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, itās 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 ātriple chocolate salted caramel sāmores cakeā or the likeā¦ 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 ā 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 knowā¦ 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 twoā¦ well, itās basically every chocoholicās 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, youāre a control freak like me ā in which case, those āspontaneousā swirls will take youā¦ 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 ā 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 ā 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 letās 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 ā it looks like it has the perfect consistency and you might be tempted to bake it as is.
But nope, thereās one more thing, and itāsā¦ 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 wonāt scramble the eggs. And no, it wonāt make the cake āpuddingyā. Donāt 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. Thatās 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 ā 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 ā 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. Itās the kind of baking magic that makes you all warm and tingly inside, like youāre 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 ā and it just looks so darn good all swirled up on the cake.
ASSEMBLING THE GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE
We have the sponges ā if theyāre a bit domed, level them out by cutting off the domed tops with a serrated knife. Aaaandā¦ youāve just got yourself some snacks. Aināt it great?
Then, itās 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 isnāt 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.
Thereās no right or wrong way of doing this. Have fun. Andā¦ donāt overthink it.
Andā¦ ta-daaaaaaa! Youāve just made the worldās best gluten free chocolate cake.
Oh, donāt look so sceptical. How do you know itās 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)ā¦ 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 ĀŗF (180 ĀŗC) and line two 7 inch round cake pans with greaseproof/baking paper.
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In a large bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
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Add the granulated sugar and salt, and whisk well.
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Add the eggs, milk and vegetable/sunflower oil. Whisk well, until you get a smooth cake batter.
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Add the boiling hot water, and whisk until you get a runny cake batter with no lumps.
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Evenly distribute the cake batter between the two lined cake pans, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ĀŗF (180 ĀŗC) for about 40 minutes or until spongy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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Allow to cool.
For chocolate buttercream frosting:
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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.
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Add the powdered sugar, and beat for a further 5 minutes.
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Add the cocoa powder and salt, and beat until evenly distributed in the buttercream.
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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:
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If the sponges are domed, level them out by cutting off the domed tops with a serrated knife.
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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.
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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.
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Enjoy!
Storage:
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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?
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308 thoughts on “The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake”
Hi, this cake looks delicious I want to make it for my husband birthday, but can I use cacao instead of cocoa powder?
Hi Ana, I don’t recommend using cacao instead of the (Dutch processed) cocoa powder, as cacao is acidic and will react with the raising agents, which will affect the texture of the cake.
Used the frosting on this cake for the small batch chocolate cake on your site. In short, it was PURFECT!!! LOVED the frosting so much!! Thank you for sharing
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I have a sensitivity to gluten, so I am constantly looking for and recreating recipes that suit my desires. This is the best gluten free cake recipe I have tried. I use oat flour for this cake recipe, using the +25% rule for oat flour, and it comes out wonderfully. Perfectly level, no sinking, and if anything, there is a slight puff in the middle because it cooked just right! This has been my go to recipe now for GF cake now. I made it a few times before I commented, just to be sure it was consistent. So thanks again for sharing, much appreciated.
I forgot to mention that I also used Avocado oil instead of what is used in the original recipe. I also baked the cake in a 13 x 9 metal cake pan at 50 minutes. I’m around 4000 feet for elevation as well, no issues.
This is truly a fantastic recipe! My first time baking a gluten-free cake turned out grainy, however this recipe really changed my mind regarding gluten-free baking. I love the simplicity and straightforward approach. The cake was super moist, deliciously chocolaty, and did not taste like a gluten-free cake! So impressed. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This cake was so easy to make and was a dream in the texture and flavor department! I made this on a whim for a party and everyone loved it, had no idea it was gluten free. I would GLADLY make this cake again!!!
This gluten free chocolate cake is ridiculously good! This is the first time Iāve ever made a gluten free cake and I am honestly astounded by how well it turned out. I actually made it without xanthan gum as I couldnāt find any locally, but I wouldnāt have known it even needed it. A beautiful recipe for a perfect cake.
Could I use a dairy-free milk (most likely coconut milk, as Iāve read it has a relatively equal fat content) in the cake recipe?
Hi Kellie, you can use dairy-free milk, but I recommend using something like almond, soy or rice milk. Coconut milk (especially that out of a can) tends to give a slightly greasy, oily cake.
Hi Kat, I am new to your blog and so exited about your recipes. So far I have made the gluten-free bread and it is just super, compared to the millet and buckwheat bread I made before. Finally a crusty delicious bread.
I would like to make some cakes, but gluten-free flour is so expensive, can you please send me a good mix. How to make a bigger batch.
Thank you.
Christa
Hi Christa, I’m so glad you loved the bread!! You can make a GF flour blend from 50% white rice flour (finely milled!), 30% potato starch and 20% maize flour by weight, it works great in everything from cakes to cookies and pastry.
I only have 9 in cake pans so I did a single layer cake. Tasted great! But it was verrrry dense. More like a brownie. Not sure if that was because it was a single thick layer, or if I did something wrong. I know overmixing can be a problem but I don’t believe I overmixed. I’ll probably try it again some time. Everyone here enjoyed it.
This is the best chocolate cake recipe! No one could tell it is gluten free. I will be ordering your cookbook!
Best Chocolate Cake ever! This was delicious! I did have to mix my sugars using golden sugar and a bit of brown sugar, and also used yogurt whey instead of milk! So pleased with the results! Yummmmm!!! Oh and used one big square cake tin instead of 2 round ones.
Can I use a 9×13 pan instead of round pans?
Hi Dianne, I haven’t tested it, but it should work OK. You’ll need to adjust the baking time, probably bake it a bit longer (make sure to check when it’s done with a toothpick or skewer, it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached).
Thank you. One of my best friends is Gluten intolerant and today is her birthday. Want to make her something she can enjoy without regretting it later.
This was amazingly good. I was very doubtful adding the boiling water but there were no negative comments about it so here goes. I couldn’t tell it was GF. I’m a Chef and my wife has Celiac so we are always trying to replace everything with GF recipes. Not all are successful. This one was a home run.
Best cake I ever made gluten free or otherwise!!
Can you please provide recipe for your preferred flour blend?
When you say “potato flour” do you mean potato starch? When you say “corn flour” do you mean maize? What are the ratios?
Thanks so much
Hi Adrian, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!! Lately, I’ve been using Doves Farm Freee plain gluten-free flour blend, which works really well. You can mix your own from 50% white rice flour, 30% potato starch and 20% maize flour by weight.
