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!
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.
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
- Grain-Free Hummingbird Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon 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 ingredient 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 recipe is also in my cookbook, “Sweet & Simple Gluten-Free Baking; Irresistible classics in 10 ingredients or less!” I wanted to share it with you so you can find your happily-cake-ever-after. The recipe is simple enough that anyone can make it (yes, even the non-baker folks).
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 cake please stop back by here and let me know what you thought!
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups (320g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (285g) all purpose gluten-free flour blend
- 3/4 cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) gluten-free baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (6g)
- 2 large eggs (110g), room temperature
- 1 cup milk (260g) (or dairy-free milk)
- 1/2 cup (110g) vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4g) gluten-free vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (150g) boiling water (for activating the cocoa)
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter (or dairy-free butter)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4g) gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 1/2 cups (450g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 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
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: 407 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 40mg Sodium: 347mg Carbohydrates: 66g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 49g Protein: 4g
leisha says
I used gluten free baking mix by Kroger and I cooked my cupcakes at the same temp for 16 – 18 minutes
they are WONDERFUL thank you!
chrystal says
Hi Leisha,
Thank you for stopping back by and letting me know you liked them!
Best,
Chrystal
Chloe says
Hi, just made this cake as a test run and loved it. Not done too much gf baking but making this for my sister’s bday and shes gluten intolerant. Just wondering if you’ve ever tried doubling the recipe to make a larger cake? I know quite often doubling cake recipes doesn’t work out, not sure if i should make two batched instead of just doubling it. thanks
chrystal says
Hi Chloe,
I’m so glad you like it! I haven’t doubled this recipe before, but if you decide to give it a try reduce the amount of hot water by 1/4 cup.
Best,
Chrystal
Vicki Sanchez says
Hi Chrystal! My oldest son, who has Celiac Disease, turns 22 tomorrow. I was wondering if you have ever made this recipe in a mold before? I always make his cakes Halloween themed, and I bought a new “skull” cake mold. I was hoping to break it in for his birthday cake.
chrystal says
Hi Vicki,
Thank you for stopping by. I haven’t made this cake in a mold, but if the skull mold isn’t too deep it should work. Just watch the center for doneness.
Best,
Chrystal
Linda says
Great cake. I was worried because I was about tablespoon short of cocoa and when mixing it was really sticky. Little hard to stir boiling water in without over mixing but still getting smooth. End result was great. Even my gluten free naysayers loved it. I used a vanilla buttercream frosting though made it and cake dairy free. Was delicious. Thank you so much. Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
LindaS says
Great cake. I was worried because I was about tablespoon short of cocoa and when mixing it was really sticky. Little hard to stir boiling water in without over mixing but still getting smooth. End result was great. Even my gluten free naysayers loved it. I used a vanilla buttercream frosting though made it and cake dairy free. Was delicious. Thank you so much. Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
chrystal says
I’m so glad you liked it, thank you for stopping by letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Susan Marais says
Will almond flour work for this recipe?
chrystal says
Hi Susan,
Allman flour will not work as a one to one in this recipe. I do have a recipe for almond flour muffins that would work as a cake. Just search for double chocolate muffins on my website.
Best,
Chrystal
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t know vanilla extracts could have gluten in them.
chrystal says
HI Vanessa,
Yes, some processed vanilla extracts use glutinous ingredients. Thank you for stopping by!
Best,
Chrystal
Cat says
Hi, I want to bake this, but just unclear: once you add the flour and dry ingredients , do you mix for 2 minutes or just enough to blend everything? Your instructions seem to go against your advice above the recipe about overmixing. Thanks
chrystal says
Hi Cat,
Thank you for the catch. I’ve updated the advice section. For this recipe you’ll want to beat for two minutes. Then stir in the hot water.
Best,
Chrystal
Eileen Burden says
this cake was wonderful and easy to make. It really does not taste like a gluten-free cake at all. I have not had much luck with gluten-free cakes from scratch and resorted to box cake mixes. But this one will always be my go to cake. Thanks, Eileen
chrystal says
Hi Eileen,
Thank you for stopping by and letting me know you like it 🙂 So glad!
Best,
Chrystal
Renee says
Haha #9!!! The first time I made this, it was gone in 3 days! Making it again tonight, but will have a full house for the next couple of days, so it might not make it to day 2!! Keeping it in the fridge made the cake an amazing texture… not as light and fluffy, but decadently dense and delicious! Also, at the recipient’s request, I subbed 1/2 of the milk in the icing with lime juice. mmmmmm……
chrystal says
Hi Renee,
I’m so glad you love it! Thank you for stopping by and letting me know. Lime juice in the icing sounds delish 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Tiffany says
I just wanted to let you know I made this with King Arthur One-to-One flour today and have not had problems like other commenters describe (crumbly, etc.) so far. I won’t frost it until tonight but I’ll comment again if I have problems. It’s easy to overlook the boiling water and perhaps they forgot that, as I can imagine it would be fairly crumbly and cookie-like if you did. The tops I cut off taste a little like a cup of hot cocoa or something – way better than a GF box mix!
chrystal says
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you so much for letting me know! This is one of my favorite cakes, and yes sometimes people leave out the boiling water. I think also, a lot of times people measure the flour wrong (scoop their measuring cup into the flour, when you should spoon it into the measuring cup) and it causes the cake to be drier/crumbly. So glad that you were able to get great results with King Arthur. I haven’t tried it in this recipe myself.
