This gluten-free chocolate cake recipe will make you a great tasting, basic chocolate cake! If there's ever such a thing as a basic chocolate cake, that is! Whether you want a sheet cake, layers, or even cupcakes, this is your starting point. A delicious, easy frosting recipe is included. I hope you'll try it. If you have another frosting you like, this should be a good foundation for that, too.
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If you're a fan of chocolate cake, you might also like my rich, dark chocolate cheesecake!
I love that we gluten-free people can have our chocolate cake and eat it, too! This recipe has been specifically developed and tested as a gluten-free recipe with the particular combination of flours listed and the right amount of fat (butter) and eggs for a gluten-free cake.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Potato starch is different from potato flour. The two are not interchangeable.
- Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are interchangeable.
- Raw sugar is sometimes called turbinado sugar.
- Chocolate Chips should be pure chocolate chips rather than baking chips. You want the kind that will melt.
- Nondairy milk could be almond, cashew, or coconut milk from a carton.
- Nut butter can be peanut, almond, cashew, or any other kind of nut butter. I have not tested the recipe with sunflower seed butter. Peanut butter gives you a nice chocolate and peanut butter combination.
- Psyllium husk powder replaces the xanthan gum that's typically used with gluten free flours. Either xanthan gum or psyllium husk powder are used to replace the gluten. If you normally keep xanthan gum in your pantry, it works well here. If you prefer not to use it, psyllium husk powder will do a nice job, leaving just a little more crumb.
How do You Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake from Scratch?
Melt the chopped chocolate over low heat, and whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Beat soft butter in another bowl. Then beat in the sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, and melted chocolate.
Add the dry flour mixture mixture and the nondairy milk to the chocolate batter, alternately, until it's all mixed in.
Beat eggs whites.
Gently "fold" the beaten egg whites into the chocolate batter. To "fold" in egg whites, stir a large scoop of them into the batter. Add the remaining beaten whites and proceed to stir them in by gently drawing a spoon through the batter down one side, across the bottom, and up the opposite side. Turn the bowl a little at a time and repeat this motion until the egg whites have been completely, but gently, incorporated. This should make your batter lighter and fluffier overall.
Spread the batter into a prepared pan.
Bake the cake until reaches an internal temperature of 200°F (93°C) or a fork inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set the cake to cool on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, melt the chocolate chips over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When they have melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nut butter.
Once the cake has cooled, spread the chocolate-nut butter frosting over it. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and FAQ's
Gluten free cakes can be dry if you make them with a recipe intended for wheat flour. Generally a gluten free cake needs more oil or butter to keep it moist.
Other than following a good recipe designed to be gluten free, be sure that you don't overbake your cake. Baking too long will dry it out. Remove the cake from the oven just as soon as it reaches 200°F (93°C) in the centre. An instant read thermometer is an invaluable tool for excellent baking results.
If you follow the recipe instructions closely, your gluten free cake shouldn't sink. Be careful to add the egg yolks one at a time and beat only until they are blended in. Don't beat the batter longer than necessary. Then, bake the cake right away as soon as you have beaten the batter and spread it into the prepared pan.
Craving More Chocolate? Try these...
- Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- Peanut Butter Energy Balls with Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Chocolate Almond Bark
Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch X 13-inch (22.6 cm X 33 cm) cake pan
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate roughly chopped
- ½ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup white rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- 2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder OR 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) at room temperature
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 2 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
Frosting
- 1 cup pure chocolate chips
- ¾ cup nut butter
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottoms of two 9-inch layer cake pans or one rectangular 9- X 13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate over very low heat until it's almost melted, stirring occasionally. Remove it from the heat and stir it until it's completely smooth.
- Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and psyllium husk together in a medium mixing bowl.
- With a mixer, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until it's smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until it's light and fluffy. One at a time, beat in the egg yolks, vanilla, and melted chocolate, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternately with the milk in two parts, and stir just until smooth.
- With clean beater in a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form when you lift out the beaters. Gently but thoroughly, fold them into the batter. Spread out the batter into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). Set on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan
Frosting
- Melt chocolate chips over very low heat until just melted, stirring occasionally. Stir in the nut butter, and frost the cooled cake.
Notes
- This recipe makes a 9- X 13-inch (23 cm X 33 cm) sheet cake or two 9-inch (23 cm) layers.
- Use either xanthan gum or psyllium husk powder to replace gluten in holding the cake together. Psyllium husk powder will give the cake a little more crumb.
- To "fold" in egg whites, stir a large scoop of them into the batter. Add the remaining beaten whites and proceed to stir them in by gently drawing a spoon through the batter down one side, across the bottom, and up the opposite side. Turn the bowl a little at a time and repeat this motion until the egg whites have been completely, but gently, incorporated.
- Be careful not to overbake your cake, especially if you use psyllium husk powder.
- Store cake that is not eaten the first day in the refrigerator or freezer.
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