With melt-in-the-mouth gluten free sponges that taste like hot chocolate in cake form and a fluffy rich chocolate buttercream frosting, this gluten free chocolate cake is the very definition of comfort food. Plus, it’s easy and quick to make!
There are few desserts more memorable or more impressive than a truly good chocolate cake. Sure, there is a lot to be said about a “triple chocolate salted caramel s’mores cake” or the like… but sometimes, you just need a chocolate cake. No fuss, no bells and whistles.
This gluten free chocolate cake is pretty much exactly that. Quick and easy to make, with an overabundance of cocoa powder and chocolate, without being overly sweet. It walks that line between the bitterness of dark chocolate and the creamy sweetness of milk chocolate – and it does it well. Very well.
The gluten free chocolate sponges are melt-in-the-mouth soft, and each bite feels like taking a sip of luxuriously rich hot chocolate. Just, you know… in cake form.
The chocolate buttercream frosting is fluffy and rich, its chocolate factor coming from both a generous helping of cocoa powder and a whole lotta melted dark chocolate.
And when you combine the two… well, it’s basically every chocoholic’s dream come true.
When it comes to decorating the cake, I went with the rustic minimalism of buttercream swirls you can easily create with an offset spatula or even the back of a spoon. (Unless, of course, you’re a control freak like me – in which case, those “spontaneous” swirls will take you… oh, say an hour or two to achieve.)
To make your life easier, and to make sure you give this AMAZING recipe a go, check out the step-by-step pictures for making this delicious gluten free chocolate cake below. But before we get to the baking, an important question:
DOES GLUTEN FREE CAKE TASTE DIFFERENT?
It’s a frequent question I get asked, and the short answer is: no.
The long answer: if a gluten free cake is made correctly, following a reliable recipe and using a gluten free flour blend you know and trust – then you (or your gluten-eating friends and family) won’t be able to tell the difference.
And it doesn’t really matter if it’s a gluten free chocolate cake, a gluten free vanilla cake or a gluten free carrot cake. The only instance where you might taste the difference is if you use a gluten free flour with a strong taste, such as chestnut or chickpea flour.
But for this recipe (and most recipes on The Loopy Whisk), gluten free cake shouldn’t taste any different from its wheat-based counterpart.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making this wonderful cake – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
HOW DO I MAKE A GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE?
Making the gluten free chocolate cake is the same old story of sifting together the dry ingredients, adding the wet ingredients, mixing it all up, and baking the sponges until risen and fluffy and wonderful.
But let’s start at the beginning.
Sift together gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
Add in the sugar and salt. Whisk it up.
Pour in the vegetable oil, milk and crack in the eggs.
Whisk it all together until you get the most luscious chocolate cake batter. At this point, you might think that this is it – it looks like it has the perfect consistency and you might be tempted to bake it as is.
But nope, there’s one more thing, and it’s… boiling hot water. I know it sounds kind of out there, but it really truly works. This will ensure that the gluten free chocolate sponges stay moist and delicate. No, it won’t scramble the eggs. And no, it won’t make the cake “puddingy”. Don’t worry, mmkay?
The final cake batter will be runny, and it will look like a super luxurious hot chocolate. It will be oh-so tempting to have a taste (or two), but al least try to resist.
Pour the cake batter into lined round cake pans, and bake. That’s all there is to it.
WHICH GLUTEN FREE FLOUR IS BEST FOR CAKES?
I personally use a Lidl UK brand, Just Free, which gives consistently excellent results. It’s a simple plain gluten free flour blend containing only rice, potato and maize flour with no added xanthan gum.
In general, I prefer simple blends with few ingredients and without xanthan gum already added – for several reasons. Such blends can get discontinued, and a simple blend is much easier to replicate than one consisting of 5+ ingredients.
As for the xanthan gum: as with baking powder and baking soda (I alway use plain rather than self-raising flour), I prefer to control the quantity myself, as the amount of xanthan gum can vary greatly baked on what you’re baking.