I noticed thereās no vanilla in this recipe..? Is there a reason why? Wouldnāt it just enhance flavors?
Can we add some in?
Hi Nicole, I didn’t find the vanilla necessary as the cocoa powder adds lots of flavour, but you can definitely add it in!
My cake looked nothing like the photos! The sponge was āclaggyā and where the cake had dried on the surface, it became hard! It tasted nice, but not sure why texture wasnāt good….
Buttercream lovely but far too much, I made 3/4 portion and still had loads left over! Iād suggest making half.
Hi Rita, so sorry you had trouble with the recipe! That’s quite odd, this cake has been made by myself and other hundreds of times, and it always works out. Did you perhaps bake it on the fan oven setting? That can sometimes make the outside of bakes dry out and harden, while the insides aren’t quite baked though, which can result in a “claggy” texture. Also, did you weigh your ingredients or did you use cup/volume measurements. In the latter case, if you measured out too much flour, that could also be part of the problem.
Hi! I was just wondering what the difference is between plain gluten free flour blend and all purpose gluten free flour? I bought all purpose gluten free flour and was wondering whether I could substitute it in for plain gluten free flour blend? If so, do I still need to use the xanthin gum?
Hi Alisha, for the most part (as far as I’m aware), those are just different names for essentially the same thing, and the name largely depends on the brand you’re using. Sometimes, all-purpose gluten-free flour contains added gums and binders (such as xanthan gum), while the blend doesn’t. In general, if your all-purpose gluten-free flour or blend contains xanthan gum, you don’t need to add it separately when making things like cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, etc.
Which size of UK eggs should I use? I only have 8ā cake tins, will this alter the baking time?
Hi Helen, it’s best to use UK medium eggs. If you use 8″ cake tins, the baking time might be *slightly* shorter, best to check with a toothpick or skewer.
You use Granulated sugar not caster Sugar is there any reason for this ? Also you oven temperature is 180ĖC is that for a conventional oven or a fan oven?
Hi Sam, both granulated and caster sugar will work here. In general, it’s OK to use granulated sugar in cakes where the batter is very liquidy, as the large amount of wet ingredients helps to melt the larger crystals of granulated sugar. All the temperatures in my recipes refer to a conventional oven, if using a fan oven reduce the oven temperature by 20ĀŗC.
Hi, if I use doves gluten free self raising flour, do I need to add the baking soda and baking powder?
Thank you
Emma
Hi Emma, you might still need to add a bit of baking powder. I never use self-raising flour, so I’d recommend you use your experience with it ā if you typically don’t need to add raising agents when you use it in cake recipes, it might be OK without any additional baking powder or baking soda.
Hello. Could I use normal flour for this recipe also without xanthan gum?
I haven’t tested it, but it should work. Note that because regular wheat flour absorbs less moisture than gluten-free flour, you might need to use slightly more.
Can I substitute monk fruit sugar in your recipes as I am going refined white sugar free and do you have a frosting for that as well
Hi Karen, unfortunately I have no experience working with monk fruit sugar so I really can’t help you there! If you give it a try, do let me know how it turns out! Xx
I followed the recipe almost to the dot- replaced the flour mix with a 50:50 rice flour and tapioca starch, as didnāt have anything else, and the cupcakes came out delicious. Also added some cashew nuts- yum! And I replaced sugar w Xylitol, milk with oat drink and plain yoghurt with vanilla coconut yoghurt. Ok, on a second thought I tweaked bits, but only because I didnāt have the ingredients. If this recipe worked will all these substitutions, I think itās fair to say itās a solid one! I am converted to gluten free baking. I did eat a lot of the batter and am slightly regretting it š All my thumbs up!
I just made this for a friend so unfortunately I did not get to eat any (the tiny taste I had was yummy!) but I was just wondering if you or anyone else has ever left it out on the counter instead of storing in the fridge? Will it get soggy or something? I’m not familiar with baking GF, but in my experience with regular cakes, they tend to dry out in the fridge so I’m nervous to put it in there!
Hi Alex, I like to keep cakes that use dairy in the frosting (as this one does) in the fridge or in a cool place, especially if you keep it for longer. It definitely won’t get soggy if you leave it out on the counter (just make sure to keep in in a closed container or wrapped in cling film). As an aside, the fridge shouldn’t really dry out cakes ā but especially with chocolate cakes, what might happen is that as the chocolate and/or butter in the sponges cool down, the sponges will firm up and might appear “dry” but have actually just solidified due to their high chocolate and/or butter content. If you leave it out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, it should soften up and you’ll see that it’s just as nice and moist as it should be. š
I am finding the 2 cup + 3tbsp does not weigh 256g but closer to 310, I am using the same blend you suggested and scooped properly.
I’m actually using an “average” gram-to-cup conversion that encompasses many different shop-bought GF blends and seems to work well across different brands ā not quite sure why you’ve observed such a large deviation! In any case, cup/volume measurements are notoriously unreliable, so I recommend you go with the gram measurements, as you have a scale. š
I’ve made 4 of these in the last 2 weeks. Personally, I LOVE GLUTEN but I apparently know a handful of people who are gluten free. And they’ve all had recent birthdays. Stumbled over this recipe and it has been The. Biggest. Hit. Ever. As someone else mentioned, I also used 3 6″ pans and had great success once I figured out the correct amount of time to bake (~36 min). With 3 layers, I ended up needing a second batch of buttercream so I could really slather it on. I didn’t use all of the second batch but hopefully will freeze ok for next time. Or I’ll just eat it with a spoon. Thank you for doing the legwork on this amazing recipe!
Hey,
I was thinking about using this recipe for my GF sister. Since we live in Germany and itĀ“s my first time baking GF, I wanted to ask if flour that is made of Potato flour, Corn starch, cornflour, rice flour, and guar gum can be used 1:1 to the measures in the recipe and if I would have to add xanthan gum or leave it out?
Hi Ibere, the GF flour blend sounds like it should work for this recipe (note that I can’t say for certain, as I haven’t tested it). The guar gum will act as a gluten replacement in this case, so no need to add the xanthan gum.
