This gluten free vegan chocolate cake will blow you away – with how it looks, how it tastes and how incredibly easy it is to prepare. No fuss, no weird fancy ingredients, only an hour of your time… and you’ve got yourself a decadent, gorgeous gluten free vegan cake. And the best thing: nobody could possibly guess that it contains no gluten, no eggs, no butter and no milk. Yes, it’s that good.
When it comes to vegan and/or gluten free baking, there’s this persistent belief that it’s the most complicated, difficult thing on the planet – borderline rocket science.
The thing is: people like to complicate… pretty much everything… pretty much all the time. (And please note that this is coming from the – self-proclaimed – queen of over-complicating things.) Yes, baking without gluten, eggs, butter and milk can be daunting. But once you step over that initial hurdle (that’s only in your head anyway), it’s a piece of cake. Really. Really really. Pinky promise.
So let’s jump into it, shall we? Because we’re totally badass and nothing scares us (not even egg-less baking) – and because CHOCOLATE IS THE BEST THING EVER, we’ll start with a *drumroll* gluten free vegan chocolate cake.
Deep breaths now. We got this. You got this. Mmkay?
Just look how pretty it is. So pretty.
Now, you might think a vegan chocolate cake recipe will be difficult to master. There’s no egg to hold things together and to give the cake it’s lift, no gluten to prevent the cake from going crumbly, no butter to keep it rich and moist… It’s okay, I thought so to. Initially.
But then, I remembered that quirky recipe that’s been around since the WWII: the wacky cake. You see, due to the shortage of just about everything during WWII, clever people have come up with a chocolate cake recipe that contains no eggs and no dairy. Does this ring a bell?
It sure did for me. If they could do it, surely a simple substitution of normal flour for gluten free flour should result in a gluten free AND vegan chocolate cake with no major problems. Aaaaand… I was right. (It’s a brilliant feeling, that.)
I didn’t follow a specific wacky cake recipe or anything similar. (Simply because I really don’t like following recipes. Go figure. And I have a food blog. With recipes. Don’t try to understand, I know I don’t.) I just threw the ingredients together in a way that felt right (<— yep, 100% accurate scientific procedure right there) and the cake that came out of the oven was… perfect.
Chocolatey.
Moist.
Sweet.
Rich.
So darn good.
(And easy to make. SUPER easy to make, actually.)
It also has the prefect balance between being dense and fluffy – I know that may sound contradictory, but it’s so true. It has the fluffiness of a good sponge, so that when you press it with your finger it has that bounce of a perfect sponge.
But like any good chocolate cake, it’s not too dry or airy – because everyone knows a good chocolate cake is moist and has a certain weight to it. Does that make sense? Tell me it makes sense.
The vegan chocolate frosting is another example where simplicity and effectiveness go hand in hand. Two ingredients, little to no fuss, and you’ve got yourself some amazing chocolate frosting.
Coconut cream and melted chocolate. That’s all you need.
Now, you’ll notice that the instructions for making the vegan chocolate frosting are a bit… odd. But there’s a reason for that. Because we’re essentially making a “naked cake” with very generous amounts of frosting, I wanted a chocolate frosting that has the airy body/volume of a whipped buttercream and the smooth texture of a chocolate ganache.
You with me so far?
So what I did is make a super concentrated ganache, by pouring a relatively small amount of boiling hot coconut cream over a whole lot of chocolate. This makes an intense, very dark ganache, that may appear slightly grainy (depending on the water content of your coconut cream). That’s okay though. No stress.
Then, I mixed the chocolate ganache gradually into more coconut cream. Which is weird, I know. But it works. It really really works.
I mean… just look at it. It’s all silky and velvety and just… gorgeous.
Have I convinced you yet? That gluten free and/or vegan baking can be (and is) simple?
I suppose the ultimate proof is in making and eating (obviously) the cake. All I can say is that this vegan chocolate cake recipe is probably one of the easiest on TLW, and when I brought the cake with me to work, people were impressed both with how it looked and how it tasted. Nobody could tell that it’s gluten free and vegan. Nobody could tell it took only about an hour to make.
What they saw and tasted was an amazing chocolate cake that delivered on all fronts. What more could you possible want?
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Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake (Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free)
Ingredients
For gluten free vegan chocolate sponge:
DRY:
- 2 cups (240 g) gluten free flour
- 1 1/3 cup (260 g) caster sugar (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
WET:
- 1 cup (240 mL) vegetable oil
- 2 cup (480 mL) non-dairy milk (for instance coconut milk, rice milk or almond milk if not sensitive to nuts)
For vegan chocolate frosting:
- 1 cup (200 g) coconut cream, divided (Note 2)
- 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped
Optional:
- chocolate shavings for decorating
- raspberries for decorating
Instructions
For gluten free vegan chocolate sponge:
- Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and grease two 6 inch (15 cm) round cake tins with vegetable oil. You can also line the bottoms with greaseproof/baking paper.
- Mix all dry ingredients together.
- Mix the wet ingredients together, and add them to the dry ingredients. Stir well, until you get a smooth cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two greased cake tins, smooth out the tops, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 40 minutes or until the tops are springy/bouncy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool.
