This gluten-free chocolate cake has the perfect texture and is extremely moist and chocolaty. It’s super quick and easy to make and also has vegan and dairy-free options. Nobody will believe it’s gluten-free!

This is my go-to cake for special occasions. It never disappoints.

If you don’t need an entire 8” cake, you can freeze it and can spread the love throughout the coming months. It’s not so big though, so, within a few days, I’m betting it will be gone.

I’ve made this cake for over 15 years now, and I’ve had no desire to try another because it’s really just perfect. If you’re looking for the best gluten-free chocolate cake, you have to give this one a try!

It’s adapted from the Hershey’s One Bowl Chocolate Cake.

It uses basic ingredients, is made in one bowl, and the flavor can’t be beat.

And if you’re looking at this around Valentine’s Day, this cake works fantastically for a Chocolate Heart Cake. And if you prefer a vanilla heart cake, check out this Vintage Heart Cake, which is of course also gluten-free.

Ingredients

Just your usual stuff here! I go into detail about most ingredients down below.

How to make it

It’s a super simple recipe. You basically just stir it all together in a bowl, pour into pans, and bake.

First, you mix together the dry ingredients.

Then add the wet stuff. You don’t need to mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients separately, as you usually do in cake recipes.

The batter will be SUPER thin, almost like water. I’ve had some form of this recipe up on the blog for 10 years, and I’ve always had this warning in this recipe, and so many people have said that they were still worried about how thin it was.

You do not need to worry. 😆

And now bake! A toothpick should not come out completely dry. If it does, your cake is overbaked and will be dry.

It should have moist, wet crumbs on it. Just not raw batter.

Because it’s so moist, a tiny layer (if you can even call if that) sticks to the bottom of the pan. I highly recommend using parchment paper on the bottom of the pans to ensure that the cakes come out okay.

Nobody can tell once the frosting’s on, though. But I wanted you to see the photo so you wouldn’t think you did something wrong if your cake looks like mine.

Can I use cacao powder?

I always use Dutch-process cocoa powder in my baked chocolate recipes, which results in a darker, richer, more chocolaty cake.

If you use cacao powder, which is lighter in color and taste, your cake won’t be as chocolaty and won’t be anywhere near as sweet. That may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you like.

But I’d be afraid that it might be a bit crumbly. I really do not recommend using cacao powder in this recipe. You can read more here → Cacao vs Cocoa.

If you go with the sugar option (instead of honey) and use Dutch-process cocoa powder, this cake has a normal sweetness. So if you use cacao powder, it might be okay if you don’t want your sweets very sweet.

If you choose the honey option (which is 1 cup of honey in place of 2 cups of sugar) and Dutch-process cocoa powder, the cake is already less sweet than a regular cake. So with the honey option, I don’t recommend using cacao powder.

By the way, you’d normally need to reduce the liquid in a recipe when you sub in honey for granulated sugar. But I never have here and honestly have no idea how it works so well.

I’ve never tried this recipe with cacao powder, so I can’t guarantee that it’ll come out well. I have made it with natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s), but I much prefer it with Dutch-process for the more intense chocolate flavor.

Flour options

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I recently used King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour in my Vegan Mug Brownies. It worked great!

I wanted to try it out in something a bit more challenging because a mug cake that calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour isn’t exactly a proper test.

I’ve made this gluten-free chocolate cake several times a year for 15 years, so I’m well-acquainted with how exactly the texture should be. ;) I was doubtful when mixing up the batter with KAF.

With wheat flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour (that’s the one in the blue bag), the batter is almost as thin as water. Bob’s is what was used in the photos and video.

With King Arthur Flour, it was thicker, like normal cake batter, and seemed a bit gluey. It also took 5 minutes longer to bake.

But it baked up wonderfully! Just like with Bob’s, there isn’t any grittiness or funky taste in this recipe.

The cake is a bit more fluffy and therefore more fragile with KAF, but that shouldn’t be a problem unless you need to carve the cake.

Does this gluten-free cake taste gluten-free?

If you use the same flour as I did, the cake won’t taste at all gluten-free. It’s so moist and fudgy that even the pickiest eaters will be pleased. It tastes just like traditional chocolate cake!