Once again, amazing recipe. So thankful for all your hard work and willingness to share! I commented on your bread, that it was amazing. And then we tried pumpkin cinnamon rolls (I also gave the brioche dough from that recipe a shot as hamburger buns…YUM!) for our Christmas breakfast tradition…so thankful we can have that back! Your pasta…perfect. So when I made this for my non celiac son’s bday so that we all could enjoy one dessert but not compromise on taste, I was not surprised that everyone raved! So thankful! My son asked “is this one of the chemist’s recipes?” My hubs teaches chemistry so that sticks out haha and they KNOW at this point the loopy whisk is a guarantee…and it was again…best chocolate cake ever!
Hi Tami, I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the chocolate cake recipe – as well as the cinnamon rolls and pasta recipes! Haha, I love that my recipes are known as “the chemist’s recipes”, that made my day! š
Hello there. The cake looks amazing!
My little boy wants a chocolate cake (GF) for his birthday. Could you please tell me whether this cake would survive being covered in fondant? I have specific cake decoration instructions from him I need to follow š
Many thanks
Hi Lisa, the cake should definitely be OK covered in fondant. š
WINNER!!!! I made this recipe for my wifeās birthday. It was amazing and our kids loved it. The sponge was moist. I covered the top and sides with shaved chocolate flakes. Yummy!!!!
I used an 8 inch plan and the bake time was closer to 28 minutes. I whipped the batter for 5 min to get it will nice and fluffy.
This is a must have for every chocolate lover.
I made this for my mums birthday, I used three six inch cake tins instead of two seven inch(as I didn’t have this size). The cake got he best comments my brother said it was the best cake he has had in a while and mum(who is very used to both eating and baking gluten free cakes) its was also the best chocolate she has had. The stand out part for me is the icing it is delicious, I bake a lot of cakes myself but normally using standard flours/ingredients and I would say this cake recipe beats all of them!
Wow, this cake is amazing! I don’t have a lot of experience with gluten-free baking, but I needed a gluten-free cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday. This was absolutely delicious!!
This recipe is great! – cake turned out soft and spongy
I used a gf self raising flour so adjusted the baking powder to about 1/2 tsp and kept the baking soda the same. I also used buttermilk instead of milk
Baked the cake in 2 6 inch pans and about 5 cupcakes. My toothpick never came out fully clean but the cakes were cooked
I wanted to ask if this recipe would still work with a normal flour that isn’t gluten free?
Hi Sarrah, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’ve never tried making this cake with wheat flour, so I can’t say for sure, but it should in principle work. You will have to omit xanthan gum in that case, and possibly also increase the amount of flour, as GF flours tend to absorb more moisture.
I’ve made this cake many times, using both gluten-free & wheat flour, works perfectly with either. The first time I made it with wheat flour I used a bit more (can’t remember how much, probably 30g or so), but since then I’ve only used the same as when using gluten-free, bakes perfectly & is just a bit more moist than the gluten-free version.
This cake is so good! i have made it many times before and it never disappoints amazing
I was however wanting to make a 3 tiered cake with this recipe do I need to change how long I put the cake into the oven and if so what do you recommend?
Hi Tristina, I’m so glad you like the cake! With the 3 tiered cake, it depends on whether you just want to bake an extra sponge of the same thickness as the other two (in this case the baking time stays the same) or if you want to make a single sponge that you plan cutting into three parts (in which case you’ll have to increase the baking time ā I can’t tell you exactly by how much, just test it with a toothpick or skewer to check for doneness).
I am allergic to sugar …refined cane sugar ..can I substitute date puree or coconut sugar or maybe agave syrup?
I think coconut sugar would be the best choice ā typically, you don’t want to replace crystalline sugars with liquid sweeteners.
hi! is it possible for me to bake this in a baking tray for a thinner cake? also can i replace the oil with melted butter?
Hi Audrey, you can definitely bake this in a baking tray, you’ll need to reduce the baking time in that case. And using melted butter should also work OK.
So good! I’ve made this cake vegan and gluten-free twice now and it’s SO GOOD. My family loves it, and you can’t even tell it’s gluten-free (it’s not gritty or anything! it tastes like normal cake!). Only thingā I don’t add the water. I completely skipped over it the first time and it turned out fudgy and delicious, so I skipped it the second time and it’s still delicious. I don’t know if it’s because it’s vegan or what, but it’s still great without it.
I am in chocolate heaven! I was craving a chocolate cake, and this is the best cake I’ve had since I developed a gluten allergy several years ago. My husband was concerned when he saw me take a big bite, because he couldn’t tell it was gluten free! I did add some vanilla because my cocoa was old and it needed more flavor. I also put cherry pie filling in the frosting in between the layers. The frosting is sweet chocolate perfection and the whole thing is so rich, a few bites satisfies. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
In the future can you make your recipe more accessible by using Pan sizes readily available?
I canāt find 7 inch pans anywhere. Iām not a professional so I do t measure in grams ands itās really hard to add calculations together when needing to add 25% more ingredients the way one person suggested. Here I am sending my husband on a wild goose chase the day before Christmas Eve for 7 inch pans….guess itāll be cupcakes?
Hi Betsy, you can easily use 8 inch baking pans ā the sponges will be a tiny bit shorter (and you’ll need to shorten the baking time by a few minutes, check the doneness with a toothpick or skewer), but they will still make a gorgeous layered cake!
I have bobs red mill gf 1:1 flour and king Arthurās GF all purpose. Would either of these work, and if so which would be better?
Hi Sadie, I haven’t used these flours personally, but I know other readers have successfully made this recipe using both ā so either should work well. Happy baking!
I absolutely adore this recipe, and Iāve made it at least five times at this point. Iām making another as I type this! The recipe has turned out so incredibly reliably, even when I need to make substitutions, and is my absolute go-to when I need to make a cake!
I would give the recipe more than five stars if I could!!!
Thank you so much, Moss, I’m SO GLAD you love the recipe!
I’d like to make this cake as written but using 1 8-inch pan only (3″ deep). I prefer to slice a thicker cake vs make multiple layers. Will this work with this recipe? If so, how long would you suggest baking it? I ask because GF baking is finicky. I’ve baked many sponge cakes before in one pan but those have lots of whipped eggs for leavening whereas this uses a completely different method. I only have 1 8″ pan which is why I ask (no 7″ pans). I’m making this cake for Xmas. I look forward to your reply! Thanks!! :))
Hi Margaret, I’m not sure how well the recipe will work baked as a single sponge ā you’d need a super long baking time for the centre to bake through, which might dry out the other surface too much. You can certainly give it a try, but I don’t really recommend it. If you do decide to make a layer cake, you can bake the cake in an 8 inch cake tin, but I’d recommend baking the cake in two batches: make 1/2 of the batter, bake it, then make the other 1/2 of the batter and bake that. (Note that your baking time will be *slightly* shorter in an 8 inch baking tin compared to a 7 inch one.)