For vegan chocolate frosting:
- In a saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the coconut cream until boiling hot.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and pour over the boiling hot coconut cream. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then stir it well until you get a glossy, dark, intense chocolate ganache. Allow to cool until only slightly warm.
- In a separate bowl, place the other 1/2 cup of coconut cream. This should be at room temperature or only very slightly cold. Slowly (a tablespoon at a time), stir the chocolate ganache into the coconut cream. At the end, you should be left with a smooth, easily spreadable frosting ideal for decorating.(If you want a more intensely chocolatey frosting, decrease the amount of coconut cream.)
Assembly:
- Layer the sponges together with the frosting, like in the pictures above.NOTE: Be sure to work relatively quickly – use the frosting as soon as possible after preparing it, as it tends to firm up slightly on standing, which makes it difficult to spread.
- Decorate with raspberries and chocolate shavings, or other decorations of choice.
- Enjoy!
Storage:
- The gluten free vegan chocolate cake keeps well in a closed container in a cool dry place (the fridge is fine, too) for 3 - 4 days.
Notes
Looking for more sweet vegan goodness? You’ve come to the right place!
1-Bowl Gluten Free Vegan Sugar Cookies
I made this cake for my birthday this week. It was delicious! My mother-in-law who loves baking with gluten, eggs, milk, and butter said that the cake was so yummy, and she doesn’t usually comment on much unless she feels strongly about it. So, that is high praise indeed. The texture and flavor of this cake is sooo good! I used King Arthur’s 1:1 GF flour. So, I did not need to add the xanthan gum. It was so nice to have a cake that was safe for me that was also magically delicious. Thank you!
I made this for a friends birthday last week……..they are STILL talking about it! Thankyou so much for sharing this AMAZING recipe.
I am not vegan but made this for my sister in law and it was amazing. Thank you
This looks great! I’m not a fan of caster sugar or vegetable oil though – would coconut sugar and coconut oil be okay instead? Thanks!
Hi Ashlee, you can try using coconut sugar and coconut oil, but I haven’t tested these substitutions so I can’t guarantee how the cake will turn out.
I made this cake today. It turned out great. I used my own frosting recipe, but loved the cake. It was so light and fluffy.
I am so glad I finally found an amazing vegan cake recipe! I would like to make this cake again for my grandma’s b-day
So easy to make and it’s so delicious with a very nice texture. Loved it so much. Thanks so much for this recipe. I had tried a few other GF Vegan recipes but they were terrible.
Very good recepie. Thanks for sharing.
I have made it for 2 of my customers and they loved the cake.
If I turn this into cupcakes, I’m assuming I keep the recipe exactly the same? Would this work using muffin liners or would the cake being gluten free stick to it? Thanks!!
Yes, you can keep the recipe the same, just divide between the muffin liners. You can definitely use them – to ensure that it doesn’t stick, you can bush the insides of the muffin liners with some oil (or spray with non-stick spray).
The cake itself is a good recipe but be careful if you make 8 or 9-inch circles as it will cook faster. Mine came out drier than I expected and I probably should have reduced the baking time more.
The frosting was pretty much a disaster because it wrecked the presentation. I think it could be a good recipe if it was more precisely written, but I believe the lack of specificity leaves it open to different interpretations and results. For example, the hot coconut cream wasn’t enough to soften my chocolate. I had to use a double boiler method. Also, if you use less coconut cream, as suggested, to make it darker, you will have a stiffer result, and this recipe is already prone to getting too firm. I could not get my ganache to mix well with the cooler cream, so had to use a hand mixer. This may have further stiffened my results. If I were to try it again, I’d use an entire can of coconut cream WITH the liquid (I used just the solids—in a warmer climate, you may have not had separation). This might have yielded the fluffy, creamy frosting I see pictured. I used more than one cup and mine was not thick or fluffy and didn’t even stick to the cake once set, so when it was cut, the layers fell apart into 4. Each cake layer and each frosting layer completely separated on people’s plates. I was so sad because it was so much work getting the frosting to work and this was for for guests, not family members, whom you can experiment on and not feel so bad. I would be careful about using this frosting recipe if it’s an important occasion.
I’ve made a lot of vegan and gluten-free chocolate cakes for my allergy son and wheat-intolerant partner but this one blows them all out of the water! Unbelievable rise, texture and taste – and SO EASY! Thank you!
A friend made this cake and it was so delicious, I made it too. My sponge was so moist and the ganache so rich! However, my cake tasted like it had way too much baking soda in it and my ganache was a little too wet. I will definitely make this cake again with only 1/2 tsp of baking soda. I wish I had read all the comments before baking. I now know how to fix the ganache (fridge & whip!) and to leave out the xanthum gum since my flour already had it (which I didn’t realize until reading the comments).
I made this recipe into cupcakes with a raspberry filling, and it was delicious! I have listed some notes that you may want to know before diving into the recipe.
