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An easy recipe for a gluten-free chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting. No one will know that this moist and rich chocolate cake is gluten-free!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Making a homemade gluten-free chocolate cake is much easier than you think! This rich and decadent chocolate cake is only made with a few simple ingredients. The chocolate cake batter can even be made without a mixer.
I promise you won’t go back to boxed gluten-free cake mixes after you try my chocolate cake recipe! You can see just how easy this cake is to make in the detailed recipe photo steps. I have also included a recipe video!
Ingredients
For The Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake:
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour with Xanthan Gum: This gluten-free chocolate cake recipe was developed with Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. Depending on the gluten-free flour blend, you may experience different baking results.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These both help the cake rise and aid in giving the cake a nice soft crumb.
- Salt, Ground Cinnamon, and Pure Vanilla Extract: These enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: For moisture and flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Not only is this what makes a cake sweet but it helps keep the cake moist.
- Eggs: The binder ingredient also adds moisture to the cake.
- Milk and White Vinegar: Homemade buttermilk makes the cake super moist.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The cocoa is what gives this cake its super rich chocolatey flavor. I like Hershey’s Cocoa Powder.
- Hot Water: The hot water helps hydrate the cocoa and bring out a rich chocolate flavor.
For The Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter: It gives this buttercream its thick and creamy texture.
- Pure Vanilla Extract & Pure Almond Extract: I like to use both extracts to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This gives the buttercream frosting its chocolate flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch to boost the chocolate flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: This is what gives frosting its sweetness and firmness.
- Milk: A little bit of milk keeps the chocolate frosting smooth.
How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut parchment paper for the bottom of your two 9-inch cake pans and spray with gluten-free cooking spray.
- To make your homemade buttermilk: Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to milk or dairy-free milk and allow it to sit for a few minutes. (photo 1)
- In a medium-sized bowl add gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, gluten-free baking powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Stir to combine the ingredients. (photo 2)
- In a large bowl cream the softened butter and sugar with a mixer, until fluffy.
- Add the eggs and pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. (photo 3)
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides if needed.
- Add the homemade buttermilk to the cake batter and mix until fully combined.
- Add the boiling water to the cake batter and mix until fully combined and smooth. (photo 4)
- Pour half of the batter into the first greased 9-inch cake pan and then pour the rest of the batter into the second greased 9-inch cake pan. (photo 5)
- Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes. Please watch your cakes because all ovens are different.
- Check the center of the cake by inserting a toothpick to make sure it is done. You will also see the sides of the cake pulling away from the side of the pan. (photo 6)
- Allow the cakes to cool fully before frosting. I like to cool cakes on a baking rack. (photo 7)
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
How To Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl cream, the softened butter until smooth with a stand-up or hand mixer.
- Add the pure vanilla extract and almond extract to the butter. Mix until fully combined.
- Add the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Add the milk to the frosting and beat until smooth and spreadable. (photo 8)
Tips For Frosting
- Place the first cake with the shiny side down on a plate or a cake plate.
- Frost the top of the first cake. This will be the frosting in the center of your cake. I like a good amount of frosting in the center.
- Place the second cake on top of the frosted first cake the shiny side down.
- Frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- I decorated the top with chocolate shavings and frosting flowers using a Wilton 1M tip.
Tips For Baking
- Line the bottoms of the 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Trace the bottoms of the cake pans with a pencil and cut them out with scissors to have them fit perfectly!
- Use gluten-free cooking spray to grease your cake pans. I like gluten-free coconut oil cooking spray.
- Make sure to take the time to soften the butter.
- It’s best to measure the gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method. This keeps you from getting too much flour in the recipe.
- You can substitute hot coffee for hot water for a richer chocolate flavor.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then finish cooling on a cooling rack.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely before you frost them.
- You can easily make this recipe dairy-free. For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond milk.
Can I Make The Cake Ahead Of Time?
The longest I would recommend making a gluten-free cake ahead of time is the night before you want to serve the cake. You can always make the cake batter or frosting ahead of time. Just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Gluten-Free Cakes?
