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This incredible Gluten Free Chocolate Cake is rich with chocolate and will become your new go-to special occasion cake. It boasts moist and tender cake layers filled with a luxuriously silky chocolate buttercream frosting for the ultimate indulgence. No xanthan gum is needed for this ultimate crowd pleaser of a cake.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Watch The Video
- Which Gluten-Free Flour Blends Work Best For Chocolate Cake?
- Is Xanthan Gum Needed?
- Full List Of Ingredients
- How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake
- Expert Tips
- Assembling The Cake
- Flavour Variations
- FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Chocolate Cakes You’ll Love!
- Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Make Ahead
- Freeze
If you are in need of an incredible rich chocolate cake to become your go-to chocolate cake for birthdays and all kinds of special occasions then this is the cake of your dreams. It is everything that a proper chocolate cake should be with bags of intense chocolate flavour, a gorgeously moist yet light texture and a velvety buttercream. Prepare to meet your new favourite gluten-free chocolate layer cake.
Just check out all the 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews:
"I just made this cake for a birthday party for my daughter who has celiac disease, and it is incredible! Everyone loved it! I followed the recipe exactly as written and couldn't be happier with the taste, appearance, and texture. " Becky.
"Fabulous cake recipe! I made this for my daughter's birthday as she wanted a super chocolatey cake. This delivered!" Talia
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A perfect choice for your next gluten-free chocolate birthday cake.
- Deep chocolate flavour.
- The sponge is on the right side of sweet.
- Perfectly moist, light and fluffy sponge.
- Layers of chocolate cake are sandwiched and covered with a creamy rich and intensely chocolatey buttercream.
- Easy to make, the sponge comes together in one large bowl without the need for a stand mixer or electric hand mixer.
- It makes an extra special gluten-free dessert for Valentine's Day, especially if served with vanilla ice cream.
- No xanthan gum is needed.
Watch The Video
Which Gluten-Free Flour Blends Work Best For Chocolate Cake?
This delicious cake uses a homemade gluten-free flour blend using 3 flours to create the perfect texture:
Teff flour. A whole grain flour. It has a fluffy texture and the caramel flavour undertones pair excellently with chocolate. READ MORE >>> Guide to using teff flour in your baking. Substitution. Instead of teff flour you can use oat flour or sorghum flour.
Sweet rice flour. A starchy flour which helps bind the ingredients and lends a little fudginess to the sponge. This is not the same ingredient as regular rice flour. READ MORE >>> Guide to using sweet rice flour in your baking. Substitution. You can substitute for tapioca flour (but not if you are also substituting the almond flour for tapioca flour – see below - as it would make the sponge too tapioca heavy).
Almond flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.
I don't recommend using a branded all-purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe as the results won't be the same. However, if you only want to reach for 1 flour every time you bake a cake then this Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour will suit you perfectly. It's ideal for every kind of sponge cake (and works well in other simple recipes too). You can swap the above 3 flours for the same amount of this homemade blend to produce a perfect chocolate cake.
💫My gluten-free recipes use simple blends for the best results to enhance all your sweet treats. If you want to know more about choosing the right gluten-free flours for your recipes then join our facebook community where we completely nerd out on alternative flours and gluten free baking.
Is Xanthan Gum Needed?
If you have been following a gluten-free diet for some time then you will be aware that a small amount of xanthan gum is used to mimic the job of gluten in gluten-free baking. It helps bind the ingredients together and can make the crumb a little lighter and softer. This amazing recipe doesn’t need xanthan gum as the right blend of wholegrain and starchy flours give this delicious gluten free cake an excellent structure which is light and moist. Plus the stickiness of the melted chocolate in the batter also helps bind the cake ingredients.
Full List Of Ingredients
Chocolate Sponge
Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour). This is a delicate white starchy flour which is useful in gluten-free baking because of its ability to create soft and elastic baked goods. It gives good results within the flour blend because it helps bind the mix together so the buns have a little bounce and are not dry and crumbly.
Teff flour. A whole grain flour. It has a fluffy texture and the caramel flavour undertones pair excellently with chocolate.
Almond flour. This flour is protein packed so it gives the chocolate cake a deep moist texture and great stability so it isn't crumbly. You are looking for blanched ground almonds (labelled as 'ground almonds' in UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle).