1. You may get a slight metallic aftertaste because of the higher amounts of leavening agents. (because the bake is gluten-free) Though it is almost unnoticeable when eating it as a whole
2. If you have a sweet tooth. Then you may want to increase the sugar from 1 1/3 of a cup to 1 1/2 a cup or just to your taste.
3. I made a LOT of adjustments to the ganache because I felt it was too rich and needed it to be more balanced. Plus the texture was too runny, to spread on cupcakes. ( to balance everything out, I added a tart raspberry filling and added it to the ganache.
I’ve made this chocolate vegan recipe for a few vegan cake orders now and it’s delicious and looks beautiful!! My 6 year old twins also love it! Hugest thanks for posting 🙏🙏🙌🙌
Hi! If my gf flour has xanthan gum in it, do I still need to add ti separately? I use the Bob’s 1:1 GF all purpose flour. Thanks!
Hi Katie, if your GF flour blend already contains xanthan gum, no need to add it separately. Happy baking!
Made this cake recipe and did them into cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday this past week and they were a huge hit even with those who do not have food sensitivities. I used Bob’s Red Mill GF all purpose baking flour 1:1, monk fruit as the sweetener and added 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. For the ganache I used Enjoy semi sweet chocolate chips and then garnished with raspberries which complimented the cake perfectly. Cake was SUPER moist and tasted wonderful! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
As someone who is careful in choosing recipes, I can say this will be a definitely be a go-to chocolate cake recipe for our family(with a gluten allergy and egg allergy). Non-allergy people enjoy it as much as we do!!
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR: After a couple of days the cake will be noticeably dry, so maybe try adding a simple syrup to the layers before frosting. The cake is not too sweet, so maybe add more sugar if you have a bigger sweet tooth. I, for one like a less sweet cake and a more sugary frosting to complement it (I made my own buttercream for piping roses). We also enjoy adding something pizazz by adding lightly floured chocolate chips to the batter. THESE THINGS DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DETRACT FROM THE DELICIOUS EXPERIENCE:)
I made this cake for Christmas. The cake is awesome! my icing was so good, though not as thick and fluffy as the picture of yours. it was more of a ganache quarter inch thickness. Where did I go wrong? do you whip yours in a kitchen aid?
All together it was delicious!!!! I am just trying to learn how to make a fluffier one!
Thanks!
Dara
Hi Dara, so glad you enjoyed the cake! You shouldn’t need to whip the frosting: as you fold the coconut cream into the ganache, that should firm up the frosting as it cools down and the chocolate starts setting. If it’s a bit too runny, you could pop it into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up a bit more before spreading onto the cake. It’s very important that the coconut cream is very thick and creamy, rather than runny!
Can I make this into cupcakes? If so, do you know how the baking time would be affected?
Hi Becca, this should work as cupcakes – they usually take around 18-22 minutes in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven. Check whether they’re done with a toothpick or skewer, just to be sure.
I’m looking forward to trying the recipe for my granddaughters. I don’t have 6 inch pans. Will one bigger pan work as well? I’m making this for their Thanksgiving dessert!!!
Hi Sally, you can definitely make the sponge in one larger pan – you’ll just need to prolong the baking time slightly.
My frosting is a bit runny, any tip how-to thicken it?
You could add more chocolate (which will firm up as it cools down) or cocoa powder, which tends to thicken frostings.
The frosting recipe calls for “dark chocolate” and there are so many types, I am not sure what to use? Bittersweet chocolate? Unsweetened chocolate? Does the % of cocoa matter? Thank you! Looking forward to trying this recipe to make for my gluten free, dairy allergy, no egg friends.!
Hi Veronica, I like to use dark chocolate in the 60-70% cocoa solids range.
Hi. I love your recipe. I have just one question about the frosting. Do I mix/ whisk ganache into the coconut cream in blender? Or just mid with a hand?
Hi Irina, I just mixed the two by hand.
Is there a way for me to substitute honey or agave or the sugar listed in the ingredients?
Hi Tami, I haven’t tested any alternative liquid sweeteners in this recipe so I couldn’t say for sure – but I think it should work OK.
I love the texture of this cake but would like it a bit sweeter. Can I just increase the sugar or will that mess with the texture? Also, would a little vanilla extract as some flavor? Thanks!
Hi Erin, you can definitely increase the amount of sugar and add vanilla extract, it shouldn’t hugely affect the texture.
If my flour blend has xantham gum, do i still have to add it in?
No need to add it for this recipe.
I’m bloody thrilled with this recipe!! I agreed to making a cake free from egg, gluten, dairy, soy and nuts and was sure it was going to be a disaster…. but this turned out incredible. So thrilled. Delicious for those who didnt have food intolerances also.
Whoops forgot to leave a rating on my comment. 5 stars. I’ve made this three times in the week since I found the recipe… I used carton coconut milk and rice bran oil as my wet mixture (plus a touch of EVOO) and Edmonds GF flour (New Zealand product). One batch I added a splash of balsamic vinegar, some coffee and some psyllium husk as well. I also added a touch of icing sugar to the frosting. The frosting is SO GOOD, the recipe is very generous amounts so I had a jar full leftover which is so tasty to eat by the spoonful. I also added some strawberry jam between the two layers. Yum.