In general, people have successfully made my recipes with Bob’s Red Mill and other gluten free flour blends, as well as their personal blends. If in doubt, feel free to ask in the comments below.
DOES BAKING POWDER HAVE GLUTEN?
Another one of the frequently asked questions. Baking powder is a mixture of three ingredients: baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), an acid (usually cream of tartar) and a starch to absorb the moisture and keep it from clumping together.
The starch is where the gluten question comes in. However in my experience, the starch is usually rice flour or cornstarch, which don’t contain gluten.
So it’s safe to say that baking powder in general doesn’t contain gluten, but it might be produced in a facility where gluten in processed or be a special brand that uses a gluten-containing starch. Therefore always make sure to carefully read the label and check the ingredients list.
HOW DO I MAKE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING?
This delicious chocolate buttercream frosting is just softened unsalted butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and melted chocolate, all whipped together into fluffy submission. Oh, and a generous pinch of salt – trust me on that one.
Salt calms down the sweetness of the powdered sugar, and lifts up the chocolate to shine in all of its glory. It’s the kind of baking magic that makes you all warm and tingly inside, like you’re a part of a secret society of people who understand that salt has a place of honour in a chocolate frosting.
This chocolate buttercream frosting is smooth, fluffy, rich and decadent – and it just looks so darn good all swirled up on the cake.
ASSEMBLING THE GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE
We have the sponges – if they’re a bit domed, level them out by cutting off the domed tops with a serrated knife. Aaaand… you’ve just got yourself some snacks. Ain’t it great?
Then, it’s the same old game of sponge-frosting-sponge-frosting. Spread a generous layer of frosting in between the chocolate sponges, but leave enough for frosting the outside of the cake.
Crumb coating the cake isn’t all that important here. Just spread the remainder of the chocolate buttercream frosting all around the top and sides of the cake, and get creative with your swirling.
There’s no right or wrong way of doing this. Have fun. And… don’t overthink it.
And… ta-daaaaaaa! You’ve just made the world’s best gluten free chocolate cake.
Oh, don’t look so sceptical. How do you know it’s not the best? Have you tried all the gluten free chocolate cakes out there? No? See, this could very well be the very pinnacle of gluten free chocolate cake excellence. I mean, it sure tastes like it.
But regardless of whether or not this is the best gluten free chocolate cake out there (though I still maintain it is)… the fact is that it’s delicious and easy to make and almost nostalgic in its beautiful simplicity. What more could we ask for?
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The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For gluten free chocolate sponges:
- 2 cups + 3 tbsp (265 g) plain gluten free flour blend (I've used a simple store-bought blend containing only rice, potato and maize flours, with no added xanthan gum)
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 3/8 cup + 1/2 tbsp (50 g) cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tsp (250 mL) milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 1 tsp (125 mL) vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 cup + 2 tsp (250 mL) boiling hot water
For chocolate buttercream frosting:
- 3 sticks (340 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (75 g) cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 5 1/3 oz (150 g) dark chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
For gluten free chocolate sponges:
Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line two 7 inch round cake pans with greaseproof/baking paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
Add the granulated sugar and salt, and whisk well.
Add the eggs, milk and vegetable/sunflower oil. Whisk well, until you get a smooth cake batter.
Add the boiling hot water, and whisk until you get a runny cake batter with no lumps.
Evenly distribute the cake batter between the two lined cake pans, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 40 minutes or until spongy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool.
For chocolate buttercream frosting:
In a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer with the double beater attachments, beat the butter for 2 - 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar, and beat for a further 5 minutes.
Add the cocoa powder and salt, and beat until evenly distributed in the buttercream.
Add in the melted (and cooled) dark chocolate, and beat until you get a rich, fluffy chocolate frosting with an even chocolate brown colour.
Assembling the cake:
If the sponges are domed, level them out by cutting off the domed tops with a serrated knife.
Place the bottom sponge layer on a cake stand, and spread a generous layer of frosting on top, but leave enough for frosting the outside of the cake. Then, place the other sponge on top of the frosting.