Dark chocolate. This cake uses 70% dark chocolate. However, you can use 50-60% chocolate for a softer chocolate flavour.
Cocoa powder. Choose a high quality organic brand if possible. This recipe was tested with Dutch-processed cocoa powder (which is the more common type in the UK – but do check the labels).
Espresso powder. Brings out the chocolate flavour rather than giving a coffee flavour. It can be omitted.
Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.
Milk. Use whole milk or a plant based milk (coconut milk / almond milk / oat milk) if you are making a dairy-free option.
Apple cider vinegar. Reacts with the milk to give a lovely tanginess which adds complexity of flavour.
Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar available in the UK. If you can only get hold of granulated sugar you can grind more finely in the food processor before you use it in the recipe.
Brown sugar. Adds a gentle flavour and lends a fudgy texture.
Olive oil. Use a flavourless mild and light olive oil. You can swap for vegetable oil or coconut oil.
Eggs. This cake uses a medium size. Burford Browns give a lovely rich flavour if you can get them.
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nielsen Massey.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
Chocolate Buttercream
Dark chocolate. 70% dark chocolate for an intense chocolate flavour. You can use chocolate chips or a roughly chopped good quality bar.
Butter. It's best to use unsalted butter and do make sure it’s at room temperature.
Icing sugar. (powdered sugar) Sift before using for an even blend.
Cocoa powder. Choose a high quality organic brand if possible.
Salt. A really essential ingredient, without it the buttercream can be quite bland.
How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Dry ingredients. Whisk the flours together with cocoa powder, espresso powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
2. Homemade 'buttermilk'. Mix the milk with the vinegar and let stand for a couple of minutes.
3. Wet ingredients. Mix the homemade 'buttermilk' with the sugars, olive oil, eggs and vanilla.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Beat together until smooth.
5. Chocolate. Melt the chocolate then pour into the rest of the cake batter and mix until completely incorporated.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into 2 cake tins and bake for 30-35 minutes.
7. Buttercream. Beat butter and icing sugar until very light and creamy. Add cocoa powder, melted chocolate and salt and beat until smooth and creamy.
8. Cool. Turn the cakes onto wire racks and cool completely before filling with buttercream.
Expert Tips
Homemade buttermilk. Since actual buttermilk is often difficult to buy this milk/vinegar trick works just as well. It looks like it has curdled once you have let it rest. That's correct and how it should look. You can substitute the milk/vinegar with actual buttermilk if you prefer.
No stand mixer. It isn't necessary to use a stand mixer for the cake batter but if you do then make sure to sift the dry ingredients and the sugars to avoid clumping and to achieve a smooth batter.
Melted chocolate. Make sure the melted chocolate has cooled for at least 10 minutes before adding to the buttercream.
Cover the bowl. If you cover the bowl with a tea towel when beating the butter and sugar then you won’t get a sugar snowstorm in your kitchen.
Baked. Your chocolate cake is ready when an inserted toothpick or skewer is removed from the baked cake without any moist crumbs attached.
Buttercream. For the lightest creamiest chocolate frosting then mix the butter and sugar for at least 6 minutes in the stand mixer, scraping down the sides every so often.
Serving. For neat clean slices, place the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes. It will firm up the cake to make it easier to cut. In between cuts wipe your knife with a warm damp cloth for clean slices.
Assembling The Cake
Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. If you have a cake board then decorate your cake on top of the cake board as it makes it easier to move the cake around.
Use an offset spatula to spread about a quarter of the icing evenly over the top of the first layer.
Add the second cake layer on top and press it gently to ensure it's level.
Apply the rest of the buttercream around the sides of the cake and the top of the cake. Use the offset spatula to swirl the buttercream around to make the cake pretty.
Flavour Variations
This cake is a great base for making all different variations on chocolate cake.
- Chocolate Orange. Use 1½ teaspoons orange extract in the cake batter, ½ teaspoon orange extract in the buttercream and decorate the cake with Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments.
- Mint Chocolate. Use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract in the cake batter and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract in the buttercream for a delicious Mint Chocolate Cake.
- Berries. Decorate your cake in seasonal raspberries, strawberries or blueberries or add a layer of crushed berries in between the layers of the cake.