Thank you for an amazing gluten free/egg free recipe (I used regular milk and butter as my son is allergic to wheat and eggs and it was easier to use what I already had for the other ingredients). It’s hard to manage his allergies and for his third birthday I wanted him to have a cake that was delicious and safe for him and this was perfect! So easy to follow and I really appreciate you answering mine and everybody else’s questions. Can’t say how much this means to me to have to to recipe like this! Will be making the cupcakes soon!! Oh and it was a hit with him and everyone <3
I have made the mixture and the batter is rather runny, any tips to thicken it up please?
Gluten free chocolate cake batters are usually quite runny (so that the final cake end up super moist), but they bake up perfectly!
Delicious cake, sponge is moist and light. Only downside is both sponges fell apart upon removing from tins but we ended up putting straight into pudding bowls & pouring over the ganache – went down a treat!
I’ve made this cake twice and it’s been fantastic every time!
The first cake flour didn’t have xantham gum so I added it but the secound Cake flour blend did have xanthan gum in it.
Question:if flour already has xanthan gum can we leave it out?
Planning to use bobs 1:1.
Thanks
So glad you like the cake!! Yes, if your GF flour blend already contains xanthan gum, no need to add it separately.
So good! I made it sugar free using Allulose and stevia for the cake and frosting and unsweetened chocolate in the frosting. It was so yummy!
I made this a couple of days ago to serve at a family dinner last night, and it was a big hit. I’ll 100% be making it again, and I’m not vegan or gf.
I made the icing a day early and refrigerated it, then whipped it up with a bit of extra coconut cream the next day, and it worked a treat.
This is my family’s favourite cake… made it for the 3rd time today… thank you for sharing!!!
This made a perfect chocolate sponge – flat top, moist, proper cake thickness (GF egg-free cakes are often thin), airy texture. I used buckwheat flour and dark brown sugar. I used 8 inch tins, and the iced cake is 6cm high.
My Nephew who is 3 is severely allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs. I made this cake for him to share with the family and other kids – No one could tell it was vegan! It was moist and Super delicious, the Vegan Genach icing was perfect! He was SO happy to be part of sharing the same Cake as every one else. For a small child, he always felt excluded because he couldn’t eat what the other kids ate. But this time! He kept laughing and running around because he felt so included! – 5 Stars! <3 I love it! It's really perfect!
I made this cake and it was the most moist, chocolatey cake I’ve ever made, period. This was my first ever attempt at a vegan recipe and I chose it because I was making it for a friend who’s child is allergic to eggs. I definitely recommend this recipe to absolutely EVERYONE, vegan or otherwise. Thank you very much for sharing!
absolutely love love this choc cake! It turned out very well. I used psyllium husk instead of xanthan gum. Its a must try!
I’m going to try steaming the cake for 30 minutes on the stove top in a 9″ round flex-form pan, inside a larger pot, with a 6″cake rack and water on the bottom. I don’t have an oven…
Tried this cake for my gluten intolerant sister in law. No one could tell this was gluten free OR vegan! My toddler loved it too! I omitted the xantham gum and baking soda- substituted it with 1 Tablespoon of psyllium husk and a pinch more baking powder. Worked like a charm!
This chocolate cake is truly amazing! Super moist! I haven’t had a moist Choc cake for so long. Whole family loved it, gluten free people and non gf people. Will be our new go to recipe for birthday cakes.
Highly recommend.
Added some extra icing sugar in frosting, just yum.
Thanks for this tasty and simple recipe.
This was the best recipe I have found yet! The cake was moist and didn’t crumble. Even though my skills still need some refining this was a great cake.
WOW I’m speechless ! This cake is sooo darn good! I’ve recently been diagnosed with many food allergies which has made cooking, baking and eating a huge challenge. This is by far the best cake AND the easiest cake I’ve made so far! Everyone loves it…even those than can eat anything. I was concerned about the amount of sugar but it is just sweet enough and enough of chocolate favor as well.I also didn’t find it “oily” tasting. Just a BIG thank you for this recipe! I can enjoy dessert again…YEAH! Can’t wait to try your other recipes as well.
Super simple, super amazing
This recipe was fantastic! Thank you! 😊
It’s a big hit with my partner as well, and that’s saying something, as he isn’t vegan and hates anything gluten free.
I didn’t have any xzanthium gum, so omitted it and added 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk instead. I also added a little egg replacer for good measure.
Instead of 2 cups of milk I use 1 cup of soy milk and 1 cup of strong instant coffee.
I also had problems with the ganache being very runny like a lot of others have mentioned, but luckily knew how to remidy this.
I just put it in the freezer for 10 mins or so and then mixed with an electric hand mixer. 😊
Also, I found the amount of batter to be perfect! I cooked it in my 5 thin layer pans on about 160 celcius for about 20 mins.
Thanks again for a delicious recipe!