It’s really easy to freeze unfrosted cakes. Once your cakes are completely cool, wrap the cakes with plastic wrap (I like the press and seal wrap), wrap them again with aluminum foil, and then place them in a plastic freezer bag.
The cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can defrost the wrapped cake at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Why I Love This Recipe
This easy recipe makes a rich and moist gf chocolate cake. It’s the perfect dessert to make for birthdays and parties. Trust me, making a homemade chocolate cake does not get any easier than this!
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes To Try!
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
- Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
- Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake
★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★
Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
An easy recipe for a gluten-free chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting. No one will know that this moist and rich chocolate cake is gluten-free!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, 1/2 cup plus one 1 tablespoon
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut parchment paper for the bottom of your two 9-inch cake pans and spray with gluten-free cooking spray. I like gluten-free coconut oil spray.
- Add the white vinegar (or lemon juice) to the 1 cup of milk or dairy-free milk to make the homemade buttermilk.
- In a medium-sized bowl add gluten-free flour, salt, baking soda, gluten-free baking powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- In a large bowl cream the softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer, until fluffy.
- Add the eggs and pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. Scape down the sides if needed.
- Add the homemade buttermilk to the cake batter and mix until fully combined.
- Add the boiling water to the batter and mix until fully combined.
- Pour half of the batter into the first greased 9-inch cake pan and then pour the rest of the batter into the second greased 9-inch cake pan.
- Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes. Please watch your cakes because all ovens are different. Check the center of the cake by inserting a toothpick to make sure it is done. You will also see the sides of the cake pulling away from the side of the pan.
- Allow the cakes to cool fully before frosting. I cool my cakes on a baking rack.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl cream butter until smooth with a mixer.
- Add the pure vanilla and almond extract to the butter. Mix until fully combined.
- Add the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Add the milk to the frosting and beat it until smooth and spreadable.
Frost the Cake
- Place the first cake with the shiny side down on a plate or a cake plate.
- Frost the top of the first cake. This will be the frosting in the center of your cake. I like a good amount of frosting in the center.
- Place the second cake on top of the frosted first cake the shiny side down.
- Frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Enjoy!
- I decorated the top with chocolate shavings and frosting flowers using a Wilton 1M tip.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
- The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can defrost the wrapped cake at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- To make dairy-free: I used Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond milk.
- I decorated the top with chocolate shavings and frosting flowers using a Wilton 1M tip.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
- The unfrosted cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can defrost the wrapped cake at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Mama says, “Check all of your labels!”
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 343mgPotassium: 197mgFiber: 5gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 418IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @mamaknowsglutenfree or tag #mamaknowsglutenfree!
This is the best gluten and dairy free chocolate cake I’ve ever made. I made it for my son’s birthday and then again for my sisters birthday and got rave reviews both times. I added some coffee instead of the water and I also reduced the sugar by a quarter to give more of a dark chocolate feeling to the cake. Also didn’t use as much sugar in the frosting. I baked it in 3 8-inch pans and made a three layer cake. This is my go to recipe for chocolate cake!
I have made this cake multiple times! It is my go to chocolate cake recipe. Everyone is shocked when I tell them it’s gluten and dairy free because it is so moist.
my husband has a lot of food sensitivities and autoimmune issues. this cake was the first cakei made him when we first started dating and he hadn’t eaten cake in 5 years because of his health problems (and he doesn’t know how to bake lol). we LOVE THIS CAKE. I’m a baker myself and it’s hard to find stuff that doesn’t gf and df. I want my cake and goodies to all taste the way they did before I became gf and df! this cake is AMAZING. we make it for every single birthday and most holidays because we’re chocolate fanatics. it’s so rich and fluffy and easy to make! I usually just use store bought simple mills frosting or miss jones or the whole foods powder mix. YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS.
This cake is amazing! and beautiful!
The first time I made it, it took about 2 hours to make! I was just getting familiar with GF baking! Now I can get it all made up in about 25-30 minutes. And… I made it DF! I used Almond milk, and it turned out just fine!
It makes a delicious cake, that is very impressive looking! Perfect for a birthday cake!
I like to use Red Hill flour.