FAQs
There is no big secret except to use the right flour blend. So many branded gluten-free flours do not contain enough protein or starch within the blend so the cake ends up dry and crumbly or with a weird taste. Use flours which complement the chocolate flavour and add moisture to the bake. This recipe uses teff flour, sweet rice flour and almond flour which balance out perfectly to give great texture and flavour.
For the sponge you just need to substitute the milk for a plant based milk and make sure you use dairy-free chocolate.
For the buttercream you can swap the butter for a plant based spread and make sure you use dairy-free chocolate.
This cake keeps really well due to its moist texture. You can make this cake up to 3 days in advance.
This cake keeps best in the refrigerator but is best eaten at room temperature so remove from the fridge at least 2 hours before serving. If you are keeping in the fridge then chill completely uncovered on a plate. Once the cake is cold the buttercream will firm up enough that you can then cover it with plastic wrap without spoiling the look of the buttercream.
You can freeze the whole cake with the buttercream. It is best to chill the cake completely overnight in the fridge so that the buttercream firms up. Then wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminium foil before freezing. Defrost the cake overnight in the fridge before removing the plastic wrap then bring to room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze the cake in slices. Chill completely before slicing then store the cake slices layered up in airtight containers with a piece of baking parchment in between layers. The cake slices take a couple of hours to defrost on the kitchen counter.
More Gluten-Free Chocolate Cakes You’ll Love!
✨Have you tried this Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake? If you liked it, please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 125 g 70% dark chocolate
- 100 g teff flour
- 80 g sweet rice flour - glutinous rice flour
- 50 g almond flour - ground almonds in UK
- 90 g cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 1¾ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 400 g whole milk
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 160 g caster sugar
- 100 g soft light brown sugar
- 170 g olive oil
- 3 eggs - *medium
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream
- 300 g 70% dark chocolate
- 500 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 500 g icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted /gas mark 4 / 350°F and line and grease 2 x 8 inch (20cm) round 4 inch (10cm) deep cake tins.
- Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, or a glass bowl set over a pan of boiling water, then set aside.
- Pour the milk into a jug and stir in the apple cider vinegar. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to curdle slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, whisk together the flours and starches, cocoa powder, espresso powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until well mixed.
- In a separate bowl mix together the vinegar milk, sugars, olive oil, eggs and vanilla then beat into the flour mixture.
- Finally mix in the melted chocolate until completely incorporated.
- Divide the mixture between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until an inserted skewer is removed without a wet crumb.
- Turn out the cakes and cool on wire racks before filling with buttercream.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Melt the chocolate in a bain marie or a glass bowl set over a pan of boiling water, then set aside to cool.
- Beat butter together with the icing sugar in a stand mixer for at least 6 minutes until light and creamy, scraping down the sides every so often.
- Add the cocoa powder, melted chocolate and salt then beat until smooth and incredibly creamy.
Video
Notes
Flour
I do not recommend using a branded all-purpose gluten-free flour as the results will not be the same. But you can swap the whole amount of teff flour, sweet rice flour and almond flour for my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend which has been developed specifically to support the texture and structure of sponge cakes. No xanthan gum is needed with this flour blend either. This recipe calls for almond flour which is blanched and ground whole almonds (without their skin). In the UK this kind of flour is sold in most major UK supermarkets labelled 'ground almonds' in the baking aisle. To make sure you know which almond flour you are choosing then check against this article The Difference Between The Almond Flours.- Teff flour. You can swap for sorghum flour or oat flour.
- Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour). You can swap for cassava flour.
- Almond flour. You can swap for chickpea flour (gram flour).
Dairy Free Substitutions
- Make sure the chocolate is dairy-free.
- Whole milk. Swap for plant milk for dairy-free version.
- Butter. Swap for a plant based butter for dairy-free version.
Baking Tips
- Chocolate. Make sure the melted chocolate has cooled for at least 10 minutes before adding to the cake batter and the buttercream.
- No stand mixer. You don't need to use a stand mixer for making the cake batter. However if you are not then make sure to sift the dry ingredients and the sugars as they have a tendency to clump and it will mix better.
- Buttercream. If you cover the mixer with a tea towel when beating the butter and sugar then you won’t get a sugar snowstorm in your kitchen. For the lightest creamiest result then mix the butter and sugar for at least 6 minutes in the stand mixer, scraping down the sides every so often.