You can try a different blend, but I can’t guarantee that it would be as good or that it wouldn’t taste gluten-free. What you can’t do is use a flour that’s not meant as a direct sub for all-purpose flour.

Buckwheat flour, oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, rice flour, etc. – none of that is interchangeable with all-purpose flour, and so it won’t work in this recipe.

Gluten-free baking flours generally aren’t whole grain and contain quite a bit of starches. If you want something whole grain and gluten-free, try this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake Kladdkaka Recipe.

It just uses buckwheat flour. It’s incredibly easy to make, gooey and irresistible. It can also be made vegan.

Traditional or healthy version

You’ve got a lot of options with this deliciously versatile cake. If you don’t need it to be gluten-free, you could use whole wheat flour to make it healthier or regular all-purpose.

Trust me, the whole wheat version won’t taste like cardboard because there is so much chocolaty taste to cover up a wheaty taste.

You can also use regular eggs or chia eggs for a vegan version.

Regular sugar, coconut sugar or honey are all great options for sweeteners in this cake. It just depends on your preferences.

Want a healthier frosting? Check out my Healthy Chocolate Cake on my other website, Easy Wholesome.

Can this cake be made paleo?

I’ve been working on converting this recipe to use a mix of paleo flours. But it’s still not ready. Sorry about that!

Should you be paleo and need chocolate now, check out these Paleo Vegan Brownies or these paleo Almond Flour Brownies. Both are SUPER gooey and fudgy.

The frosting

You have a few options. I used my Paleo Vegan Chocolate Fudge Frosting because it tastes superb, holds up at room temperature and can be piped!

It’s not overly sweet, so the sweetness of the cake shines through, and it’s super easy to make.

You can use whatever type of milk you’d like in the frosting. If you use canned coconut milk, which is much thicker than normal milk, I suggest using about half water and half coconut milk. So 6 tablespoons of each.

If you don’t want to frost the sides of the cake, just make ⅔ of the recipe. You’ll have a bit left over.

If you just want a little frosting, you can probably get away with making ½ of the recipe.

I know the amount of frosting for the whole cake is a lot. In everyday life, when I’m not posting a recipe, I never frost the sides.

This cake doesn’t really need it because it is sweet enough on its own, but it does take it to another level of goodness!

If you like whipped ganache, then this Vegan Chocolate Frosting is delightful. And it only has 2 ingredients!

Are you a cream cheese frosting lover? If yes, try this Healthier Cream Cheese Frosting. It yields just over 2 cups, which is enough for the filling and top of the cake.

If you also want to frost the sides with cream cheese frosting, use these amounts instead:

• 16 ounces (450 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups (160 grams) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then follow the directions on the post, slather it on and top it with something bright and fruity for extra flare.

Toppings

Topping it with raspberries or strawberries is easiest and gives the cake a sweet freshness. If I don’t have any of those on hand, I like to sprinkle some crushed freeze-dried raspberries on top.

Sprinkles are also fun. I always smile when I see the photos in my Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe. The sprinkles make it look so cheery!

Chopped nuts are easy, too.

Using other pans

9”x13” pan

The bake time for this gluten-free chocolate cake will widely vary depending on what combination of sugar, eggs and flour you use.

I would start checking the cake at 20 minutes and then every 3 minutes thereafter. I would say the same for an egg-free version.

If you make a chia egg and honey version, then 22 minutes is your mark. Start checking it at 15 and keep an eye on it.

You’ll want to bake the cake until the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no liquid. Don’t wait for it to come out totally clean or it will be overbaked and dry.

Two round 9” pans

If you want to divide the recipe into two 9” pans, you’ll definitely need to bake it for fewer minutes. I haven’t tried it, so if you do, let me know how much time it took and I’ll try it out and update the post!

10” springform

Sorry, but it won’t bake properly and will come out gooey and rubbery, so I don’t recommend it.

Cupcakes

If you prefer cupcakes, check out my post on Gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes. That recipe uses an amazing chocolate cream cheese frosting that’s also amazing on this cake.