This is my go to recipe for birthday cakes now. Family comment they would never know it is gluten free! Moist and delicious. Love the hint of cinnamon
Excellent cake! Family keep commenting that you would never know it’s gluten free! My go to recipe for birthdays!
This is a great recipe! Every bit as good as a chocolate cake with gluten and dairy – I make the dairy free version. No complaints. I’m wondering if you’ve made it in a 9×13 pan – probably just add a couple of minutes to the baking time?
This chocolate cake is decadent! You will not be disappointed! I used Better Batter original all purpose flour blend and found it worked very well. I would suggest adding the cocoa a little bit at a time until you reach the desired level of chocolate flavor you desire. My family prefers their chocolate frosting a bit lighter than the way this recipe is written.
Absolutely delicious!! I subbed oat milk and vegan butter to make it dairy free for my grandson’s birthday. No one could tell it was gluten and dairy free. This is now the requested cake for all occasions!
OUTSTANDING! This cake is moist and delicious!
This is an exceptional gluten free cake. It’s chocolatey, moist, and delicious. I took a chance a made a slight alteration for a Tex Mex themed dinner by replacing boiling water with coffee. The combination of cinnamon and coffee enhances the flavor beautifully. I’d recommend the recipe, as is, because it’s divine.
This is hands down THE BEST chocolate cake, gluten free or otherwise! I always get rave reviews about it and most everyone cannot even tell its gluten free. Even my husband who still prefers his gluten filled goodies, and doesn’t even like cake that much in general, loves this cake! That’s saying something… 😜
hi, I’m back to your blog after making your GF gingerbread bundt cake which was very well received at a Christmas potluck. Please advise on baking this batter in a 10x10x3″ bundt pan for instance if temp/time conversion charts apply, thank you.
Hi Greg! So glad you liked the gingerbread bundt cake. Unfortunately, I can’t give accurate oven temperature and timing suggestions without testing this recipe out in a bundt pan.
This is the best gluten free cake I’ve ever made and possibly ever had ive been celiac for almost a decade this cake is amazing seriously go make it right now
Excellent and easy gf cake recipe. I used coconut oil in place of vegan/regular butter. Worked perfectly. Thank you for making a reliable and easy recipe! I am making the vanilla version today and expect good results.
I’ve been trying different gluten free chocolate cake recipes for years and have been underwhelmed UNTIL NOW! This cake recipe is superb and I’m so impressed. The only change I made was a slight reduction in sugar for my personal taste. Well done and thank you!
Excellent recipe!!
Everything I’ve made from this website has turned out amazing, and I’ve tried a LOT. I live at 7,000 feet elevation and never adapted anything, besides a few minutes off the cooking time, and it all still turns out amazing. I make a lot of these treats to bring to bible study. This is the second year I’ve made this chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday and I think it’ll be a tradition for years to come. Something about the almond extract in the frosting is downright magical. Wish I could post a picture because I am so proud of how I decorated it with the frosting this year! Thank you so much for these recipes! Any time I bake something my husband takes a bite and says “mama knows!” it’s our new joke because pretty much everything I bake is from this site. You’re amazing! Thanks again!
Delicious 😋
This beats all chocolate cakes! Even the gluten cakes!!
I replaced half the sugar for coconut sugar, used a plant based butter and almond milk.
Heaven on a plate 🥰
This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe! It always turns out and non GF people love it too. Has anyone used this recipe to make a “number cake”? I’m wondering how it slices for the layers or if I should just make a single layer number cake? Thank you Audrey for always providing us with yummy, tried & true recipes!!
This cake had great taste and texture. It one my family’s favorites and prefers it over traditional cakes. The chocolate icing is so yummy!
This is the best cake I have ever made in my life!!!!! And I made the dairy free option. Ridiculously yummy!! Can I make it a vanilla cake by switching out the cocoa for more flour? I really want to make a vanilla cake that is this good. Thanks so much!
We recently moved across the country (from Southern California to Arkansas!) to live near our grandchildren. They are Gluten free and Diary free. I made this cake for our youngest grandson’s fifth birthday~ he was incredibly thrilled that grandma made him this gorgeous, fabulous chocolate cake that HE could eat! I wish I could share the pictures of his face when he opened his eyes and saw this cake! This is the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten! Even grandpa thinks so!!! Thank you for this recipe!~ And for making this grandma look good!