Use the remaining chocolate buttercream to frost the outside of the cake. Decorate the cake by creating swirls of buttercream with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Enjoy!
Storage:
The gluten free chocolate cake keeps well in the fridge, in a closed container or wrapped in cling film, for 3 - 4 days.
Looking for more spectacular gluten free cakes?
You’re in the right place!
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68 thoughts on “The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake”
Your cake and cupcakes recipes look so delicious! What kind of gluten free flour do you use?
Thanks
Thank you so much, really glad you like the recipes! At the moment, I prefer the Lidl UK Just Free GF flour blend, which consists only of rice, potato and maize flour. It works a treat! 🙂
Hello, do you think I can use flax eggs to make this vegan? I see the recipe is very different from your vegan gf chocolate cake recipe, which one would be better for me to follow as I am looking for a vegan recipe. Thanks!!
If you’re looking for a vegan recipe, I would definitely recommend the Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake.
What can I sub for mik – dairy intolerant friend.
You can use almond, soy, oat or rice milk – or pretty much any other non-dairy milk alternative that’s suitable. And coconut cream as a substitute for the butter in the frosting.
Hi there! This looks AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it. I was looking for that GF flour you mentioned you use but that is not something I’ve been able to find. Do you recommend another brand??? THANK YOU!!!
If you’re from the US, people have had very good results with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free blends.
Hi! Thanks for sharing! I’m wondering if I need to add more xantham gun if my GF flour mix already has it. Thank you!
Hi Janelle! No need to add more separately. Enjoy! 🙂
Your chocolate cake looks amazing, but I have been asked specifically to make a gluten free coffee cake. Would it be possible to successfully adapt this recipe?
Certainly! It will depend on whether you want a chocolate-coffee, or a purely coffee cake though. If you want a chocolate-coffee cake, just substitute hot brewed coffee (or similar) for the hot water that goes into the cake batter, and make a coffee buttercream (or a chocolate-coffee buttercream). If you want a purely coffee cake, it might be better to start from my popcorn cake sponges, just use all-butter instead of the peanut butter+butter combination, and add some coffee into the mix! Hope this helps 🙂
Hi there. Have been GF baking for years and was eager to try your recipe — it’s in the oven now but it appears this is far, far too much liquid. I added extra flour & hot cocoa mix at end to try to make it usable. Noticed other commenters below don’t seem to have used the recipe.
Hi Rebecca, I hope your cake turned out well – but it actually SHOULD be that liquidy, the consistency before it goes into the oven is like a thick-ish hot chocolate! I know it seems counterintuitive, but it really works, giving a delicate moist sponge. I hope you give this recipe another try without altering it. 🙂
Lovely recipe definitely the best gluten free chocolate cake but the first time we made it, I thought there was an after taste of baking powder so I reduced the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda amounts by a third and felt it was much better, still rose enough and no bitter aftertaste. Used Doves farm flour.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jenny! The amount of the raising agents also depends on whether you use plain or self-raising GF flour blend. If you by any chance used a self-raising one, that would explain the after taste.
I made the cake and fallowed everything. Mine didn’t turn out like the one in your pictures. How did you get them so high. Did you double the recipe or something?
Hi Shayna, I didn’t double the recipe. What kind of baking tin size did you use? The recipe is perfect for 6 or 7 inch tins. Also, check whether your raising agents are okay and active – them being expired could cause the cake not rising properly.
Can almond milk be used in place of regular flour in the sponge?
Any suggestions for a dairy free icing?
Thank you
You can definitely use almond milk!
Anyone tried this recipe with Cup4Cup? How did it do?
How long should I bake if I’m using a 9×13 cake pan instead?
I would recommend baking for about 30 – 40 minutes, and then checking the doneness with a toothpick or skewer. If it comes out with half-baked batter or many very moist crumbs attached, just bake for 5 minutes longer – and so on until the toothpick/skewer comes out clean.