Thanks just looking for how to fix my running frosting 😬 Had put in the fridge whilst checking so hopefully a mix with the beaters will remedy it 😛
Excellent recipe!!! I’m not gluten intolerant or vegan, but wanted to make a cake for a friend s birthday. I was completely stressing for 3 weeks over making a cake with next to no ‘normal’ ingredients… I shouldn’t have, because it was so easy (mix wet with dry, and bake!) and actually tasted great. I had so many compliments, it was moist, chocolatey just what a good cake should be! I needed a bigger cake so I cooked in a 9″ square pan and cooked 2, the were about 1 1/2 – 2 inches high each. I did actually use a different frosting as I couldn’t use coconut, but I would definitely make this again Thankyou!
I’ve made this cake twice now & using different oil & different milk. I’m reading all these great reviews & I’m just unsure what I’m doing wrong.
The cake turns out well looks great, had a good texture & it’s nice & moist. It had a really strange taste though & I / we just cannot eat it. Could it be the flour making it taste this way?
Are you by any chance using a GF flour mix that already contains raising agents? If that’s the case, then the total amount of baking powder and baking soda could be too much, giving the cake an unpleasant aftertaste.
can I replace all of the oil with applesauce?
Hi Lynn, I haven’t experimented with this substitution – I think it should be possible, but the cake may end up a bit dry and I’m not sure what effect it will have on the texture/taste. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes! 🙂
I have a DF + GF chocolate cake recipe that uses ground almond in place of any fine flour; however it’s not eggless. Have you tried using ground nuts in place of the GF flour?
Hi Beth, I don’t think ground almonds (or almond flour) will work well in this recipe – the texture will probably be more brownie-like and not a light as you would want a cake to be.
Hi
Just wondering if you can make this nice icing in advance and how would you store it?
Thanks
Angela
Hi Angela, I find that the frosting is best made on the day. However, making it a day in advance and keeping it in the fridge should be fine, just bring it to room temperature before using it, so it can be easily spread or piped.
Also is it okay to pipe, or do you need to beat it?
You can definitely pipe it as is, but if you want it to be fluffier, you can beat it a stand/hand mixer.
I made this chocolate cake for my friend who is having digestive problems at the moment and so is gluten and dairy free. It worked out really well and we all enjoyed it! I left the tin of coconut milk in the fridge as you suggested and it worked a treat
I’m so glad you and your friend enjoyed the cake, Hilary! 🙂
COuld you make this in a 9×13 pan or does it need to be the two round pans?
You can definitely make it in a 9×13 pan, but you might need to adjust the baking time slightly.
We made this cake for our daughter’s 21st, with a rice flour-based GF flour, coconut (beverage) milk, mild olive oil, and coconut sugar instead of castor sugar, baked in two 8-inch tins. It was amazing! Only thing was that the frosting turned out nothing like the photo, was a delicious rich runny ganache instead. We will keep this recipe on hand for family birthdays to cope with our combination of diets, allergies and intolerances! Thanks for posting the recipe, this is probably the best cake I’ve had in 7 years being GF & DF 🙂
So glad you like the recipe, Fiona! 🙂 Regarding the frosting: it’s possible your coconut cream contained too much water, which made it runny. Make sure to use a high coconut percentage coconut milk, leave it in the fridge overnight and then use the coconut cream (on top) that separates out.
Followed the recipe exactly but made cupcakes instead. Perfect cake texture, but the ganache is really runny – any tips? I’ve already tried to melt down and add more chocolate but it’s now room temperature and still the consistency of thick milkshake! I was hoping to pipe it onto the cupcakes!
Glad you like the cupcake, Ashely! 🙂 Regarding the frosting: it’s possible your coconut cream contained too much water, which made it runny. Make sure to use a high coconut percentage coconut milk, leave it in the fridge overnight and then use the coconut cream (on top) that separates out.
I prepared it over the weekend and it is just DELICIOUS!!!!! VERY rich, spongy and moist. For me (unfortunately diabetic) it’s not the best, but for the family it def is 🙂 🙂
Glad you like the recipe, Alessandra!
I came across your site in my search for a nearly perfect true chocolate gluten free/vegan cake. I have 2 points on this recipe to make….I’m a professional baker but have very little experience in making a cake that is truly allergy free. I’ve made vegan and I’ve made GF, but never the 2 in one. I must say I’m IMPRESSED. I expected the more dense crumb associated with GF cakes. 1. What I got was an AMAZING soft crumb very much like a wheat flour cake. It was not dry at all. I did use HALF applesauce and half light OLIVE oil (soy allergy) to reduce the oily flavor. For the milk I used and unsweetened vanilla almond milk (what I had in my fridge). The cake was super spongy and everything I would desire. HOWEVER… 2. it really lacked flavor. I was hoping the cocoa powder would mask the GF flour taste (homemade- tested perfectly for cakes only) I did not get that truly chocolate flavor I was looking for. It was very mild. My question is… how can I increase the chocolate flavor without losing that perfect crumb and still keeping it vegan by not adding melted chocolate? Thanks for this great base recipe!!
Hi Carmen! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 Regarding your 2nd point: many high cocoa percentage chocolates are vegan (and they give more flavour than milk chocolate anyway) so I would add some melted chocolate into the batter. Furthermore, you can increase the amount of salt slightly – that should bring out the flavour. Finally, some coffee (instant, powder or brewed) can also enhance the chocolate flavour. Hope this helps!