This recipe is amazing 🤩 Stays moist….Freezes well….tastes great I have made over a dozen times and sometimes l make 1 cake and 8 cupcakes instead of two cakes
Thanks for your great site and recipes I have told many of my friends and family Kerry
Audrey, your cakes are simply the best. This is the second cake recipe of yours I’ve made, and both are not only “great gluten free cakes,” but amazing cakes in general. At the parties I’ve made them for, nobody has had a clue that they’re gluten free, and everyone raves about how good they are. Thanks for making me look good. 😁 This cake is moist, chocolatey, and simply perfect—10 stars!
Phenomenal recipe. I made this for a baby shower, and so many people were blown away by how good it was. They said they never would have guessed it was gluten-free. I’m going to share this recipe on Facebook since I have a lot of friends who eat gluten free.
Your cake recipes are seriously the best, so I came straight to your site when my son asked for a chocolate cake for his birthday party. Many thanks!
Amazing ! I won’t use any other recipe for chocolate cake. It was so moist and tasty! Now I need a vanilla cake recipe just like it! Thank you !
This cake was absolutely DELICIOUS! I made it yesterday for my 4 year old grandson’s birthday who has gluten/dairy/nut allergies. I could not find Pillsbury GF flour in our area. I made it with Bob’s RedMill 1-1 flour, Califa Oat Milk, and Smart Balance butter. You cannot tell this cake is not just a regular chocolate cake. Everybody loved it! Thank you so much for this recipe. I had made other GF cakes in the past year since my grandson’s diagnosis and they were all grainy and the texture not very cake like. Plenty of frosting to cover cover the cake. The almond extract in the frosting, wow! This recipe is PERFECT!
Thank you for this recipe! I made it for my grandson’s birthday. He absolutely loved it. I can always count on your recipes when cooking and baking!
I’m Anna, I am ten and I absolutely love cooking! I have made quite a few cakes but this is by far the best ever! I have used mama knows gluten free a lot and you have some great recipes but this one is just sooooooo gooood. My brother also thinks the cake is absolutely delicious!The whole cake will probably last only two days in my house.Five stars!!!
Thank you so much Anna for the awesome 5-star recipe review. You just totally made my night!
This was incredible! We fought over who got to eat the leftovers. Having to be gluten-free & dairy free presents challenges but not for this cake. I did take some liberties. For the cake, I used coconut oil & coconut milk. I added 1 teaspoon each of vanilla & almond extract. For the frosting, I used earth balance butter & almond extract. Amazing, thank you.
I love all your recipes but this one is my new fave. Amazing, so sooo soooooo good. Wondering your recommendation for bake time turning these into cupcakes.
I love all your recipes but this one is THE BEST. so sooo soooo good. Wondering your recommendation for turning these into cupcakes baking time wise.
Best GF Chocolate Cake ever! I’ve made it several times now and people can’t even believe that it is GF. Simply delicious!
Delicious easy to make cake! My family loved it!
I’m Kyah I’m 8 years and I love cooking! This is amazing and a sometimes add nice things like pecans and strawberries
I am so happy that you enjoy cooking and the cake Kyah! Thank you so much for the awesome 5-star recipe review.
This chocolate cake recipe (and the chocolate cupcake one) is my go-to for anything cake related. Amazing flavor and the texture is so light it’s hard to believe it’s gluten free. I always add the cinnamon to the batter. We looove the frosting with the almond extract. What a treasure of a recipe!
That makes me so happy to hear Mollie! Thank you so much for the awesome 5-star recipe review.
First time making cake for bday party and everyone lo loved it!!! Moist and delish. My family know I cook GF but they still asked me if it was GF because it was so delicious!!! THANK YOU!!!!×
Amazing birthday cake. Freezes like a dream. So happy to be able to have delicious chocolate cake again! Thank you!
Is the cinnamon flavor noticable? I have had Mexican chocolate (with cinnamon) before, most definitely not something I ever want to taste again 🤪 Just wondering if you can taste the cinnamon in this recipe or if it just enhances everything else? I’m tempted to just leave it out
Hi Krystal! I fee that the cinnamon enhances the cholate flavor, but you could leave it out and the cake would still be delicious. I hope you enjoy it!