If you don’t feel like clicking over, then:

• Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line 2 muffin pans with 24 liners.
• Follow the preparation directions below.
• Fill each liner just a little more than halfway full.
• Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, but no liquid.
• Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, and then turn out onto a rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting.

How to store the cake

You’ll want to keep this cake refrigerated. It’s a very moist cake and the frosting should be kept refrigerated.

If you want to make it in the morning and serve it later in the day, that’s fine – no need to refrigerate.

Cover and refrigerate any leftover frosted cake for up to 4 days.

Ensure your cake remains fresh by following these steps:

• The unfrosted cake layers can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for a maximum of 3 days.


• If you need longer storage, freezing is a great option. You can freeze the unfrosted layers for up to 3 months.


• After baking, allow the layers to cool completely. Then, individually wrap each layer in plastic wrap before placing them in a Ziploc bag.


• If the frozen layers are too hard to cut through after assembly, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes.


• If you want to make the whole cake and then freeze it, wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a larger freezer-safe bag. Then let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

Dairy-free or vegan options

It’s really easy to make this cake dairy-free and vegan. For dairy-free, just use dairy-free milk.

I like cashew milk, but you can use whatever you’d like.

To make it vegan, in addition to the above change, you also need to use chia eggs. That’s the only egg sub I’ve tried in the recipe, but I think other ones would also work well. But I can’t say for sure as I haven’t tried it.

Some resources if you’re new to the vegan diet:

• Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
• Is Cocoa Powder Vegan?
• Is Vanilla Extract Vegan?

Questions about this gluten-free chocolate cake?

Fat

Can you taste the olive oil? If you use extra-virgin olive oil, you will be able to taste the olive oil in the batter and when the cake is straight out of the oven. But once it cools, you will not be able to taste it. If you’re worried about it, you can use light olive oil which refers to the taste, not calories.

Can I use a different oil other than olive oil? Yes, you can use canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or melted refined coconut oil. Basically any oil with a neutral taste. Using unrefined coconut oil would give you some coconut flavor.

Can I use butter? I think you could use butter, but it wouldn’t be as moist. Butter is 80-82% fat, whereas oil is 100% fat. So if you’re aiming for the moistest cake, baking with oil is your best bet.

Flour

I’ve already answered these two questions above, but it bears repeating. ;)

Can I use a different gluten-free flour mix? If you use a different brand of gluten-free flour, I can’t guarantee the same results. My recommendation would be to bake according to the exact ingredients and directions to get the best gluten-free cake.

I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour with great results.

That being said, if you have another brand that works as a substitute for all-purpose flour, then you can most likely use it here.

Can I use almond / coconut / other flours? Nope. None of those are direct subs for wheat flour. You need to use a gluten-free baking blend that’s meant as a 1-to-1 sub for wheat flour.

Sweeteners

Can I reduce the sugar? If you reduce the sugar, you also reduce the moisture, so unless you want a dry cake, I wouldn’t try it. However, I think using 1 1/2 cups of sugar would be okay.

I don’t recommend reducing the honey as that’s already a reduced amount.

If you have a liquid sweetener that replaces honey, then it should work here. Any granulated sweetener that you would usually use in place of granulated sugar would most likely work here as well.

I’ve had a terrible time using keto sweeteners in my chocolate recipes, so I wouldn’t recommend that unless you’re quite confident that it’d work.

I haven’t tried other sweeteners for this cake, so I can’t 100% say if a different sweetener would work.

Milk

Can I use dairy-free milk? If you’re wanting to use a milk alternative, cashew milk is my favorite. It has a more neutral taste than almond milk which is why I prefer it in baked goods.

Oat milk would also be great. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine that it’d work just fine.

If you’d like to use canned coconut milk, I would do half water and half coconut milk for both the batter and the frosting.

Other healthier Valentine’s Day desserts

The chocolate cake is optimal for Valentine’s Day, but it isn’t necessarily the healthiest treat. Even using honey, the frosting is sweetened with chocolate and has a lot of sugar.

• For a super-rich and creamy healthy dessert, this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake is paleo and no-bake! It’s made with coconut milk, dates and coconut sugar, so it’s definitely healthier than a regular cheesecake.


