Moist Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Learn how to make the best gluten-free chocolate cake with an easy, no fail recipe! This richly chocolate recipe is so moist, fluffy, and light, no one will suspect they are devouring a deceptively gluten-free dairy-free cake!

Whether you are new to gluten-free baking or a seasoned veteran, we all need need an easy, homemade gluten-free chocolate cake recipe that fools even the toughest critics. Every time I serve this cake, no one suspects anything but an old fashioned, moist, homemade chocolate cake.

I’ve made this recipe for countless gluten-free birthday cakes and celebrations. It’s one of my most made gluten-free desserts because I always have the ingredients on hand, it’s affordable, and quick to throw together.

I’ll teach you how to make the best gluten-free chocolate cake, with plenty of tricks, bakers tips, and variations for sheet cake, cupcakes, and dairy-free adaptations.

Best recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

• No speciality ingredients required. This recipe uses pantry items I bet you have right in your kitchen.
• It’s an easy, one bowl recipe. Just dump, mix, and bake!
• No fail – If you are new to gluten-free baking, you will appreciate how it turns out fluffy, moist, and amazing every single time.
• Not only is this cake recipe gluten-free, but dairy free as well!
• Versatile – It’s so quick and easy I use it for many gluten-free cakes, such as Ding Dong Cake, Baked Alaska, and Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cake.

Ingredient notes

The cake ingredients are simple, with the only speciality item required being gluten-free flour.

• Gluten-Free Flour – I use and recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend, which contains xanthan gum. For alternative recommended brands see my best gluten-free flour guide.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use regular or Dutch-processed cocoa for richer chocolate taste.
• Milk – Use regular or any preferred non-dairy milk, such as almond milk
• Vegetable oil – Coconut oil or any preferred oil may be substituted
• Boiling water – Secret “ingredient” for a moist, deceptively gluten-free cake! It helps saturate the starches, aerates the batter, making the cake light and fluffy instead of gritty. This technique is also used when making gluten-free whoopie pies.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake From Scratch

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by spraying with cooking spray, lining pans with cut-to-size parchment on bottom, and then spraying the parchment. This helps the cakes easily release from the pans. Below I have also listed alternative size baking pans that may be used.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed.
3. Add the wet ingredients – regular or dairy-free milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture. Mix on medium speed until well combined.
4. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add boiling water to the cake batter. Once the water is mixed in, increase to high speed and mix for 1 minute. This helps aerate the batter and make the cake light and fluffy.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool completely before frosting with one of the recipes below.

Best Chocolate Cake Frostings

• Fluffy Buttercream Frosting – either vanilla or chocolate buttercream
• Whipped Cream Frosting – regular or chocolate whipped cream frosting
• Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
• Peanut Butter Glaze
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Best Gluten-Free Flour To Use

Gluten-free baking flour blends have come a long way in the last ten years. Gluten-free baking used to mean buying, storing, and measuring several different flours to make your own flour mix.

Fortunately there are several commercial brands that perform way better than any homemade mixes I’ve ever experimented with. Below are the most common brands I’ve tested for website recipes, gluten-free cakes, and when working on my gluten-free cookbook.

Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour is the brand I primarily use because any gluten-free taste or difference in texture is undetectable. However, it contains milk powder, so it is not dairy-free.

King Arthur’s Measure-for-Measure has preformed well in my baking tests, is affordable, and does not contain allergens. However, I still detect slightly grittier texture.

Bob’s Red Mill is widely available and affordable, but has an unpleasant aftertaste and gritty texture, especially in gluten-free pastries or cookies.

Do I Need To Add Xanthan Gum?

No, not if the gluten free-flour blend contains it. All three flours mentioned above do have xanthan gum in the mix.

Please note King Arthur has two variations of GF flour. King Arthur’s all-purpose gluten-free flour does not contain xanthan gum, so 1 teaspoon will have to added to the dry ingredients.

King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten-Free Flour does contain the xanthan gum already, so there’s no need to add extra.

expert Tips Gluten-Free Cakes

1. Use cake baking strips to not only keep the cake moist, but they prevent uneven layers, which can be tricky to frost and hold shape.
2. The less sugar you use, the drier the cake will be. Please note while the amount of sugar may be reduced, it will dry out the cake slightly.
3. For the most accurate measurement, spoon the flour into the measuring cups instead of dipping cups into the bag. Using more flour, even by a tablespoon or two, dries out the cake.
4. Generally using oil in cakes versus butter makes them more moist.
5. This gluten free cake recipe is more forgiving when it comes to baking time, but you still don’t want to overbake. Check by inserting a toothpick into the middle. It should have some moist crumbs, without being liquidy. If you are unsure, turn off the oven and let the cake sit for 1-2 minutes before removing.
6. Enjoy the cake at room temperature. Although some frostings have to refrigerated, I highly recommend setting cakes out for several hours before serving to reach room temp. Gluten-free cakes especially have a tendency to dry out in the refrigerator.

Using Different Baking Pans

If you like to experiment with using different size cake pans, or make cupcakes instead of a layer cake, follow these adaptations:

Gluten-Free Cupcakes

To make bake this cake as cupcakes follow Incredible Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes recipe.

9X13 Sheet Cake

To make a sheet cake instead of layer cake halve the ingredients. Spray a 9X13 baking pan and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes clean. Cool on wire rack completely before frosting.

Freezing and Storing

Gluten-free cakes do not stay fresh as long as regular cakes. Therefore, if you don’t plan on freezing the cake, make it no more than 24 hours ahead of time.

Frequently I bake the cake layers and freeze them until ready to assemble with a filling and frosting. Alternatively, the cake may be baked, frosted, and frozen whole.

Freezing Unfrosted Cake Layers: Wrap each completely cooled layer securely in plastic wrap. Transfer wrapped layer to a gallon freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

When ready to use, remove from freezer bag and thaw wrapped cake at room temperature for 1 hour.

Freezing Frosted Cake: Assemble the cake with filling and frosting. Transfer whole cake to the freezer so frosting solidifies. After the frosting is frozen, wrap the cake securely with plastic wrap. Cover plastic wrap with foil and freeze up to 3 months.

Thaw cake overnight in refrigerator. Carefully remove plastic wrap and foil. Continue to thaw at room temperature for 5-6 hours.

Freezing Cake Slices:

I often do this to save myself from eating a whole cake! Slice the leftover cake in serving sized portions. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once the pieces are solid, transfer slices to a gallon freezer bag or airtight container.

Thaw pieces on the counter for 1 hour or defrost in the microwave at 20% power, carefully avoiding overheating and melting the frosting.

Dairy-Free Adaptations  

If you are looking for a dairy-free gluten-free chocolate cake recipe it only requires one easy modification. Replace the milk with a non-dairy milk, such as almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.

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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

• Gluten-Free White Cake
• Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
• Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake
• Almond Flour Brownies
• Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
• Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake

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