All my best,
Chrystal
Krystal says
Omg this cake recipe is amazing! Thanks for sharing all your expertise. Followed instructions and turned out perfectly
chrystal says
Hello Krystal,
I am so glad you like it. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Katerina says
Hi, it looks great. Is it possible to get the ingredients in grams please? thank You,Katka
chrystal says
Hi Katerina,
Next time I make it, I will grab the measurement in grams.
Best,
Chrystal
Teresa murphy says
I chose this recipe for my very first attempt at a gluten free dairy free birthday cake. The texture of the cake turned out great, but the taste was not so good. I followed the directions to a tee. I’m wondering if the brand of gf flour I used was a bad choice (Krusteaz brand). I also used Cristo butter flavored shortening in the frosting, and that was a big mistake (tastes terrible).
chrystal says
Hi Teresa,
So glad the texture turned out. I actually am not a fan of Krusteaz brand flour mix. I would guess that flour coupled with the shortening in the frosting were the culprit of the less then desired taste. I recommend using butter or a dairy-free butter in the frosting. Also, this cake tastes best with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour Blend, or GF Jules flour blend.
Hope that helps,
Chrystal
Heidi says
I’m going to attempt this cake for my mother in law’s birthday… Have you ever tried substituting maple syrup for sugar?
chrystal says
Hi Heidi,
I haven’t used maple syrup in this cake recipe. Usually when I use it, I use it in one of my grain free recipes.
Best,
Chrystal
Julia says
I made this today for my husband’s birthday. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out very dry
It was good though. I used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 to 1 baking flour.
chrystal says
Hi Julia,
Sorry to hear that. The cake shouldn’t have been dry. There are a few things that can cause it. One, if too much flour is added. This can happend depending on your measuring methods. Also, if your oven runs hot or if the cake baked too long. I’m glad it still was good. Hope that helps.
Best,
Chrystal
Alex says
Hello. Made this for my husband’s birthday yesterday. It looked great, no cracks and rose nicely. It did end up tasting like a car tire. Used the Schãr flour available here in Germany for baking and I think that might be the culprit. Have to look around for some other gluten free flour.
chrystal says
HI Alex,
I haven’t tried the Schar flour myself, but looking at the ingredients online I can see why it wouldn’t have turned out. If you do look for another flour blend, look for one that has a combination of rice, potato, and either tapioca or arrowroot in it. Also, blends with rice, tapioca and sourghum are really nice for baked goods. I hope that helps!
Best,
Chrystal
Ginny says
Excited to try this receipe. Will it work for cupcakes?
chrystal says
Hi Ginny,
Yes, you can use it for cupcakes or follow the cupcake recipe here: https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/easy-gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/
Let me know how they turn out!
Best,
Chrystal
Christina says
Made this cake for husband’s birthday so I could partake in the celebration. I am gluten free. Husband did not notice it was GF and was happily surprised. So he made it again for my birthday yesterday. It was so delicious. We used Pillsbury all purpose gluten free flour and almond milk, original reduced sugar, and canola oil.
Christina
chrystal says
Hi Christina,
I am so glad you and your husband like this cake recipe 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Christina says
I forgot to mention we sifted the flour
Pam says
I have made both the GF Chocolate Cake and the GF Vanilla Cupcakes – and they are both wonderful! I will definitely use these recipes as my GO TO! Tomorrow I will do the Lemon Cupcakes, but I’m sure they will be just as yummy!! ENJOY!!!
chrystal says
Hi Pam,
I am so glad you like them both. They are lovely recipes. Thank you for stopping by to leave a comment.
Best,
Chrystal
Mary says
Hello! I am planning on making this for my sister’s 21st birthday. Is there a way to incorporate red wine in the batter?
chrystal says
Hi Mary,
I haven’t personally tried red wine in the batter. You might be able to use it in the frosting or make a reduction sauce to drizzle on top?
Best,
Chrystal
Grace says
I can’t eat white potatoes. What could I substitute so that I can make this cake? It looks yummy. My pantry has sorghum, buckwheat, & sweet rice flours and corn and arrowroot starch. All the mixes have potato starch and this is a constant source of frustration for me and others who have to eat gf and can’t have foods from the nightshade family. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
chrystal says
Hi Grace,
You can substitute arrowroot in place of the potato starch in my flour blend recipe. Also, my friend Shay at What the Fork Food Blog has a blend that is nightshade free. https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/2016/01/14/nightshade-free-gluten-free-flour-mix/
I hope that helps,
Chrystal
Grace says
Thanks. I can’t wait to make it in a trial run before I serve it to company. More cake to enjoy that way 🙂
Brenda says
Thank you for posting this recipe! I made them in small ramakins, lined with parchment paper, so I could make individual double layered cakes to take to a dinner party where several people with gluten intolerance we’re attending. They turned out beautifully! Popped right out of the ramakins without breaking apart. They were very moist and chocolatey!
chrystal says
Hi Brenda,
I am so glad you like this recipe. I love the idea of making little individual double cakes, so clever! Thank you for stopping by.
All my best,
Chrystal