I made this cake for the first time for a graduation party so that there would also be a gluten free option. Everyone loved it, even those who didn’t have gluten intolerance! It turned out so beautifully, thank you for helping me to feel like a top-notch baker!
beauuuuttifullll amazing Chocolate cake, super moist.
easy to
Ok this recipe was awesome. Thank you so so much. Used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour and opted for the dairy-friendly version of the recipe. Also added a small handful of dark chocolate chips to each cake pan for just some textural variation/surprise. It’s always concerning with a chocolate bomb if it’s going to be too dense or too sweet or too one-note, but this cake actually turned out brilliantly. I had just enough frosting to cover the whole thing, dipped a spatula in hot water and just did some simple swirl effects all around. Will definitely be using this recipe again.
This is by far the best gluten free cake I have ever had!! I made it vegan and no one knew the difference.
Hello. Thank you very much for this recipe. I have tried and it is amazing. I’m trying to do it again. The only problem I have, it doesn’t let me convert to metric measures :(((. Please please make it work.
The best gluten free/dairy free cake I have made or had! Can’t wait to try more recipes!!
This is amazing. Our non-gluten and dairy free family were shocked at how yummy this cake was. My daughter was so excited to have a yummy cake for her birthday. We used brewed coffee instead of the hot water in the cake and ½ the sugar in the icing. We also put strawberry jam in between the layers. Thank you for giving us so many yummy gluten and dairy free recipes! This is our go to site:)
Delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it gf and df. Everyone enjoyed it.
This cake is fabulous. I made it gf and df for my daughter’s birthday. Family members who do not normally touch GF recipes could not get enough. So wonderful to have a cake everyone can enjoy!
Amazing recipe! Thank you very much for sharing it Audrey! I baked it with the dairy free option, using Pure dairy free sunflower spread (in the UK) and unsweetened almond milk. I used coffee instead of boiling water. I also replaced half of the granulated sugar for dark muscovado sugar to add a bit of darkness/molasses to the taste. For the buttercream I added a boozy touch replacing a bit of almond milk with amaretto liqueur. I’ve baked it both as cupcakes and cake and people were surprised to learn it was gluten and dairy free! Definitely a recipe I’m saving to get back to again and again.
I have made several recipes from mamaknowsgluten and they have been excellent!!! This chocolate cake was made dairy-free for a friend who can eat anything but made it gluten/dairy-free so I could enjoy it too. She said it was the best chocolate cake she had ever had. This site gives very clear instructions and the results are always amazing.
Love, love, love this cake. I made it yesterday for my grandsons birthday. Will definitely make it again. I did make a few changes 3 eggs, used 3/4 C half and half 1/4 C water, and coffee for hot water. It was amazing. I think its the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted and my husband actually said the same. Could not tell that it was gluten free at all. I am excited to try more of your recipes. And may I add the cake baked perfectly level. Did not need to level to add second level. I used a 10 by 10″ square cake pan and used all the batter. Then made another for second layer. This would be so good with a cup of coffee. ( Which is what Im getting ready to do) But wanted to thank you for your delicious recipe. Thank you.
Moist and flavorful with just the right amount of chocolate. The cinnamon gives it an interesting kick.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday yesterday (July 23) everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing this delicious chocolate cake recipe with us. Marie Lovallo
I made this for my husbands birthday and it was absolutely PERFECT!! He went gf/DF about 6 months ago to see if it helped with his MS. He loves cake so I was dreading his birthday because I couldn’t find a recipe that tasted good. I bought your cookbook a couple of months ago and made your oatmeal raisin cookies that were so yummy! I saw this recipe for the chocolate cake and knew I had to make it. I don’t eat gf/DF but I will eat this any time! You can’t even tell the difference! Your recipes are the best!
Delicious, and easy to make! Thanks so much!
In love with this recipe, taste amazing and look wow, mega easy and not messy my kitchen. clap hands for you!!!