Ermmmm this cake came out mad oily. I really wanted to like it and yours looks so beautiful but sorry 240ml oil is waaaaay oily…I had residue on my hands when I touched the cake to see how springy it was. ….wow.
Hi Ella! Sorry to hear you’ve had trouble with the recipe. I’ve made this cake many times and it never came out oily (as have many others). What kind of oil/fat did you use? That could have an effect.
This was really good and properly crumbly, in the way you want a chocolate cake to be – you would never guess it’s both vegan and gluten free. I used Fava bean (broad bean) flour because the legume grows in the UK where I am. I would imagine chickpea/gram flour would work really well too, though both might taste too strong for a non-chocolate version of the cake.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Jamie! 🙂
This recipe is SENSATIONAL!!!!!! I used a gf blend with equal weights potato starch, tapioca starch, white rice and brown rice flours courtesy of Minimalist Baker. I used coconut sugar which i ground down to make it like castor sugar and i used coconut oil and coconut milk. Fabulous and simple!! I baked the cakes in 8 inch diameter pans and they rose beautifully. This just became my new total favourite chocolate cake recipe. Thank you for your brilliant work!!!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Carol! And thank you so much for your kind words, totally made my day! 🙂
Would it be possible to make cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes! Check out my Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes.
I just made cupcakes and they came out perfect. I did fill closer to top of the liner assuming it would not rise as much and they did get a nice dome but did not overflow. I baked in convection for 30 minutes.
Hi,
i wonder if the sponge cuts nicely? Could I make one sponge in a bigger tin and cut it in half, or does it crumble and falls apart?
Thank you:)
It cuts really well – just make sure it’s completely cooled before cutting.
Hello! I need 9 cups of batter for the bundt pan for my daughter’s wedding. Would tripling this recipe be enough? Thank you!
Hi Lauren, I think tripling this recipe should work – and if you have any batter leftover, you can always make some extra cupcakes out of it! 🙂
Hi from New Zealand! I just made this, as needed a vegan gluten free cake for a special person. It was amazing and everyone loved it. Turned out exactly as pictured and described. I used rice milk, as it had to also be nut free. Thank you so much, as I have never made a vegan gluten free cake before, and am so grateful for this recipe. 🙏
Would I have to adjust the oven temp, and baking time, or just the baking time if I were to use bigger pans? I am not the greatest at switching up things in recipes, but I currently do not own 6in cake pans. Alternatively if I go buy 6in cake pans, how tall should each layer of cake be approximately? I would be okay just doubling the recipe, and doing 4 layers instead of two. I am basically a mess when it comes to baking, but I want to attempt this cake for my best friend’s birthday since we live in a town that doesn’t have a lot of bakeries, and none of the ones we have will do gluten free/vegan.
Hi Kimberly!
If you’re using larger pans, keep the oven temp the same, but the baking time will probably change. If you’re using the same quantities of ingredients, the sponges will be thinner and will therefore bake quicker.
The 6 inch baking pans I use are the ones from Wilton, about 2 inches tall – these are quite tall sponge layers.
The recipe is very flexible in terms of scaling up or down.
Hope this helps, and let me know if you have any more questions! 🙂
What is a heat-proof boil? I’ve Googled without illumination.
It’s a typo 😀 It’s meant to say “heat-proof bowl”! Sorry about that 🙂
Delicious! This was a hit for my baby’s 1st birthday. Able to accommodate my new dabble into veganism and my sister’s GF diet. Some people thought it was a bit too sweet which is probably due to the can of coconut cream I used. Unfortunately, did not see handy note 2 about coconut milk. I also used dark chocolate chips instead of a chocolate bar. Next time I’d like to try with stevia, as well. As is, this recipe was delicious and easy to make!
I’m SO HAPPY to hear that Bonnie! 😀 It’s one of my favourite cakes (ever), so I’m super glad you and your family enjoyed it.
This cake was delicious! I substituted the caster sugar for coconut sugar and it turned out great! However the frosting turned out quite runny and I couldn’t get it to thicken. I tried whipping it but it made no difference. Do you have any suggestions? It’s definitely a recipe I will make again though!
Thanks
Hi Steph, so glad you enjoyed the cake! Regarding the frosting, it’s likely that your coconut cream contained too much water. When making frosting, I always choose a coconut milk with a high coconut percentage and as few additives/stabilisers as possible. Then, place it in the fridge overnight for the coconut cream to separate out – this produces perfectly stiff frosting. 🙂
Recipe looks awesome!! Can you please tell me if I can substitute psyllium husk powder for xanthan gum in my how cake recipe? (don’t have access to any) The internet says to try to double the amount of psyllium for xanthan in bread recipes. I’m reposting this question as my first post has not appeared yet. Thanks so much. Linda
Hi Linda,
I’ve never tried this substitution, so unfortunately can’t be very helpful in this case. I would try it on a smaller scale (e.g. only one layer), and if it works, up the quantities. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi there, could I use sunflower oil instead of vegetable oil.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Helen, sunflower oil should work with no problems. 🙂
Hello.
