If you need to celebrate with a gluten-free chocolate cake, then this is it! Rich, and moist, yet light and airy this decadent flourless chocolate cake is decorated with a rich bakery-style chocolate frosting. A surprisingly simple and easy recipe that looks impressive. Perfect for any occasion.
Table of Content
Just because you can't eat flour doesn't mean you can't eat cake. Right? This week I had to make a gluten-free birthday cake because it's Passover. Usually, my gluten-free cake is my trusted flourless chocolate cake or chocolate pecan cake. But both those look like dessert cakes, not birthday cake and I wanted to make it a celebration cake.
This time my challenge was that I had to make it also nut-free. So, I had to dig back into my notes and look for an old gluten-free recipe I use to make a long time ago. And while I was making the cake, I thought I'd better share the recipe with you. So, I ended up making a video as well.
About this cake
It's rich, soft, and oh so moist. That's the feedback I got about this cake. I think you can see from the image below that this is a perfect chocolate cake.
The best part is I made a small 5-inch cake so I can taste it myself. Aadi and his friends enjoyed it. They could not believe it was gluten-free!
And the recipe is fairly simple and easy. It's very similar to most regular cakes. I love whipping the eggs for a light and airy cake. The recipe also uses xantham gum, which I think is a very important ingredient for this cake. And since I have never made it without it, so I'm not sure I can suggest any substitute. If you do know please let me know in the comments below.
Ingredients & substitutes
- Gluten-free flour - I've used a rice-flour blend for this recipe. And yet, any gluten-free flour should work just fine. I didn't have any issues so far. I like rice flour the best. This is a supermarket brand gluten-free rice flour blend. Ingredients - rice flour, stabilizers, and starch.
- Xantham gum - This is a water-soluble gum that works as a thickener or stabilizer and is often used to replace the elasticity and texture in gluten-free baking for cakes, pies and even bread. I believe, the best substitute for Xantham gum is arrowroot or cornstarch 1:1. I have used Xantham gum for this recipe.
- Sugar - You can use all white sugar for this recipe, and yet I love the flavor that the molasses in the brown sugar add to this recipe.
- Cocoa powder - Regular Dutch-processed cocoa powder works well in this recipe.
- Cooking oil - Use non-flavored cooking oil like canola or grapeseed for this. You can also use 170 grams of melted butter in this recipe.
- Vanilla - A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive, which is why I make my own homemade vanilla extract, bean paste or sugar.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven 170 C/ 340 F.
- Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and cocoa powder.
- Combine the cocoa powder, coffee powder, and hot water. Use a whisk to ensure no lumps - set aside to cool.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt - and set aside.
- Whip the eggs on medium speed.
- Gradually start adding the sugars a little at a time.
- Beat the eggs until light and fluffy - ribbon stage.
- Add the oil followed by the vanilla extract.
- Then add the cocoa powder mixture - and combine well.
- Lastly, sift in the flour mixture.
- Combine well with a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
- Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool further.
Decorate the cake
- Ensure sugar syrup is cooled completely.
- Prepare the frosting as shown in this recipe and video.
- Brush each cake layer with simple syrup.
- Place one layer on the cake platter or cake board.
- Top with about a cup of frosting - spread evenly.
- Place the second layer on top.
- Generously spread the remaining frosting on top and around the cake.
- Use a spatula or bench scraper to smooth sides. Dipping the spatula in warm water helps to smooth the frosting.
- Use any leftover frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a few swirls or borders.
- Place chocolate decorations as desired (I used chocolate balls).
More gluten-free recipes
- Chocolate Mousse Cake with Mirror Glaze
- Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Heart Chocolate Terrine
- Chocolate Mousse Cake with Mirror Glaze
- Heart Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Frequently asked questions
It is always recommended to whip eggs at a low speed, then moving up to high speed as well as adding sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Often when air is beaten into the egg too quickly the batter, when baked, tends to deflate or skin. This is an issue not just with gluten-free but often regular wheat flour cakes too.
The taste and flavor of the gluten-free cake will depend on the flour you use. In this case, I have used a rice flour-based
gluten-free flour which is slightly sweet. Some flours have a strong nutty flavor while others, like sorghum, have a dense texture and deep flavor.
I have not tried substituting this recipe with nutmeal so I would not recommend it. However, I do have a delicious Chocolate Pecan cake that is gluten-free and uses pecan meal but an almond meal or other nuts would work just as well.
No. The result would not be the same. However, I do have a flourless chocolate cake that does not use any gluten-free flour or nut meal.
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Printable Recipe
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
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Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Make 2x8 inch round layers
For the cake
- ¾ cup (165 g) Brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) White sugar
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) Gluten-free flour
- 1 cup (85 g) Cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Xantham gum
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Cooking oil
- 3 Eggs (large)
- 1 cup (240 ml) Hot water
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Coffee powder (optional)
For the frosting
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sugar syrup
- 4 cups Bakery style chocolate frosting (recipe & video)
Instructions
Prepare cake
- Preheat the oven 170 C/ 340 F.
- Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and cocoa powder.
- Combine the cocoa powder, coffee powder, and hot water. Use a whisk to ensure no lumps - set aside to cool.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, Xantham gum, and salt - and set aside.
- Whip the eggs on medium speed.
- Gradually start adding the sugars a little at a time.
- Beat the eggs until light and fluffy - ribbon stage.
- Add the oil followed by the vanilla extract.
- Then add the cocoa powder mixture - and combine well.
- Lastly, sift in the flour mixture.
- Combine well with a whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
- Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool further.
Decorate the cake
- Ensure sugar syrup is cooled completely.
- Prepare the frosting - recipe and video can be found on the link above.
- Brush each cake layer with simple syrup.
- Place one layer on the cake platter or cake board.
- Top with about a cup of frosting - spread evenly.
- Place the second layer on top.
- Generously spread the remaining frosting on top and around the cake.
- Use a spatula or bench scraper to smooth sides. Dipping the spatula in warm water helps to smooth the frosting.
- Use any leftover frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a few swirls or border.
- Place chocolate decorations as desired (I used chocolate balls).
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Aliyyah
Hi for someone who has a no tolerance to gluten can I use normal cocoa powder or does that have to be gluten free as well
Veena Azmanov
Sure, you can use normal cocoa powder which is usually gluten-free unless specified otherwise.
Nabila
Hi Veena! Thank you so much for sharing! I really needed a GF chocolate cake that I will make for my baby's baptism. I have a doubt I hope you can help me with, because I see that on the writen instructions you say to whip the egg whites but then you say to continue whipping the eggs, I dont know if I have to start first then with the egg whites?or actually is the whole eggs since the beggining and thats it? Thank you in advance!!!
Veena Azmanov
Hey Nabila. I am so sorry for the little type-error there. It should have been whip the eggs (not egg whites). You whip the whole eggs until it light and fluffy. Actually the post has a video so you can see how I have made the cake. I hope this helps. And thank you for bringing that error to my attention. Just fixed it.
Shashi at SavorySpin
Wow - this looks so darn delicious - I struggle with finding a GF flour that isn't too gummy so I started using just almond flour in my chocolate cakes but I'm going to save your recip to try soon!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Shashi. This one is light and airy. You must try.