This cake was so rich and moist. Absolutely delicious! I used almond milk, Country Crock plant butter, and I substituted hot coffee instead of boiling water. I also ran short of cocoa powder when making the icing so I used some organic cocoa nibs and they added some texture that was quite delightful, but I think next time I may just use a buttercream icing because it was a lot of chocolate!
My kids and I loved the cake, though. This will definitely be my new fall back cake recipe.
Is craving chocolate a special occasion? If so, I nailed it! This cake is absolutely delicious and surprisingly easy. My daughter immediately picked up the hint of cinnamon in the cake – and my husband noticed the almond in the frosting – both unexpected and a perfect combination.
Made this cake for my family and they were all blown away by the fact it’s was gluten and dairy free. my daughter said it tasted better then a box cake. I didn’t make a chocolate frosting I did just buttercream.. I will be making this again. Thank you
Due to being diagnosed with Celiacs 6 years ago I have been eating gf for quite some time. I can’t believe how delicious this was! No one else could believe it was GF, no chalkiness, no graininess, just moist scrumptious chocolate cake. I am definitely saving this recipe to make again. Thank you!
This cake was moist and delicious! I used almond milk in place of buttermilk and substituted coffee for the boiling water. The coffee and cinnamon worked really well to enhance the chocolate flavor. Amazing result!
Amazing! Made this for my daughter’s birthday GF and DF. Didn’t have 8” round pans so used 9” ones instead and it came out wonderfully. Super moist and tasty. We shared the extras with neighbors and they loved it too!
This chocolate cake is amazing. I don’t want to eat gluten free but have no choice. The recipes on this site have helped me with this life style change. Thanks so much.
Thank you so much Bruce for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it made my night! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chocolate cake and my recipes have been helpful to you. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thank you again!
Audrey, your recipes never let me down! I made this cake with King Arthur Measure-for-Measure flour and buttercream frosting (I also omitted the cinnamon). It is the best gluten free cake I’ve had! Thank you!! ?
Thank you so much Valerie for the awesome 5-star recipe review, this made my day! I am so happy that the chocolate cake was the best gluten-free cake you have had! You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family.
I made this cake last weekend. It was delicious! My non-gluten free friends were amazed it was gluten and dairy free. I served with a strawberry puree which was over the top! Thank you so much for the awesome cookbook and how it has expanded my options.
Thank you so much Diane for the wonderful 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the chocolate cake. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipe I make for my family. Thank you so much for your kind words about my cookbook, it really blessed me. Thank you again!
I made this cake last weekend. It was delicious! My non-gluten free friends could not believe it was gluten and dairy free. I served with a strawberry puree and that was over the top! Thank you for your amazing cookbook.
Thank you so much Diane for the wonderful 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that you everyone enjoyed the cake. Thank you so much for buying my cookbook. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thanks again!
I’ve made this cake a few times and it is DELICIOUS!! It’s very easy to make and I will be making it again – thank you!!
Thank you so much Sharon for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cake and it was delicious. I am glad that it was easy to make and you will be making it again. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for an easy and amazing recipe. This cake was so delicious and the frosting to die for. I never want to make another boring box cake mix again after this.
Thank you so much Kelly for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that the cake was delicious and the frosting was to die for and especially that you won’t go back to boxed cakes mixes again. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. Thanks again!
Love this recipe. Beautiful cake!
Thank you so much Christy for the wonderful 5-str recipe review! I am so happy that you love the recipe. Thanks again!
Family favorite, even with those that don’t eat gluten-free. This is the most delicious, tender, flavorful gluten free cake I’ve ever made (and I’ve made lots over the years)! You don’t need a special occasion to enjoy this cake. This cake IS the special occasion!
Thank you so much Amy for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that the cake is a family favorite and it’s the most delicious, tender, flavorful gluten-free cake you’ve ever made. Thanks again!
Delicious and moist! I used rice flour and bean flour and added 1/4 tsp extra xanthum. I also made it dairy free using earth balance buttery sticks. Even wheat lovers told me they loved the cake! I did make a vanilla frosting instead of chocolate. Thank you for this recipe! I’ll be checking out others for sure!
Thank you so much Mishelle for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that everyone loved the chocolate cake and it was delicious and moist. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family and helping others. I hope you enjoy the other recipes you try. Thanks again!