It looks delicious. Can I use psyllium husk instead of xanthan gum? It seems that x.g. gives a more spongy texture.
Hi Patty, I haven’t tested this recipe with psyllium husk, but in general recommend using xanthan gum for things like cakes, cookies and similar, as I find it gives a better texture. I only really use psyllium husk for GF bread.
Just made this for my daughterās birthday. It was a hit! Even my very picky gluten eaters thought it was delicious. Great spongy texture, rich chocolaty icing. This is my new go to cake recipe.
Hi Kat, your chocolate cake looks amazing. I’m really eager to give it ago. I have not made gluten free before but I was wondering if you consider the Doves brand of flour to be an acceptable in your recipes?
Many thanks
Hi Joanna, I actually test most of my GF recipes (where specific GF flours aren’t listed) with the Doves Farm Freee plain gluten free flour ā so it will definitely work. š
HI Kat, thank u for your recipe- it’s wonderful sponge! I tried to put the mixture into cupcake moulds- and they still tasted great but the tops cracked and sunk in a bit ( like a crater) but the cake texture inside was still great. Any ideas as to how to overcome this? or suggestions to adapt this wonderful recipe for cupcakes?
It sounds like your cupcakes were slightly underbaked ā did you check that they’re done with a toothpick or skewer? The cake batter should work as cupcakes, they should take about 18-22 minutes to bake through in a 350ĀŗF (180ĀŗC) oven.
Hi Kat
It states in the recipe granulated sugar. Would it make a difference to the recipe if I were to use caster sugar?
Eileen
Hi Eileen, you can definitely use caster sugar.
Hi,
Can you substitute almond or oat milk for the cows milk?
Yes, you should be able to sub in non-dairy milk!
I suggest you recheck the weight measurement on the flour. Mine came out to be around 390 g. That may be the cause of cakes turning out fudgy or gooey. I went by the cup measurement for the flour and put it in a 13×9 pan and baked it for 10 extra minutes. Turned out great!
Hi Judy, it sounds like you packed the flour too tightly into your measuring cups. For most GF flour blends 1 cup = 120-130g. However, different blends can have vastly different densities, so when it doubt, I always recommend you use weight measures/grams. So happy to hear it turned out well though!
Iām making this right nowāthe recipe calls for cocoa powder (not specifically which kind); I noticed in the comments you specificy Dutch-processed. Which one should we be using? Thank you!
For best results, use Dutch processed cocoa powder. š
Absolutely amazing recipe xx thank you… Our sons 21st tomorrow and this has made his lock down birthday very special xx
You are a genius! I have never made a gluten free cake that was so good. I look forward to trying some of your other GF recipes. Thank you!
This cake is insane! I made it in a spring form pan, used a non dairy frosting, but OMG! Simply the best!!! I’m super picky and I found it so yummy and rich…didn’t taste at all like Gluten free! ( used bob redmills 1-1)
Hi there! I wanted to make this for my sons birthday and saw your comment about using Red Mills 1-1. I also have that on hand and was wondering if you left out the Xanathan Gum if you used the 1:1. Please let me know! Thank you!
Hi Rachel, if your gluten-free flour blend already contains xanthan gum, you don’t need to add it separately.
Fantastic recipe! I increased everything by 25% and it was perfect for 2 9″ pans. You could never tell that this was a gluten free cake.
Does the type of cocoa powder matter when baking a gf cake? I only have Dutch processed and I was wondering if this would affect the end result.
Hi Meera, the type of cocoa powder can have a large effect on the texture and flavour of cakes in general (not just gluten free), especially as natural cocoa powder tends to be acidic and will therefore react with raising agents. Dutch processed cocoa powder, on the other hand, has gone though an alkalising process, which makes it approximately neutral in pH. I always use Dutch processed cocoa powder in my baking, so definitely use that!
I made this in a spring form, it’s been in the oven for close to an hour….still wet in the centre…ugh!
Hi Shelley, using a spring form pan or a regular round cake tin shouldn’t have any effect on the baking time. It’s the size of the baking tin (and, to a smaller extent, the baking tin material) that can affect the baking time. What size of spring form pan did you use?
Also, I baked the cake batter in two cake tins (so the batter was divided between two tins rather than baked all together in one) ā did you bake all the batter together in a single tin?
My sponges didn’t rise whatsoever, do you know why this may of happened? š
Was your baking powder active? If the sponges didn’t rise, it’s possible it was expired.
Did you change the recipe at all?
Would this cake work with Presidentās Choice all purpose gluten free flour blend? If yes. I know it already contains xanthan gum so does that mean I donāt need to add any more?
Hi Chrisse, I’ve never used President’s Choice GF flour blend, so unfortunately can’t say for certain. But looking at the ingredients list, it should work OK. If it already contains xanthan gum, no need to add it separately.
An easy cake to make and tastes delicious.
Hi, would this cake work as a base for Black Forest gateau? I’m struggling to find a gluten free recipe for black forest that uses a regular gluten free flour blend, and also sounds like it has enough liquid to it to be moist at all. I like the sound of your recipe but do you think it might be too light for drizzling with cherry juice/ non alcoholic black forest syrup? Thanks š
Hi Leema, I think it would work great for Black Forest Gateau, it’s definitely not too light for drizzling. The sponge is plenty moist already, but I think the addition of cherry juice or syrup would be really delicious. š
Hi Kat- thanks so much! I can’t wait to try it š
Hi, really keen to try this recipe for my GF boyfriend but we’ve only got rice flour in at the moment. Would this work or would I need a blend of flours?
Hi Zoe, I always recommend using a GF flour blend in GF baking, the results are just better and more consistent. I often use Doves Farm Freee plain GF flour blend, but you can mix your own with 50% white rice flour, 30% potato starch and 20% maize flour by weight.
Would this recipe frost a 2 layer cake?
Hi Aubrey, this recipe makes a two layer cake, as you can see from the images and the recipe.
