on the black print button.
Gianni
I made this cake for my sister, and because she's vegan, I replaced the eggs with applesauce (¼ C applesauce = 1 egg) and added the zest of 1 orange, and ot turned out super moist and so delicious. There were no leftovers!!
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Gianni, thank you for sharing you adjustments, I am so glad your sister enjoyed it!
Janine
For your Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe you link to the flour blend you use, however there are two flour blends: Flour Blend 1 and Flour Blend 2. Which one do you use for this recipe?
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Janine,
The first flour blend is a little lighter and it works great it all of my recipes for quick breads, cakes, donuts, and cookies. The second gluten free flour blend option has a bit more structure and it works well with rolls, bread, cinnamon rolls, and cookies. Use 1 for this recipe.
Emilie
Will GF King Arthur flour 1:1 work okay? Really want to make this and have a ton at home!
Wendy Stoltz
Yes you can Emilie
sadlyglutenfree
We exactly followed this recipe using Trader Joe’s gluten-free flour. We never even frosted it because after a tiny taste of the cake we threw it out. It tasted like bone broth or something nasty!
Wendy Stoltz
Hi,
I am sorry it didn't taste great. Others have enjoyed it, so I wonder if you want to perhaps try it again. Did your flour perhaps get exposed to other ingredients in your pantry or in the store as this is strange.
Margot
This looks great and I'm excited to try it for my daughter's birthday next week. I usually make cakes beforehand and freeze (both to work around my schedule and to make frosting it easier.)
Do you see this being a problem at all with this recipe?
Thanks!!!
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Margot, this cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Will that suit your timings? It should be ok to freeze but may dry out. I prefer fresh where possible.
Jess
This cake was delicious!!! I used the bobs red mill gluten free flour and it was AMAZING!!!! How long would you bake if you were doing cupcakes?
Wendy Stoltz
Thanks Jess, so glad you liked it. I would reduce the time by about 5% to 10%.
Joy
Would like to bake this in a quarter sheet pan, any recommendations?
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Joy,
You would need to do a math conversion from the 8-inch round cake pans to the size of your quarter sheet pan.
Jan
Have you ever tried freezing the cake prior to frosting?
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Jan,
Yes, it does work but sometimes can be a bit dryer than fresh.
Ronnie
Made this cake yesterday for a friend’s birthday everyone loved it.
Wendy Stoltz
Thanks Ronnie, glad it was enjoyed!
Tiffani
Made this cake & I could not get the middle done it was so jiggly & followed the recipe to a T. Never will make it again
Wendy Stoltz
Tiffani, I am sorry to hear that others have had success. Here's some possibilities. If you add too much baking powder, or using an old baking powder will make your cake undercooked. The most common reason is baking the cake at an elevated temperature so perhaps buy an oven thermometer as oven temperatures do vary.
Jessica
Do you added the boiling water to the wet or dry ingredients? Or added the boing water after its all combined? The directions were not very clear
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Jessica,
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps.
Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for two minutes.
Stir in boiling water.
You add the boiling water to the final mixture.
Anya
Made this on New Year’s with a French buttercream and it was SUCH a hit. Moist and flavorful. Baked it as one big sheet cake and adjusted the bake time slightly, but it baked perfectly. It rose quite a bit and was soo good with the French buttercream. No one could believe it was gluten free! I used King Arthur GF flour.
Wendy Stoltz
Thank you, Anya. Sounds good with French buttercream.
Leah
I see namaste Gluten Free flour blend at Costco. Have you worked with it? I have searched your recipes because I swear you spoke to several brands but can't find it. Any information would be amazingly helpful before I start.
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Leah,
I have not tried Namaste. I have this link for you. https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/best-gluten-free-flour-blend-recipes/. I like to use Bob Red Mill products.
Nancy Schaefer
Chocolate cake recipe is horrible.
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Nancy,
I am sorry you did not like it. Can you let us know what was "horrible" so we can perhaps troubleshoot?