Just made this and its super yummy. Abit thin cos my tins are too big but out tomorrow to get smaller ones haha. Little problem with the frosting though, it came out very runny. Any tips would be very much appreciated. New to this baking fun. I used blue dragon coconut cream, just off the shelf so not cold. Thanks alot. Great recipe! Will make again defo.
Hi Becky! I’m really glad you liked the cake! Regarding the frosting: I like to put my coconut cream/milk in the fridge overnight and allow it to separate. Even if it’s sold as “coconut cream”, it can still contain quite a bit of water, which will make it super runny. If you leave it in the fridge overnight, most of the water should separate out from the cream, and the results should be much better. 🙂
I made this cake today and it turned out amazing! I used my own homemade gluten-free flour, and as for the milk of choice I chose almond milk. I’ll be icing the cake using my vanilla icing recipe that we’ve had in my family for years. Since I’m the only gluten-free member in my family, I’ll have it all to myself haha! Thanks so much for this recipe! It’s so hard to find easy gluten-free cake recipes and this one is just great!
Yay! SO glad you enjoyed the cake, Giselle!!! 🙂
Yay!!!! A vegan recipe for cake which actually works every time you make it, and which the non-vegans enjoy as much as the one vegan in the family! Thank you so much! Birthday cake problem solved forever.
Ohmygosh Sal I’m SO GLAD you and your family enjoyed the recipe! Your comment totally made my day!
If I have a gf flour blend with xantham gum in it…. in theory I just omit the xantham gum from the recipe, correct? It doesn’t need “extra” to work, right?
Also, for the frosting, I’m sensitive to coconut. Is there a substitute for the coconut cream I can use? Could I use regular dairy whipping cream? I mostly needed a gf/egg free recipe. Or if there is another non-dairy substitute I’d love to try it!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Jen! If your GF flour already contains xanthan, you can omit it from the recipe. As for the frosting, you can definitely use the dairy whipping cream – I’ve used the coconut cream because I wanted to keep the recipe vegan, plus I love the flavour. 🙂 If you’re sensitive to coconut, just use dairy cream.
Hi Kat!
This looks AMAZING. It can be a real challenge with so many allergies..
Can I switch to another flour? (Im allergic to rice/almond/soy also)
What would you suggest? Coconut? Buckwheat? I noticed you used coconut flour for you Paleo Cake?
Thanks!
Hi Zoe, see my answer below on your other comment 🙂
Hi Kat,
It looks amazing! It can be so hard with so many allergies.. I’m also allergic to rice and nut free.. What flour can I substitute the “gluten free” mix? Coconut? Buckwheat? Quinoa? Thanks!
Hi Zoe! I feel you with the allergies’.. I typically use a shop-bought GF flour blend, which consists of rice, potato and maize flour. I haven’t experimented with other flours, but I think buckwheat flour should work. *fingers crossed* I would first try it on a smaller quantity (for instance just one cake layer) and then scale up. If you can eat eggs/aren’t vegan, I recommend my paleo chocolate cake. Hope this helps!
Will goats milk work?
I’m pretty sure it should work. Let me know how it turns out!
Hello I was wondering if this recipe can be interchanged from vegan and vegan/gluten-free just with the flour? If so does that mean that if I were to use all purpose flour as a cheaper alternative would I need the anthem gum?
You can definitely use a plain wheat all purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum if the cake doesn’t have to be gluten free. 🙂
Hi there!
This cake looks amazing. I am going to try using coconut sugar instead of castor sugar for a client who is refined sugar free.. do you think this will work ok? Thanks! Amy
Hey Amy! Really glad you like the cake 🙂 It should definitely work with coconut sugar – and if you give it a try, let me know how it goes.
Just to let those know who were interested- I froze this cake and defrosted it the day before I iced it and it was honestly even better than the first time round! Perfect recipe to do in advance, very very impressed. I do think you have to double the recipe to get a proper sized cake though, I did 4 x the recipe for a full 9 inch cake!
Thank you so much for letting me know, Amy! I don’t tend to freeze my bakes, so such information is always appreciated 🙂 I did make my cake rather small (6 inch), but I think it scales nicely. Super happy you enjoyed it!
Made this cake. It came out about 1/2 inch high(each one) and the icing looked nothing like the one in the photo! Did you use a mixer to make yours or just double the mixture? I’m pretty good at making cakes and can usually get a good result but sorry, not this time! I daresay it will taste okay if it does ever stay together (can’t get the icing to thicken either). And yes, I did use just coconut cream and no fluid. Thanks.
Hi Lyn, terribly sorry you’re having problems with the recipe. I didn’t use a mixer and I’ve used the same amount as stated in the recipe. What size baking tins are you using? I’ve used 6 inch ones, which are rather small. Also, check whether your baking powder and baking soda are past their expiry date, they lose they activity over time. As for the frosting, I know that some coconut creams contain many stabilisers, and once you’ve mixed them with other ingredients they become super runny. Maybe try refrigerating it, and see if it thickens. Or try whipping it longer with a mixer, sometimes it helps. 🙂 Hope this helped, and let me know if you have any other questions!