I finally have a go-to gluten free chocolate cake recipe, THANK YOU!! These baked up beautifully tall and even, no sinking or cracking, and the flavor and texture is perfect. I doubled the recipe and poured equal amounts in 8 inch pans and baked for 45 minutes at recommend temp. I have been diagnosed celiac for nearly 15 years and consider myself an old hat at gluten free baking. One tiny change I would make is using buttermilk, or regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. In my experience it helps with many issues that arise trying to bake gluten free. Thanks again for such a well written recipe!
Hi Amanda! Thanks for the comment – now I really really want to try and make it. How much milk and vinegar did you add?
this is the ABSOLUTE BEST chocolate cake I have ever had regardless gluten free or not! Simple to make, tastes AMAZING, couldn’t recommend this recipe enough. Thank you for sharing it!
It was the first gluten cake that I had made.
I made it for my Birthday today and it was delicious!!! š I will definitely make it again . I did add some cashews on top for a little add crunch. Thanks š for the recipe it was nice to have a cake that I could enjoy š without causing gluten sensitivity .
Can a Bundt cake pan be used? Also pouring ganache over it? Any thoughts? I will be making this soon, looks amazing.
Hi Sylke, I haven’t tested it in a bundt pan, but I’m pretty sure it will work great. And pouring ganache over it is an AMAZING idea, bet it would be delicious. Let me know how it turns out!!
So yummy! Moist yet fluffy! Fool proof, I love it!
This is a wonderful cake! I used a 9″ spring form, as I do not have 2 – 7″ pans. The directions are easy to follow and the result was tasty. I did change the baking temperature to 350 degree for 40 minutes. I think 350 for 35 would have been better. I will use this as my go to chocolate cake. I will change it up by using boiling coffee in lieu of water.
I love it! My friend had absolutely the best birthday ever! I wish I could put a ten star on this āļø āļø āļø āļø āļø āļø āļø āļø āļø āļø
Delicious. A winner with the whole family. Always makes me happy when the gluten free recipe is as good as anything you could make with wheat flour. Such an easy method too. Thank you so much for sharing š
Do I need to add Xanthan gum if my Gluten free flour blend includes tapioca starch?
Iāve never made a gluten-free cake before, so Iām a little nervous. Iām practicing for my sons girlfriendās birthday party. She has celiac disease.
Thank you
Hi Gail! Yes, you’ll need to add xanthan gum. You see, tapioca starch acts as a starchy flour, making your sponge light and fluffy. Xanthan gum, on the other hand, acts as a gluten substitute (that is, effectively as a glue), preventing the sponges from being too crumbly and delicate. I know gluten free baking can be a bit intimidating at first, but after a few times once you get the hang of it, it’s not difficult at all. š Happy baking!
OMG i have tried a couple of gluten free recipes and this is the best by far. I made it for my daughters birthday and there are a couple of gluten intolerant members of the family and they alway get forgotten about. Everyone was raving about this cake. My grandsons couldn’t stop saying “this is gorgeous” this will now be my go to cake to bake for my daughter. I will have to send this to her so she can bake it when she wants one.
I doubled the recipe and made it 3 layer!
YES! BEST gluten free cake ever! Tasted better than a traditional cake! Highly recommend!
Can you use Caster Sugar instead of the Granulated Sugar ?
Thank you
You definitely can! š
can i use Raw Cacao powder in this cake instead of cocoa powder? and can I sub coconut sugar for the granulated sugar?
I don’t recommend using cacao powder, as it has a lower pH (it’s more acidic) and it will behave completely differently than cocoa powder (especially Dutch processed cocoa powder). You should be able to use coconut sugar, though!
This is the BEST chocolate cake recipe ever! I used my own blend of white and brown rice flours, tapioca starch, and corn starch. It turned out perfect! Thank you sooo much!!!
Having a scratch bakery , I was looking for a moist gf cake and If there were more stars I’d use them awesome fabulous moist decadent cake. I also make it as white left out the coco and added gf vanilla pudding mix 2/8 cup and celestial chamomile tea for the hot water so fluffy my kids didnt even realize the cupcakes were gluten free I wish I could send a picture but no link for the flour I usea mixture of brown rice, corn flour, sweet rice flour, and arrowroot flour. Couldn’t find potato flour. Thanks so much for your sharing and baking skills (canada)
My sponge cracked in the oven. I think i need to turn temp down a little. Anyway my kids are happy as they have extra cake. It tastes delicious, very delicate and spongy. Going to make another one now.
Made this ultimate chocolate cake for hubby and not only did he love it but so did I. If I hadn’t made it I never would have known it was gluten free.
This is the best gluten free cake I have ever eaten! Itās light and fluffy and absolutely delicious. I put freshly brewed coffee instead of water and my flour mixture was white and brown rice flour, tapioca flour and potato flour. This is my go to recipe from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Can you use plant milk in The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe? If so, could I use oat milk?
It should work with plant milk, oat milk should be fine.
I am making a wedding cake in which one tier needs to be gluten free. I tried this recipe, and it came out nice and gooey like a brownie. The outside was quite nice and it appears to be ādoneā.
I donāt eat sugar, but Iām sure it tastes delicious, because my house smells wonderful.
Any suggestions for a cake I can decorate, that will slice up for a wedding?
Hi Gigi, this cake shouldn’t really come out gooey like a brownie – it should have a moist crumb, but the texture of a sponge rather than a brownie. Is it possible that you under-baked it slightly? I always recommend using a toothpick test to check when the cake is done: insert a toothpick or skewer in the middle and it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. It should slice up neatly without any problems, if baked correctly.
I am new to GF baking and I saw one post with questions on high elevation baking. Iām at 8,100ā (in Colorado) so baking a challenge but it turned out beautifully. Hereās what I did: cut the sugar by 3T, cut the oil by 1/2t, used a scant measure for both the baking powder and soda, added 1/2T more flour (Bob Mill 1-1 flour) and lastly added ~1t addāl water. I also baked it in a 9×9 pan for 42 min. It sounds complicated but for those that live at elevation itās the norm. Turned out beautifully. The frosting was also a pleasant surprise…light and creamy but with the body of a good buttercream. I added a pinch of espresso powder to mine to enhance all that chocolate deliciousness.
Thank you, Sonja, for your high altitude notes. Just baked this in Denver and followed your modifications. Worked perfectly!
