Gluten free chocolate cake (dairy free option)

Gluten free chocolate cake should be balanced but bold and as moist as possible. A true celebration cake, this decadent treat will pass any gluten eater’s test with flying colors. Dairy free options are included too.

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There’s nothing better than enjoying “normal” food, is there? It’s even better when a gluten free recipe is so delicious you can easily feed it to your gluten-eating friends and family without fear they will quietly push their plates away.

This gluten free chocolate cake is a great way to make everyone happier than a possum eatin’ a sweet potato.

Rich, decadent and a true celebration centerpiece–stick in a birthday candle or slice it up and smile when you take a bite.

The most important part: The flour blend

The key to the texture of this cake is the flour blend you’ll make and not over baking it. Both matter a ton here.

You’ll need:

• Superfine brown rice flour
• Potato starch
• Tapioca flour

The flour blend requires one specific ingredient you cannot substitute and get the final result pictured. I don’t often tell you that you have to have a specialty ingredient but this superfine brown rice flour is the golden ticket.

It ensures your cake is smooth instead of gritty. You’ll also need tapioca flour and potato starch but any brand works on those. I have them linked in the recipe as well.

These three items will make a LOT of cake or other gluten free baked items, so look at it as an investment in quality and your right to eat like everyone else for once.

What about xanthan gum?

We will use xanthan gum as a binder in our cake but I don’t add it to the main batch of flour blend. If you break the rules and are using a different flour, yours may have xanthan gum already added so make sure to check before you add more in the recipe.

Tips for the best gluten free chocolate cake (Must read!)

• Make sure to sift your gluten free flours together to ensure there are no lumps and everything is well mixed before measuring out your flour for the cake.
• Take time to grease and cocoa powder your pans really well. Gluten free cakes are sometimes more delicate and you don’t want it to break or stick. Parchment paper is a must in my book as well.
• Bake just until a toothpick is barely clean. Over baking will dry it out. Check your cakes 5 to 7 minutes early.
• Use your favorite cocoa but for the darkest color use a blend of black cocoa (linked in the recipe) and regular but don’t use black cocoa by itself. It’s too bitter.
• If you aren’t dairy free, I recommend real unsalted butter for the frosting. Many people hate the greasy coating of shortenings in their mouth and butter has a great flavor
• Know that as this cake cools further the frosting will set and be slightly firm. If you refrigerate it, it will be hard. It’s best at room temperature.

A note on sugar

No one needs to eat 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. I expect that you aren’t planning to eat this whole cake yourself but even so, be careful. To temper the white sugar, I used a blend of date sugar and organic cane sugar.

You could use all coconut sugar (it may add a different flavor to the cake), maple sugar (super expensive) or do a blend of the good and the bad like I did.

How to mix, bake and frost your chocolate cake

Step 1: Make sure your pans are greased, papered, greased again and dusted in cocoa powder.

Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients

Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients

Step 4: Add wet to dry and mix until smooth

Step 5: Bake until toothpick has a crumb or two sticking to the toothpick, then cool completely.

Let’s make frosting

I’m 100% sure no one loves trying to scrape shortening off the roof of their mouth with their tongue after they eat frosting made with it. Gosh y’all that’s some nasty stuff.

In this gluten free chocolate cake we are going with unsalted butter for flavor and because we don’t use vegetable oil in any form (including shortening). If you are dead set on it though, it will work in this recipe.

The key here is to make sure your butter is room temperature, and that you whip it until it goes from yellow until almost white which takes 5 to 7 minutes with a hand mixer.

Trust me and whip it the whole time.

Also make dead sure that your chocolate and cocoa are room temperature and not warm at ALL or you are going to melt the butter into a greasy mass. You’ll be mad at yourself.

Also note that this recipe does NOT have a pound of powdered sugar. Just 3/4 of a cup. Use good chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips because they are only cocoa and sugar without additives).

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Your frosting will be gloriously shiny and easy to spread so make sure to put it on soon after making it. As it sets up, the frosting will firm a bit (or melt if it’s a super hot summer day) so plan accordingly.

If you put this cake in the fridge the frosting will be pretty hard, but soften if you give it some time to sit out before serving.

Need more cake?

Try my gluten free yellow cake. She’s a great one too.