This is the only gluten-free chocolate cake recipe you will ever need! I adapted this recipe from the Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe 20 years ago, and it is the only chocolate cake recipe I have used since. This cake is perfectly moist and chocolatey every time and holds up to anything you frost it with or all by itself with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. The better the quality of the cocoa powder you use, the better the cake will be. My favorites are Valrhona, Droste and Callebaut, but if you are not able to find them both Ghiradelli and Hershey’s Special Dark will still give you a great result.
At my restaurant and bakeries, we sold dozens of different flavors of chocolate cupcakes and cakes with all kinds of fillings and toppings — this was the cake recipe that was used for all of them.
I love to frost this cake with my American Buttercream which you an make in many different flavor variations. It is also delicious filled with fresh whipped cream and topped with Chocolate Ganache Frosting. You can find a great Chocolate Ganache Frosting recipe from my friends at Truffle Nation here.
As with all recipes on my website, I have made this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s 1:1, Better Batter and Cup 4 Cup, and they all work well. If you would rather blend your own flours, you can use my copycat 1:1 flour recipe which is very similar to Bob’s 1:1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Tips for success:
The first time you make any recipe, read through it a few times before starting, and make it exactly as written -- baking is science.
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
As with all baking, using a scale is a game changer. It is how all professional pastry chefs bake.
Ingredients
- 236 grams 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
- 400 grams sugar
- 84 grams Dutch cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 224 grams milk (or nut milk)
- 113 grams neutral flavored oil (canola, avocado, vegetable etc...)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 224 grams boiling water or hot coffee*
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, or line cupcake tins with papers if making cupcakes.
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In a large bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, to evenly mix and break up any clumps.
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In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla together. (DON'T ADD the boiling water yet.)
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Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and whisk or mix on medium speed for a few minutes, scraping down your bowl a few times during your mixing.
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Carefully pour in your boiling water or coffee, and mix well with a whisk. Make sure to incorporate any batter on the bottom and sides of the bowl. The batter will be thin -- don't worry it is supposed to be.
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Rest your batter for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.
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Pour your batter into the prepared pans. If making cupcakes, fill each cup ⅔ full.
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Bake on the center oven rack for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes for cake (or 10-15 minutes for cupcakes). A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
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Cool for 10 minutes in pans, and then remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool. I like to put a piece of parchment under my cakes when cooling, so the rack doesn't dig into the fragile cake and leave marks.
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Once completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting, lightly sweetened whipped cream or dust with confectioners' sugar.
Recipe Notes
* Using coffee instead of water gives a deeper, darker chocolate flavor.