I’ve been slowly getting braver with GF baking (still not bread though- no luck there!) Bob’s Red Mill had been my go-to chocolate cake mix and one of the only mixes I even use because it’s so good. And my kids love it so I can make it for birthdays and have cake too! It’s been impossible to find locally anymore, and Amazon was going to take forever to get me another overpriced box of it, so I searched for a recipe and hoped for the best. This was an EXCELLENT chocolate cake (GF or not). Perfect sponge texture and it makes much better layers (the BRM mix is on the small side, makes thin layers if you go that route). Thank for you giving me a better option that I always have the ingredients on hand for! For those wondering- I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour and no xantham gum and it worked perfectly! Now I just need to get the baking time right for 8 inch layers. I did 35 mins but I think it was a touch dry on the edges.
Can I use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil?
I haven’t tested it, but I think it should work. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out! š
Can you use the King Arthur gluten-free measure for measure, or the gluten-free free all purpose baking flour?
It should work with either ā I know people have used many different GF blends with great success. š Just note that if your blend already contains xanthan gum, you don’t need to add it separately.
Instant hit! I have made this cake several times now, my gluten free resistant brother commented “Apparently cake was always supposed to be gluten free. This is the best cake I’ve ever had.” This is the highest praise. Super moist, chocolatey, delicious, EVIL (because low cal it is not ;-)) Highly recommend.
Hi Kat. My friend and I tried your recipe tonight, and letās just say it did not work out. We followed your recipe exactly, only substituting corn starch for xantham gum. But about 10 minutes into baking the pans COMPLETELY overfilled and burnt. And when I say burnt, I mean BURNT. Like kitchen filled with smoke and we had to take the pans outside. Iām not blaming you, but Iām also not blaming us. Kind of bummed. No idea where it went wrong. I feel like a chump.
Hi Grace, so sorry you’ve had trouble with the recipe. Cornstarch isn’t a suitable substitute for xanthan gum in gluten free baking, since they carry out completely different functions. What kind of baking tin size did you use? Because the tins shouldn’t overfill, there should be more than enough room for the sponges to rise. Did you use gram or volume/cup measurements? Because the latter can be super imprecise and can cause trouble. Finally, what kind of oven and over setting did you use?
Hi, does this cake freeze well? I need to make one for a midweek birthday celebration and wondering if I can bake cake in the weekend and then frost it on the day I need it for?
I haven’t tried freezing it, so unfortunately can’t guarantee that the cake will retain its delicate crumb…
This cake really does not work – it is heavy, soggy and inedible. I’ve tried to leave this comment before but obviously only positive comments ar allowed. Will be interested to hear what happens to this one.
Hi Belinda, so sorry you had trouble with the recipe! I do allow (constructive) negative comments, not just positive ones ā although this cake recipe rarely has negative reviews, as it’s generally a very reliable recipe that I use constantly and many others have made without any problems. I’d be happy to help out to see what went wrong! What kind of GF flour blend did you use? Did you change the recipe at all? Did you use a fan oven ā that can sometimes cause problems?
My 1st ever gluten free cake! Family did not realize the difference, especially the teenagers. Fabulous moist and easy to make.
Substitute the xanthan gum with 1 tsp of Physillium husk powder.
Can anyone help? I have tried this recipe twice and itās just not baking in the middle, I left it in for over an hour and itās still not baked? My oven is fan assisted so I set it to 170 degrees but apart from that I followed the recipe to a T
Hi Emma, the recipe is optimised for a conventional (non-fan) oven. But in general, you should lower the oven temperature by 20ĀŗC for a fan oven ā although I’m not sure what’s stopping your cake from baking through… What kind of baking tin (material, size) are you using? That can have a large effect on the way the cake bakes.
Hi Kate,I wanna bake this cake but what’s the worst part is I didn’t get gluten free flour, I search so many groceries,and I don’t want to use all purpose flour, will you please tell me how to make with rice flour and tapioca flour or oats flour other flours with ratios.thank you
You can definitely mix up your own GF flour blend ā a good starting point is (by weight) 50% white rice flour, 30% potato/tapioca starch and 20% maize flour.
Made this cake for a BBQ and no one could even tell it was gluten free! I used two 8 inch tins instead but otherwise I followed this recipe to a T and it came out bloody amazing! This will be my go to recipe from now on š
Made this using Schar\Glutafin multipurpose mix. It looked, cooked and tastes absolutely great! My little girl has Coeliac disease and she loves it. Thank you.
This is FAR and AWAY the best GF chocolate layer cake I’ve ever tasted or made. I used King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure and skipped the xanthan gum because of that. Thank you, thank you for this fabulous recipe.
TY, this is the very 1st. GF cake from scratch I’ve made, for hubby’s birthday..[.I also make strawberry short cake from the store angel fd. cake but I believe this could be used since it is spongy, just omit the choc.] I used Bob’s Red Mill Flr. ty so much
Oh my gosh this cake is insanely good. I questioned a few of the ratios but trusted the recipe and holy smokes it is probably the best cake, let alone gluten free, that Iāve ever had. Easy to follow recipe, did my own flour mix as recommended and it worked perfectly!
Oh my……you hit this one out of the park ā¼ļø Gluten free baking can be hit and miss at best. I made this for a birthday cake for a dear friend. I made a whipped chocolate ganache for the frosting. Everyone loved it. What I loved most if how moist it is …..typically I find gf cakes quite dry. The flavour was excellent and it cut very nicely without crumbling.
Thanks for such a super recipe. š
Oh my Goodness, this cake is amazing. I even made it with a chia/flax egg with Coconut & oat milk. I used got coffee instead of boilling water. My fiance is not crazy about G. F. Over half this cake was gone in one setting between three people. Man, I woke up in the middle of the night creating this cake. This cake was so damn good, I head out for breakfast. Wow! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi there! Did you sift the powdered sugar for the icing first?
Yes, it’s best to sift the icing sugar, especially if it has clumps in it.
Hi
This cake is amazing. I made it once and it went down a treat!
I want to make it again but cannot get hold of GF plain flour during the current crisis. Can I use GF SR flour as a substitute? If so, do I need to omit/reduce the baking powder/bicarbonate.
Any help Is much appreciated
Thanks for such an awesome recipe
Hi Meash, you can make it with GF SR flour and you will probably need to decrease the amount of raising agents slightly ā as I haven’t tested it with SR flour, I can’t say for sure, but I think adding about 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda *should* work. If you have some experience baking with that SR flour, you’ll probably know better how much extra raising agents it requires.