Favorite chocolate cake recipe! Can’t tell it’s gluten free. The cinnamon makes it really special!
Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that this is your favorite chocolate cake recipe and you can’t tell that it’s gluten-free. I love the touch of cinnamon added to the cake as well. Thank you again!
Can you make this with a 9×13 pan? If so what would be the measurement changes?
Hi Becca! Yes, you can! You should not need to adjust the baking time. After 30 minutes check the cake and if it is not doen bake it for another 5 minutes until done. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different. I hope you enjoy the cake!
I’m in the UK, and made this as a GF (Dove’s Farm plain flour mix), DF (with Koko and Vitalite), NF (just omitting the almond essence), 4 layer cake. Incredibly delicious. My new go-to “allergen” cake recipe! Thankyou so much for sharing x
Thank you so much Danielle for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chocolate cake. Thank you so much for sharing what you used in the recipe, as I know it will help others (especially for freinds in the UK). You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
This recipe is A MUST TRY! it was brilliant! I have a friends 30th coming up soon and needed to trial a GF chocolate cake and this was just the best! I used Vanilla Soy milk as that’s all I had on me and it was so beautiful and moist.
If I wanted to make this is a regular chocolate cake not GF or DF, could I just remove the xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder and just use regular Self Raising flour?
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much Emma for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chocolate cake and that it was the best. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. I am going to email you about baking this as a traditional cake. Thank you again!
I love this cake!
Thank you so much Dawn for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you love the gluten-free chocolate cake. Thank you again!
YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS! I made this cake for the first time because my boyfriend has major food sensitivities and some illnesses that dont allow to eat “normal” cakes because of the diet he has to be on. He hadnt had cake in over 5 years. I made this cake for him as a trial to see if his tummy would be happy with it, and since then we have been obsessed!! We make it for every special occasion and for any time we just need a sweet fix! I use bobs red mill GF baking flour and earth balance soy free butter and its literally the best cake I have ever had and I am not even food sensitive!! I like to add the enjoy life chocolate chunks for extra yumminess and the simple mills chocolate frosting. Seriously this cake is the best and it doesnt taste like “frou frou cake” as my dad would say… lol Audrey has really saved us on this one and I thank her so much for sharing!! XOXO
Thank you so much Taylor the amazing 5-star recipe review! It makes my heart so happy to hear that you and your boyfriend who has food sensitivities and illnesses enjoy the chocolate cake. Adding the extra chocolate is always a good thing. I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips and chunks when baking also. Thank you again, you really made my day! Happy baking.
Just made this again today! Happy birthday to me!! 😀
Happy Birthday Taylor! I hope your day was filled with everyone and everything you love. It makes my heart so happy that you made the chocolate cake for your birthday! Thank you for the 5-star recipe review.
This was AMAZING!! I make a chocolate cake with ganache every year for my son’s birthday and this year I didn’t eat any, sadly. I just made half a recipe of this one and topped it with the remaining ganache. My daughters were saying it was “amazingly delicious” etc. And it was! I’m going to try making it egg and dairy free next and see how that tastes.
Also, I think the Pillsbury is really very good! I’ve only used a couple other brands, but so far that is the best.
Thank you so much Sarah for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cake. I am looking forward to hearing how it turns out egg-free. I make it dairy-free all of the time and it’s just as moist as when made with traditional dairy. Please let me know how it turns out. I am also glad to hear that yu really like the Pillsbury gluten-free flour. I have tried several brands of flour as well, and it’s always my favorite. Thank you again!
This cake is so good! I made the dairy free version for my sister and she loved it! My husband loved the cake and he usually will not even try gluten free food.
Thank you so much Joyce for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy to hear that you, your sister, and your husband enjoyed the dairy-free version of the chocolate cake. I especially love to hear, when people who don’t have to eat gluten-free enjoy my recipes. Thank you again!
Unbelievable. Really an awesome cake that is moist and slightly chewy. I used Cup 4 Cup Multi Grain flour and it was superb. A+
Thank you so much Liz for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cake and that it was moist. I am glad to hear that the recipe worked with Cup 4 Cup, as I have never tried baking with that brand of flour. You really made my night by saying that the cake was awesome, superb and an A+. Thank you again!