Hi there! I am new to gluten free baking but need to make a cake for my gluten free friend! I have a big bag of Almond flour that I have used in other recipes. Would this work as the gluten free flour?
Almond flour unfortunately won’t work for this recipe – a gluten free flour blend is strongly recommended. 🙂
absolute disaster!!! I used coconut flour and was too thick and dry + the sugar conversion in grams is wrong. I tried to salvage it by adjusting the other ingredients but the coconut flour was too dense so they ended up like brownies..
Hi Claudine, if you check the recipe you’ll see that I recommend and actual gluten free flour BLEND (for instance, one based on rice, potato and maize flour). Coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture, and it unsuitable for the recipe.
HI! I’m hoping to use this recipe for quite a small pan, will the recipe work out th same if I half it? Less time in th over?
Cheers! H
The recipe will work just as well if you halve it. The exact baking time will depend on the size of your pan, so I can say for sure how long it will take. When it’s been in the oven for about 20 minutes, I would check the doneness of the sponges with a toothpick/skewer: just insert it into the middle of the sponge and if it comes out with half-baked batter or many moist crumbs attached, then it’s not done yet. Bake it for a further 5-ish minutes, and check again. When the toothpick/skewer comes out clean and the cake feels springy to the touch, it’s done.
What is the difference between Xantum and Phsyllium Husk?
I am very new at gluten free.
Drienie
Hi Drienie, they both carry out a similar function in gluten free baking – adding elasticity and flexibility to GF bakes (essentially acting as a substitute for gluten). Xanthan gum is a chemically pure compound, whereas only part of psyllium husk is the “active part”, so you’ll in general need to use more psyllium husk to achieve the same effect, where only a pinch of xanthan will be sufficient. That said, xanthan gum is best for most bakes (cakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc.) but psyllium husk is better when you make GF bread (where a mix of xanthan and psyllium husk usually gives the best results). Hope this explains it! 🙂
I’ve been using the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour, but it does contain xanthan gum. Should I not use this for the cake? What kind do you recommend best?
Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 should be fine, just don’t add the xanthan gum separately. 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if the ingredients are for one or two sponges ? As your cake is made with two sponges.. And what would be the pan size in cms ?
Thanks
Hi Urska, the recipe ingredients are for two sponges, suitable for pan sized 6 or 7 inches (that is, 15 or 18 cm). You can easily adapt the recipe for differently sized pans however. 🙂
Hi! Just curious if coconut oil could be used as a substitute instead of the vegetable oil. Thanks
Coconut oil should work fine – although I’ve found that when you substitute in coconut oil, it’s best to use a slightly smaller quantity then listed in the recipe. But I haven;t tried this specific recipe with coconut oil yet. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Really impressed. I used 100g less sugar and 100g less liquid. And did not bothered withe icing this time. And it turned out to be light and moist.
The mix I used was from Dove farm and it had Xanthan gum . I wonder if you tried it without Xanthan gum or guar gum?
Hi Nadine, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! If your GF flour mix already contains xanthan gum, no need to add it separately. That said, I haven’t tried this recipe completely without xanthan gum, as I find it really helps with the texture of gluten free bakes.
I’ve just baked this and not only is it a great gluten free chocolate cake, it’s a great chocolate cake full stop.
I don’t do a lot of gluten free baking and was surprised at how well the sponge turned out. It was moist, well textured and had a nice rich flavour. The end result was pretty much exactly as it looks in the pictures but not as well decorated! The only things I changed was I used caster sugar instead of granulated in the cake, and reduced the icing sugar to 175g in the buttercream frosting (I always find buttercream recipes too sweet for my taste). I used freee plain white flour by Doves Farm which worked well.
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much for this lovely review Matt, I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake!
I am intolerant to the gluten free flour you are using, rice, corn, and potatoes.
Paleo diet. Do you know of a grain free flour blend to use for your recipe that does not use oat flour or almond flour.
Hi Autumn, I think my paleo chocolate cake would be perfect for you!
I am making a gluten free, dairy free cake for a friend’s wedding and I am wondering if you have any suggestions about a milk replacement?