- Slicing the cake. If you are serving straight away then place the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes, it will make it easier to cut. In between cuts wipe your knife with a warm damp cloth for clean slices.
Make Ahead
You can make this cake up to 3 days in advance. Store in the fridge.Freeze
You can freeze the cake whole with the buttercream. It's best to chill the cake completely before wrapping up well in cling film and aluminium foil. The cake will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake overnight in the fridge before removing the plastic wrap then bring to room temperature before serving. You could also freeze the cake in slices.Ingredient measurements
- Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
Helena says
Hello from the UK
I made this cake for Mothering Sunday when our family was gathered together. It was voted the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made, it was delicious.
All your recipes I have made have worked as they should and especially good are your pastry recipes,
A big thank you.
Helena
Georgina Hartley says
I'm so happy to hear that you and your family loved the cake - I really appreciate you leaving your feedback and you are so very welcome!
Lucy says
Hi Georgina, do you think I could substitute chestnut flour for the teff as it's what I have in the cupboard? Thanks!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Lucy - yes chestnut flour would work well.
Margaret O'Hare says
I'm a terrible fiddler when it comes to recipes. But the reviews of this cake inspired me to follow it to the letter - even still I had a real tussle with myself to ignore the beetroot in the fridge which is begging to go in a chocolate cake.
I've gone over in my mind what I did again and again and I'm sure I measured everything precisely - but the batter was extremely liquid and required at least 50 minutes in the oven. Thus saying, I was using two loaf tins (have a pack of paper liners, too impatient sometimes to cut, grease, line and flour my springform. Plus I find a loaf tin promotes moderation in slices). I struggle to find white caster sugar here in France so I always use a light brown - preferring the less refined flavour anyway - and the bio store only ever has ground almonds not flour.
With those caveats in mind, the morning after we found the cakes gritty. Perhaps that was my brand of Teff. We put them in the fridge and by lunchtime the grittiness had softened out. Twenty four hours later we’ve just had a slice for breakfast and delighted to report that this cake is truly exceptional. Pure serendipitous alchemy. Another clever and generous offering from Georgina. This one definitely staying in the recipe folder. The pack of beetroot might stay in the fridge a while yet.
PS - I didn’t buttercream as ran out of chocolate, but so moist and delicious they don't need it. I doused the bottom of one with spiced rum (as one does with a Nantais) because I am a fiddler after all. Will be getting stuck in to that mid week when guests arrive! Thank you again for sharing.
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Margaret, I'm so happy you enjoyed the finished result. It's true that some brands of teff flour can be a little gritty as the grinds can be different. Thank you for giving your feedback.
Janet T says
This is the best chocolate cake I have ever made, and in my 73 years I have made quite a few! I do cut down on the sugar and only ice the middle, not round the sides, but it is unbelievably delicious even so.
Georgina Hartley says
Wow - what a lovely thing to say. I'm so happy you like the recipe - thank you so much!
Fatima says
Haven't tried it yet because I don't bake with refined sugar. Would this work with coconut sugar, stevia or monk fruit?
Georgina Hartley says
Yes to coconut sugar! I have made this switch before and it works very well.
Sonia says
Fantastic cake recipe!!! SO easy to make and delicious. My non gf loved too. Not one I can make too often as the 769 calories per slice is more than my current permitted calorie intake. Defo one for the special occasion though. Thank you
Sonia says
Sorry ..769 is more than HALF my current daily calorie intake
Georgina Hartley says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! The slices are generous for this chocolate cake so can easily be halved if you want to cut the calories.
Sonia says
Can I just say I love the fact that I can tick things off on the ingredients box before I leave the house and then tick as I buy additional ingredients from the list. It so saves me having to write stuff down but this way it ensures I have everything. Fab idea. Sorry if I’m slow to the process.
Will let you know how I can on with the baking
Georgina Hartley says
That's great to hear - I'm happy you are finding the recipe easy to use.
Denise says
Hi
Can I do 50/50 on gluten free flour and almond flour with this recipe?
Thank you
Denise
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Denise - yes you can!
Fiona says
Can I make this in a 1 pound loaf tin and if so for how long ? Thanks. Can't wait to try this recipe
Georgina Hartley says
There would be too much batter in this recipe for a 1 pound loaf tin. Without testing the amended quantities and the baking time I can't give you a definitive answer I'm afraid.