• This Paleo Vegan Chocolate Mousse is date-sweetened, egg-free and super simple to make. It’s healthy, and it’s also guilt-free!


• This Paleo Fudge are bite-sized bits of love. It has an amazing texture, it’s made with almond butter and sweetened with maple syrup. Plus, it’s vegan and easy to make!


• For a sugar-free treat, this Keto Cheesecake is divine! It’s a classic-looking cheesecake, but with no sugar! It has a graham-cracker-like crust and is really amazing, especially for being sugar-free. It also freezes great, so it’s super to make ahead.

New to the gluten-free diet? You might want to check some of these articles out!

• Is Baking Powder Gluten-free?
• Is Baking Soda Gluten-free?
• Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free?
• Is Cocoa Powder Gluten-free?
• Is Vanilla Extract Gluten-free?

I hope you’ll like this Gluten-free Chocolate Cake! If you make it, I’d love to see it! Please snap a pic and tag #texanerin so I can be sure to find it. Thank you. :)

Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

♥♥♥♥♥

Rated 4.8 by 8 readers

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• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Ready in: 1:45 h
• Yield: 8-12 slices

See notes for the vegan/dairy-free version!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar¹ or 1 cup (320 grams) honey²
• 1 3/4 cups (242 grams) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour or 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour
• 3/4 cup (85 grams) cocoa powder (I use Dutch-process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large³ eggs⁴
• 1 cup (240ml) milk of choice⁵
• 1/2 cup (120ml) oil⁶
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water

For the frosting:

• 3 cups (510 grams) semi-sweet chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) milk
• 3/4 cup (168 grams) refined coconut oil or butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line two round 8" cake pans (2" tall) with parchment paper on the bottom and grease the sides of the pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (sugar through salt).
3. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
4. Mix until combined, and then stir in the boiling water. The batter will be almost as thin as water (if using King Arthur Flour, it'll be thicker).
5. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, but not raw liquid.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, and then turn out onto a rack to cool. Let cool completely before frosting.
8. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 3. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

To make the frosting:

9. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the chocolate, milk, coconut oil or butter, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until melted and completely smooth.
10. Let the pan cool for about 15 minutes (or until cool enough to place in the refrigerator) and then place the pan in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours, stirring after every 15-20 minutes, or until firm enough to spread on the cake. I usually need about 1 hour. If you forget about it and leave it in the refrigerator for too long, it'll be too firm to spread on the cake, so be sure to keep checking on it. If it gets too hard, very lightly reheat it on low heat, while stirring constantly, until it's soft enough to spread.
11. Once the cake has cooled, spread about 3/4 cup of frosting on the first layer, about 1 cup on top of the cake, and the rest on the sides. If you have any left over, it freezes great.
12. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the frosted cake or unfrosted layers for up to 3 months.

Notes

1. Instead of 2 cups of granulated sugar, you can also use 2 cups (380 grams of coconut sugar)
2. The honey version is less sweet, but with the frosting, still sweet enough. Nobody has ever complained about it not being sweet enough!
3. If you're outside of the US, it's best to weigh your eggs unless you know what the equivalent of a large US egg is where you live. US large eggs = German medium eggs, for example. Each egg should weigh 50 grams out of its shell.
4. To make this cake vegan, I use chia eggs. For this recipe, mix together 2 tablespoons of ground chia seed with 6 tablespoons of water until well combined. Let sit for about 1-2 minutes or until goopy like regular eggs.
5. To make it dairy-free, I use cashew milk but you can use whatever you'd like. If you want to use canned coconut milk, I recommend using 1/2 cup of that + 1/2 cup of water for the batter. That’ll thin it down so that it’s like regular milk. For the frosting, you'd use 6 tbsp coconut milk + 6 tbsp water.
6. I recommend something neutral like melted refined coconut oil, light olive oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.

• For a vegan cake, use sugar (not honey), plant-based milk, chia eggs, vegan chocolate and coconut oil in the frosting. This is how I usually make the cake and it's great!
• For dairy-free, use plant-based milk, dairy-free chocolate and coconut oil in the frosting.

Adapted from Hershey's One Bowl Chocolate Cake

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Recipe by Texanerin Baking | www.texanerin.com