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe. Looks amazing!
I am on a GF and DF diet. But I have been told I need to cut sugar out too.
Do you have any alternative that could work apart from stevia?
Is there a natural alternative like honey or any other way to make it just as tasty without sugar.
Greatly appreciated.
Hi Safi! Thank you so much! I have not tried this recipe with anything but granulated sugar. I have family and friends who enjoy Monk Fruit as a sugar-free alternative, but I have not tried it with this recipe. If you try it will you please let me know how it turns out?
I made the dairy-free version by using almond milk, It’s Vegan butter, and coconut oil. And it tasted absolutely delicious! My family loved it. The cake was moist and the frosting wasn’t overly sweet. I might even use this recipe for cupcakes. Thank you! 🙂
Thank you so much Diana for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your family loved the chocolate cake. This recipe makes delicious cupcakes. Just start looking at your cupcakes at the 15-20 minute mark to see if they are done. Thank you again!
This was such a hit with both my gf and non-gf friends that they’ve requested I make it for New Year’s Day! No one could believe how moist it was.
Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review Rachel! I am so happy that the chocolate cake was moist and that you all enjoyed it. Thank you again and Happy New Year!
We made this cake for Christmas and it was delicious!! We did omit the cinnamon as we wanted a traditional chocolate cake – I will have to try it with cinnamon next time :). Everyone loved this cake – even those that aren’t gluten-free! Thank you for this fabulous recipe!
Thank you so much Sharon for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you all enjoyed the chocolate cake. Definitely try the cinnamon in the chocolate cake sometime. I did not think I would like the cinnamon with the chocolate either until I had an amazing lava cake that had a hint of cinnamon at a restaurant about 12 years ago. Your kind words really made my night. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!
This cake is amazing . Making it was easy and eating it was like a dream come true
Thank you so much Paula for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chocolate cake. It’s one of my family’s favorites. Thank you again!
Used Otto’s Cassava Flour for this and it was delicious ????
Thank you so much Olivia for the wonderful 5-star recipe review. I am so happy you enjoyed the chocolate cake. I’ve never baked with Cassava flour. Sounds like I need to give it a try. Thanks again!
Hi there! I’m going to make this, this weekend. Is it best to store the finished cake at room temperature or in the fridge? Thanks so much.
Hi Heather! If you are not going to frost it, you can keep it on the counter in an air-tight container. If you are going to frost it, I would keep it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. I hope you enjoy the chocolate cake!
Okay, going to try with my KA gf 1:1 flour!!! I have four birthdays in the next 4 weeks, sigh…
I can’t wait to see how the cake turns out using the KA flour Marcee! I really need to order some so I can try it.
Can you use honey instead of granulated sugar? If so, how many ounces should I use? I need to do sugarfree option.
Hi Ria! I have never submitted honey for the sugar in this recipe. I’m not too sure about the consistency of the honey would work in this recipe. Can you use a sugar substitute like Stevia?
Hello, I’m thinking of making this for my daughters third birthday next week. She wants cupcakes. Do you know how long and the temp to bake this recipe for cupcakes?
Hi Stephanie! I would bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Please check them at 15 minutes to see if they are done. Make sure to watch the cupcakes because all ovens are different. I hope she enjoys them and has a wonderful birthday!
hi would this cake be ok to layer? say maybe 4 or 5 layers? or will the bottom layers get squashed? and is it ok to prepare a day ahead?
Hi Dee! I’ve never made it more than 2 layers, but I would imagine it would do fine. You could definitely make it a day ahead of time but I would wait to frost it until the day of unless you are going to refrigerate it. I live in Florida, so I always keep my buttercream in the fridge.
This is just a delicious and moist cake!!!
My GF Dad really appreciated it!
thank you
Thank you so much Clare! I am so happy that your Dad enjoyed the cake. You are so welcome! I love sharing what I make for my family.
I can’t believe how easy this was to put together! Plus hardly any clean-up at all, this one is a keeper!
Thank you Dana! I love easy recipes, especially chocolate ones.