I’ve made this cake so many times … It’s delicious!! I want to make it this weekend (doubled for a tall 6″ plus cupcakes) .. But don’t need it to be GF this time. Have you made this with cake flour? Or AP?
I haven’t made it with regular wheat flour myself, but I know other have and with great success! š
can i use self raising gf flour that has xantham gum already in it?
You can, but in that case you won’t need to add xanthan gum separately AND you’ll need to adjust the amount of raising agents added separately.
My Robin Hood Gluten Free all purpose flour blend has xanthan gum. Will still work? or should I omit the xanthan gum in the recipe… Thanks!
If your blend already contains xanthan gum, you don’t need to add it separately.
will this work with 8″ pans? It’s that or cupcakes becuase I don’t have 7″ – wonder what will come out most moist
It will definitely work with 8 inch pans, you might need to shorten the baking time slightly.
This cake is absolutely amazing. I made it for my wife for her birthday using Bulk Barn flour while in Covid-19 isolation, and omg it was the best cake I’ve ever had. I didn’t even have any cake tools and I’ve never made a multi-layer cake before.
I did have 9″ pans instead so I dropped the baking time down by about 5 minutes.
I also put some dark chocolate shavings on the top for the extra chocolate flavour!
Hi there so I bought gluten free flour from a bulk food store … it says it has that xanthan gum added to it… so do I still add it or should i just buy the store bought blend
If your GF flour blend already contains xanthan gum, no need to add it seprately.
Made this for hubby and he loves it. Iām not a big GF fan but have to adapt for his allergy. This was the best GF cake weāve had. I used 8 inch pans as thatās all I had and they turned out fine. They did dome quite a bit but I just cut that off, iced it and made like a sandwich….he ate the whole thing! š
Made this for my husbandās birthday cake. He loved it. Light, fluffy, & not overtly sweet. A hit in my house. Will be making again.
Hi.Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes, definitely ā melted butter will work perfectly!
I don’t normally leave reviews, but I used this recipe to make my 3 year olds birthday cake (I have coeliac disease and I didn’t want to miss out on cake! Haha) this recipe did not disappoint, it made the most delicious sponges, we all enjoyed it! I will be making this again it was very yummy! Thank you š
Made this for my birthday as it was the only thing to look forward to in isolation and I’m incredibly impressed! I don’t think I’ve had a cake this good in years, especially a gf one. I’ll definitely be making this again, made my whole day
Iāve tried many GF cake recipes over the past five years after cutting gluten from our diets and my husband and I agreed this was the moistest, fluffiest GF cake weāve ever had. LOVE this recipe! Thank you!
love it!!!
Made the cake, best gf one I have baked/eaten! Can I use the same batter and make cupcakes instead?
You definitely can, just shorten the baking time to 18 – 22 minutes.
I’ve made a lot of gluten free chocolate cakes and this is by far the BEST! SO MOIST! Instead of boiling water I used black strong coffee and it just added to the intense chocolate flavor. So good!
The best chocolate cake ever, I made a birthday cake and nobody notice it was a gluten free. I used King Arthur flour.
Hi! This was my first attempt at baking a gluten free cake and I followed the recipe exactly. When it was finished it looked amazing and the texture was perfect but it had a horrible after-taste. Any ideas where I went wrong as I want to make sure I get it right next time???
Two things I can think of:
1. What kind of oil did you use? It can strongly influence the flavour – I usually use a flavour-neutral oil like sunflower.
2. Because the cake gets its flavour from the cocoa powder, make sure you use a high quality cocoa powder you really like the flavour of.
Hope this helps! š
Wat does xantham gum do? Can we do without it?
Xanthan gum acts as a gluten replacement, helping gluten free bakes gain some elasticity/flexibility and also helps keep them from drying out too quickly. I don’t recommend trying to replace it or omit it altogether.
This cake was delicious! But…It was missing something?…like Vanilla Extract!!!! Aww man. I wish I realized that before it was done baking!! The minute I tasted it, I could tell it was missing! š¬I will definitely remember next time!! Otherwise great recipe and texture!
one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve eaten, let alone a gluten-free recipe. thank you so much for this! so light & delicious
Do you use unsweetened cocoa?
Yes, unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder.
Iād like to use this for cupcakes. Would you adjust the bake time or temperature?
Thanks,
Terri
You will probably need to shorten the baking time to about 20 minutes, keeping the oven temperature the same.
Beautifully light cake! I used Doves Farm plain flour. I didn’t want a sandwich cake so I put all the mix in a larger cake tin (9in I think) and baked it at 160C (fan) for 1hr15min… a little cracked on the top but covered that with the frosting and it was lovely!
Hi, are your oven temps for fan forced ovens ?
The temperatures are for conventional ovens. If you use a fan oven, lower the temperature by 20 ĀŗC.
Wishing I hadn’t started this recipe. Too much scrolling around for directions and ingredients.
You can use the “jump to recipe” button to skip past the introduction, and the recipe ingredients and directions are all listed within the recipe in the commonly used order.
This looks aaaaaamazinh! My 6 year old has coeliac disease and we are always looking for recipes to tryā any advise ingredient wise if I was making this into a 3 tier cake?? X
It will depend on the diameter of the cake tins you will want to use, but the recipe can be easily scaled up by multiplying all ingredients with the same number, no need to adjust the ingredients ratios. š
Thank you SO much for this recipe! I didn’t think it would be possible to make something that accommodated my gluten intolerance that everyone at the party enjoyed, but I was wrong! Everyone loved it! Will be making it again, for sure š
(I used a gluten-free baking mix from a local supermarket in Holland that had xantham gum added, because I couldn’t find it separately)
I made this cake today, baked it in 3 6 inch cake tins and layered it with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. It is DEVINE! Delicate, moist crumb that holds together and isnāt crumbly. TRUST THE RECIPE and itāll be AMAZING!
First attempt came out perfect! Bye bye gluten free cardboard cakes and supermarket offerings with pages of ingredients and preservatives, this is indeed the ultimate chocolate cake! Checking out all your other recipes now and they all look amazing š Thank you
This was my first time baking a cake. It turned out pretty good. I used coconut milk (14% fat) to substitute for the milk and oil. Thank you.
HEllo, can i use coconut milk to make it dairy free?
I would recommend a lighter non-dairy milk for the sponge, such as rice, almond, soy or oat milk. Coconut milk is usually high in fat and could result in an oily/greasy sponge.