Fiona says
Hello. I decided to go ahead and try anyway and it made 2 cakes. I cooked them for 30 mins and took them out with just a few sticky crumbs on the toothpick. I have had to many dry gluten free cake recently ! It was perfect and still miost today so that's brilliant. Very new to gluten free baking so nice to get one success amongst so many disasters !! Going to try one of your books recipes next ☺️
Cathy O’Malley says
Hi Georgina,
I’m looking forward to trying this because we’re looking for a recipe for my granddaughter’s birthday cake. Do you think I could use chestnut flour instead of almond flour? And one other thing, I tend to buy large eggs so I wondered if the egg size is crucial?
Thanks
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Cathy, yes you can use chestnut flour. The eggs tested in the recipe weighed 60g each so to be totally accurate you can use the weight of eggs. I haven't tested the recipe with a different weight of eggs so I can't say for sure that it won't upset the balance of the recipe.
Cathy O’Malley says
Thanks Georgina,
A brilliant recipe!
I used chestnut flour instead of almonds,
sorghum because I didn’t have brown teff.
I used two large eggs instead of three small.
I got thumbs up from everyone, thank you.
Cathy
Georgina Hartley says
That sounds great - so happy you enjoyed the cake and the subs went well.
Norma Laurene says
Hi I have ground almonds and rice flour. Can I substitute G/F self raising flour for teff flour?
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Norma, the recipe requires sweet rice flour (aka glutinous rice flour) which is different from regular rice flour - please can I check that you are using the right one as they are very different. If so, they you can substitute the teff flour for a gluten-free flour blend. However, self raising flour will already include a raising agent which will mean you are adding quite a lot to the recipe. I don't know whether this will affect the flavour and texture.
Angelika K says
What an amazing recipe! This is the best chocolate cake I have ever made!!
Georgina Hartley says
I'm so happy to hear that Angelika - thank you for the feedback!!
Alene says
What do you think I could substitute for the rice flour? You must be so tired of me. Happy New Year though. I hope it's a healthy one for you too!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Alene, I don't mind at all! In the post I recommend substituting the sweet rice flour for tapioca starch/flour. Cassava flour would also work well.
Tara says
Excellent! Moist and chocolatey! I made cupcakes for my co-workers, and they loved them!
Georgina Hartley says
Thank you - I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
chrishy says
How does this cake compare to your caramel espresso cake? I am stuck on which one to make. (the base cake recipe that is). Thank you!
Georgina Hartley says
I love both cakes but this Chocolate Fudge Cake is the one I have been baking more of recently.
chrishy says
Thank you!! 🙂
Rudo Murove says
I made this for a friend yesterday and she absolutely loved it! It was my first gluten free cake and I also had a taste ….wow! It’s one of THE best cakes I have made, so moist, an absolute delight. Thank you
Georgina Hartley says
That's lovely to hear!!! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cake.
Ruth Sincliar says
My husband made this for my 60th birthday, celebrated in lockdown. It was the first cake he has ever made without help - so thank you for the clear instructions!
It was delicious, and the moist texture was even better the next day. I had to give it to the neighbours after that or I would have eaten the whole thing... They were amazed at how good it was.
Thank you for all your sweet and savoury recipes and ideas and particularly the great info on different flours without using xanthum gum, which I can't tolerate. Ruth, Cambridge, UK>
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Ruth, you are so welcome and I'm happy you enjoyed the cake! Happy birthday!
Becky says
This is seriously the best GF cake! The texture is perfect, the chocolate flavor is delectable. The recipe is not difficult to make, and the buttercream practically makes itself. You won’t be sorry you made this one . . . Other than the calories. But when you cut it, the calories leak out, don’t they?
Georgina Hartley says
Of course they leak out!! Thank you Becky for your lovely feedback.
Jeana Holmquist says
Hello Georgina! Would you share a good brand of olive oil to use in baking? In my past experience, I'm not fond of the aftertaste of the olive oils I've tried in cooking. That's why I tend to use avocado oil in a lot of cooking recipes. Thanks so much for your input!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Jeana, I use Filippo Berio Mild & Light Olive Oil
Marc Hartley says
Very tasty looking