You can use pretty much any non-dairy milk here, such as almond, soy, rice, milk…
The best gluten free chocolate cake indeed! Thank you so much for this! I’ll be baking this many times over for sure.
Followed your instructions to the point, using dl and grams, and it was absolutely brilliant, everyone loved it and were amazed about it being gf.
Thanks again! ♡
So happy you enjoyed the cake, Louise! 🙂
Best gluten free chocolate cake I have ever had! I’d like to make a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting! Any tips?
You can use this recipe for my caramel popcorn cake, just substitute the peanut butter with butter. 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous!! My husband made it with rice flour, you wouldn’t know it was gluten free!
Hi! Have you had any experience covering this cake with fondant? If so, how did it come out and how long did it last?
Sorry, never tried covering it with fondant, only buttercream frosting!
This has turned into my go – to cake receipe. I’ve made it quite a few times now an every time has been better than the last. I do find that I have to cut the sugar on the cake in half and typically use jam to layer the cakes instead of the frosting. The jam on top and a layer of strawberries changes the feel.
This last time – we did the frosting for a birthday and it was amazing. We also found we could leave it uncovered in the fridge for 3 days before it got crunchy.
For all the ways you can use this cake, it’s certainly our favorite.
Do I definitely need to add the xanthan gum? I have the plain gluten free flour and the baking soda and powder
Xanthan gum isn’t a raising agent, it acts almost like a gluten substitute, preventing the sponge from being too crumbly and dry. I do recommend adding it, if your GF flour blend doesn’t contain it already.
I tried making this cake twice, both times it rose beautifully but fell like a rock. I don’t know why? Please help. I do live at 6200 feet so maybe it’s the altitude. They are delicious though.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with high altitude baking (but it’s likely the reason why it didn’t turn out well) – I’m sure there’s plenty of information about adjusting baking temperatures and times if you try googling it? 🙂
This cake recipe is awesome! My daughter, a registered dietician, raved about it and said she will be passing it along to her patients. I made it for my wife’s birthday because she is glueten and lactose intolerant. The only things I changed were that I substituted almond milk for the milk and my glueten free flour already had xanthan gum in it so I didn’t add any. I also had 9″ pans so I didn’t cook it as long. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Will any dark chocolate work or should it be a baking chocolate?
I use 60-70% dark chocolate, and it should be a chocolate you like to eat (if you don’t like the taste of it plain, you probably won’t like it in the cake 😉 ) and melts nicely.
I made this for my housemates as one of them has gone gluten free. Followed the recipe EXACTLY and baked the cake for bang on 40 minutes. It is awesome.
So tasty, chocolate-y, and most importantly for the non gf in our house, it tastes like normal chocolate cake (if not better)
Thanks!
I made this yesterday my first gluten free cake ! Really impressed thank you I will be definitely making this again . It was a hit .
Hi Kat,
This cake looks amazing!
Where did you find the Lidl UK flour?
I’ve been looking on the Internet and can’t seem to find it anywhere, not even on Amazon.
I want to make this cake for a friend’s birthday. She has been really disappointed with the GF cakes she’s tried at different restaurants in the past. I was hoping if I use the same flour that you used perhaps she would enjoy it more.
Hi Heather!
It’s possible the flour is out of stock (it’s happened before, unfortunately) – but you can get the same results with Doves Farm Free plain gluten free flour! 🙂
I do hope your friend enjoys this cake – I’ve made it numerous times, and even non-GF friends LOVE it!
Hi Kat,
If I’m using Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 flour should I still add the xanthan gum?
If your GF flour blend already contains xanthan gum, no need to add more.
Looking to make this for a friend’s birthday and would like to know if it can be frozen. It will be easier to put a fondant icing on if it is frozen.
Hi Liz, I’ve never tried freezing it, so unfortunately can’t help you there. Maybe look through the comments to see if anyone’s successfully frozen the cake before? Otherwise, I would recommend doing a small-batch trial run just to be certain.