I used sunflower oil but it tasted a bit oil, would coconut oil be nicer?
Hi Debbie! You can try coconut oil and see if you prefer that – but the oiliness might be because you use a specific type of gluten free flour that doesn’t absorb fats well. You can also try to decrease the amount of oil you use. 🙂
Hi there wondering what oil you use? Would coconut work?
Hi Sarah! I’ve made the cake with vegetable oil, but coconut oil should work perfectly 🙂
Can I use guar gum instead of xanthgum.
Hi Kesha! In general, xanthan gum is better for baked goods (here’s a good article on this topic). But if you do decide to give guar gum a try, let me know how it goes!
Hi is there something else I could use instead of xantham gum? Can I do without it?
I don’t recommend omitting xanthan gum, as it acts as a gluten substitute – without it, the cake can be crumbly and dry.
Did mine and it rose great then went completely flat!! Going to have another go
Hi Jo! This might mean that you under-baked your cake slightly: make sure to check whether your cake is baked perfectly, using the “toothpick test”: if you insert a toothpick or a skewer into the cake, leave it in for ~2 seconds and take it out, the cake is done if there are only a few/no crumbs on the toothpick/skewer. Also, if you press onto the cake with your finger, it should bounce back. Hope this helps! 🙂
Do you have a favorite gluten free flour? I’m new to this scene and am spending lots of $ trying to find what’s best for baking.
Hi Donna! I usually stick to the simpler gluten free flour blends – the one I’m currently using only contains rice, potato and maize flour, with no added xanthan gum (it a blend from Lidl, in UK). I prefer to add my own xanthan, as it gives more control over how the bake turns out.
Hope this is helpful, if you have any more questions just let me know! 🙂
What blend of gluten free flour do you use?
Hi Michelle! I usually stick to the simpler gluten free flour blends – the one I’m currently using only contains rice, potato and maize flour, with no added xanthan gum (it a blend from Lidl, in UK). I prefer to add my own xanthan, as it gives more control over how the bake turns out.
Could you make this with regular flour if the xanthan gum wasn’t added??
When you say “regular flour”, I assume you mean white wheat flour? If that’s the case then yes, leave out the xanthan and add in the “regular flour”. 🙂 You might need a slightly larger amount of flour, as GF flour blends absorb more moisture than wheat flour, but other than that it should work with no problems. 🙂
Thanks for these ideas.But there one thing forgotten a different type of flour which I will take care of.
what milk do you use?
I mostly use almond milk, as I don’t have any sensitivities to nuts, but pretty much any non-dairy milk should work. I recommend using the unsweetened variety, as it allows you better control over how sweet your cake will be.
I used oat milk, and it turned out great!
With the chocolate frosting can i purchase canned coconut cream? or do i have to do the coconu milk in fridge? xx
It will really depend on the coconut cream and how thick it is. I would still recommend placing the canned coconut cream in the fridge just in case, to see if it separates out.
What non dairy milk do you use?
If almond milk was used, wluld ypu use sweetened or unsweetened?
Hi Angela! I mostly use almond milk, as I don’t have any sensitivities to nuts, but pretty much any non-dairy milk should work. I always use the unsweetened variety, as it allows me better control over how much sugar I put into my bakes. 🙂
Is it self raising flour or plain flour you used.?
Hi Angela! It’s plain (gluten free) flour. I never use self-raising flour, as I want to control the amount of raising agent that goes into my bakes, and I find self-raising flour somewhat unreliable in that regard… 🙂
Thankyou. Is this recipe only suited to 6inch tins?
You can use pretty much any tin size (and shape) you want, but you might need to scale the quantities of the ingredients and adjust the baking time. The cake batter recipe should scale with no major problems, and you can easily check whether the cake is baked properly by inserting a toothpick and checking whether it comes out clean. 🙂
I made this cake yesterday for my family. It looked amazing but it has an aftertaste that is not pleasant. I think it could be better with less baking soda, I will try it with 1 teaspoon only and let you know……..
Made this cake for my husband’s birthday, single layered in a 9” springform. I also used brown sugar instead of castor sugar as it was all I had on hand. The cake is very moist and surprisingly decadent. As for the icing— what an easy leash way to make something ganache-like. The dark chocolate I used however made the icing taste incredibly bitter so I added in about 1/2 cup of maple syrup to help sweeten the batch and it worked. Simple and elegant, great recipe!
Do you have any experience with how this cake freezes? I was hoping to make 2 layers a week before I needed it, and freeze it until the day before.
Hi Jamie, I haven’t tried freezing the cake. I would try it once (with only 1 layer) as a trial run before you actually need it. I’m pretty certain it should be OK, but better safe than sorry.
It freezes perfectly!
I have made this cake twice, making again in a few days!!!
This cake! I will 110% be making this for valentines day! The crumb looks fudgy and moist and the frosting looks so fluffy and decadent!
Yay! Hope you made it for Valentine’s Day and that you absolutely LOVED it! 😉