Help I’ve done this cake about 6 times and the last 2 have ended up rubbery? Any idea what’s gone wrong?
Have you changed your gluten free flour blend by any chance? If you started using one that already contains xantan gum, adding xanthan separately as per recipe could result in a gummy/rubbery sponge texture.
I just wanted to ask is the only ingredient that needs to be gluten free is it the flour I wanted to try a gluten free cake not really tried one before
Hi Hani, flour is indeed the main ingredient that needs to be gluten free, but just to be absolutely sure I would also double check the baking powder, as gluten sometimes sneaks into there as well. Happy baking! š
As someone who bakes, cooks, and follows a tons of recipes, this is the best cake recipe I have ever followed. I followed your exact instructions and my cake came out perfect. The frosting was amazing!
Why do you need to use grease proof paper?
It prevents the cake from sticking to the tin, especially on the bottom. I prefer to line the tins to spraying with non-stick spray, and have had better success with lining than with greasing. But feel free to use your preferred method of making sure the sponges don’t stick! š
I have never made a gluten free anything, but promised a work friend Iād attempt a gluten free dairy free cake for her birthday, as she always misses out on the goodies we have for morning tea. This cake was amazing, turned out so light and springy, nobody believed it was āfree fromā and 2 people said it was the best cake theyād ever had. Thank you!!
Made this today with Doves Farm Plain Flour. Great recipe, wouldn’t know it was gluten free. Shortened the cook time slightly as my cake pans were bigger than specified
This cake is easy, moist, and absolutely scrumptious! It is now my go to recipe for a decadent dessert!
Have you ever substituted the hot water for coffee?! Just wondering if that would be an option?
Sure thing, it works perfectly!
Wow this is a lovely cake. Itās the first time Iāve baked a cake from scratch start to finish! I followed everything except I used bakerās sugar instead of granulated. Then I actually just did the buttercream frosting from a different recipe on this site so that I could have vanilla buttercream frosting. Thank you for this recipe. Iām glad I trusted you on the boiling water- what an experience!! Super moist cake- thereās not even crumbs that fall off.
Have just made this cake and it does taste very good. A question on the texture – itās more like a moist brownie than a light, fluffy sponge. Is this normal for a gluten free cake?
The cake should be VERY moist but still cake-like and fluffy in texture. It could be it needed 5-10 minutes in the oven. In general, glutem free cake sponges should be nearly indistinguishable in taste and texture from “regular” cakes (if prepared correctly).
I am a baker/cake decorator. I make and decorate cakes for other people and I am always told that my cakes are super moist and delicious. Finding out I had celiac disease 3 years ago changed a lot of things for me and while I still make cakes for other people I canāt sample them and I throw away a lot of cake tops. Itās sad.
So all of that was to let you know where I coming from when I say this cake is what dreams are made of. It is soft, rich, moist and dense but still light. It is amazing! And I am eating every crumb of this cake top!
Can cupcakes be made from this recipe?
They certainly can – same recipe, fill cupcake cases ~3/4 full. Baking time should be about 20 minutes.
OMG!!!! I made this cake last week and took it the the neighbours and my friend said we shouldnāt serve it….was horrified…..little did I know she loved it and didnāt want anyone else to have any…HILARIOUS. The only GF mix I had was self rising. I live in NZ š³šæ and hard to find a decent white mix unless I make my own. I used Edmonds GF self rising. And cheated and used a Betty Crocker icing…..this is my NEW dessert favorite…..thanks so much
Please, could you help me with this : do use US cup or UK cup for measuring?
I use US cups (where 1 cup = 240 mL).
This makes the BEST fluffy delicious cupcakes also!!! The baking time for 12 cupcakes 2/3 full is about 10min.
These were such a hit at our kidās birthday party, thanks so much!
Great recipe, really easy to follow and the cake turned out perfectly, with an amazing texture and flavour – thank you!
Looking to make this for a friendās 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.
Hi Kat,
If Iām 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.
Hi Kat,
This cake looks amazing!
Where did you find the Lidl UK flour?
Iāve been looking on the Internet and canāt seem to find it anywhere, not even on Amazon.
I want to make this cake for a friendās birthday. She has been really disappointed with the GF cakes sheās 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) ā but you can get the same results with Doves Farm Free plain gluten free flour! š
I do hope your friend enjoys this cake ā I’ve made it numerous times, and even non-GF friends LOVE it!
I made this yesterday my first gluten free cake ! Really impressed thank you I will be definitely making this again . It was a hit .
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!
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 š ) and melts nicely.
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.
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 donāt have any experience with high altitude baking (but it’s likely the reason why it didn’t turn out well) ā Iām sure thereās plenty of information about adjusting baking temperatures and times if you try googling it? š
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.
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.
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!
Absolutely gorgeous!! My husband made it with rice flour, you wouldnāt know it was gluten free!
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. š
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! ā”
So happy you enjoyed the cake, Louise! š
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…
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’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!
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.
Hi! Just curious if coconut oil could be used as a substitute instead of the vegetable oil. Thanks
Coconut oil should work fine ā 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!
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. š
Iāve been using the Bobās 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. š
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 ā 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! š
Thanks for clearing that up for me. I’m new to GF baking and my mother-in-law had mentioned using psyllium husk when baking GF biscuits (the U.S. kind š ) and suggested I try it. I had never seen it used as an ingredient for cakes and cookies, always the xantham gum, so I was a little skeptical. I’ll have to let her know that it’s better for baking breads but not for cakes and things which is what I’m mostly baking at the moment.
HI! Iām 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.
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 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 ā a gluten free flour blend is strongly recommended. š
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 ā and so on until the toothpick/skewer comes out clean.
Anyone tried this recipe with Cup4Cup? How did it do?
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!
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 ā them being expired could cause the cake not rising properly.
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.
HI ,
Can this recipe be made with an egg substitute? I love your page!!
Thank you š
I haven’t tested this particular recipe without eggs, but I don’t think an egg replacement will work. I recommend you check out my Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe, which you should be able to make with GF flour (and add xanthan gum).
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 ā 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. š
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 š
Hi! Thanks for sharing! Iām 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! š
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.
King Arthur Flour GF flour blend also works a treat!
What can I sub for mik – dairy intolerant friend.
You can use almond, soy, oat or rice milk ā or pretty much any other non-dairy milk alternative that’s suitable. And coconut cream as a substitute for the butter in the frosting.
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.
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! š