Gorgeous 2-layer moist and delicious gluten-free chocolate cake frosted with a rich chocolate ganache frosting. Ideal for special occasions.
This gluten free chocolate cake is so perfectly moist and chocolatey that no one will even know it’s gluten-free. Gluten free cakes can sometimes be dry but not this one.
It’s also really easy and made with simple ingredients that are easy to find.
What You’ll Need For The Cake
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten free all purpose flour – this must be a blend. Single type flours like rice flour or almond flour won’t work. It needs to be a gluten free flour blend that is meant to replace regular all purpose flour in baking.
- Light brown sugar – this adds moisture to the recipe.
- Soy milk – can be replaced by pretty much any other non-dairy milk.
- Applesauce – adds moisture without weighing down the cake with extra oil.
- Flax egg – 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of hot water becomes a gloopy flax egg that works great in baking. If you don’t have any ground flaxseed on hand, you can replace this with an extra 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
- Vinegar – this reacts with the baking soda and causes the cake to rise. You can use either white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
The Frosting
The frosting is our vegan chocolate ganache frosting recipe. Another option for the frosting is our ultra simple vegan chocolate frosting.
How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift gluten free all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add light brown sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together.
- Prepare a flax egg by adding 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding in 3 tablespoons of hot water from the kettle. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add soy milk, oil, flax egg, applesauce, vanilla extract and vinegar and mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter between two 7-inch (see notes for different cake pan sizes) cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper on the bottom).
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake, it should come out clean.
- Let the cakes cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, frost with vegan chocolate ganache frosting or vegan chocolate frosting.
Recipe Tips
Gluten Free Flour – The only way this recipe works is if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend that is designed to be used in place of regular flour. If you use a single kind of flour like rice flour or almond flour or coconut flour or something like that, it will NOT work.
Frosting – The frosting pictured here is our vegan chocolate ganache frosting. This frosting works great for this cake and so does our simple vegan chocolate frosting if you’re looking for an easier option.
Cake Sizes – This cake as pictured is made in two 7-inch cake pans. It can also be adapted as follows:
- Three 6-inch round cake pans – bake for 20-25 minutes
- Two 8-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes (note that the cake layers are quite thin).
- One 9-inch round cake pan – bake for 30 minutes
- 9×13 sheet cake – bake for 15-20 minutes
- 9×9 square cake – bake for 20-25 minutes
Recipe FAQ
We have tried out quite a few blends and all have worked great. Some blends have xantham gum as an ingredient, some do not. We haven’t found this to make a difference for this recipe. We’re fans of Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour, but we have also used lesser known brands and they have all worked great. The key factor is that it must be a blend that is meant to replace regular flour in baking.
Yes, you definitely can. This recipe makes a perfect 12 cupcakes. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days if the weather is cool. Alternatively store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature on the counter before serving.
It’s freezer friendly for up to a month if you’d like to freeze it.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
- Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake
- Vegan Gluten Free Brownies
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 ½ cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend (204g)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder (42g) Unsweetened
- 1 ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk) (240ml)
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Flax Egg 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal + 3 Tbsp Hot Water
- 2 Tbsp Applesauce
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
Frosting:
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 7-inch cake pans (*see notes for different cake pan sizes) with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
- Sift gluten free all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add light brown sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together.
- Prepare a flax egg by adding 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding in 3 tablespoons of hot water from the kettle. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add soy milk, oil, flax egg, applesauce, vanilla extract and vinegar and mix into a batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake, it should come out clean.
- Let the cakes cool for a few minutes before removing them from the cake pans and transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, frost with vegan chocolate ganache frosting or vegan chocolate frosting.
Notes
- Gluten Free Flour – The only way this recipe works is if you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend that is designed to be used in place of regular flour. If you use a single kind of flour like rice flour or almond flour or coconut flour or something like that, it will NOT work.
- Flax egg – this can be replaced with an extra 3 Tbsp of applesauce.
- Frosting – The frosting shown in the photos is our vegan chocolate ganache frosting. This frosting works great for this cake and so does our simple vegan chocolate frosting if you’re looking for an easier option.
- Cake Sizes – This cake can adapt to different cake pan sizes as follows:
- Three 6-inch round cake pans – bake for 20-25 minutes
- Two 8-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes (note that the cake layers are quite thin).
- One 9-inch round cake pan – bake for 30 minutes
- 9×13 sheet cake – bake for 15-20 minutes
- 9×9 square cake – bake for 20-25 minutes
- Cupcakes – This recipe makes a perfect 12 cupcakes. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
- Storing – Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days if the weather is cool. Alternatively store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature on the counter before serving. It’s freezer friendly for up to a month if you’d like to freeze it.
- Nutrition estimate is for cake only and excludes frosting. Nutritional information for the frosting can be found on that separate linked recipe.
- This recipe was first published in January 2016. It has been updated with new photos and lots of extra tips but the recipe itself is unchanged.
Heather says
Do you not need to use xanthan gum in this? I know a lot of gluten free baking uses this ingredient.
Alison Andrews says
No! This is because I am using a gluten-free all purpose flour blend though, if you were making up a flour blend yourself then you may need to add this ingredient depending on the blend. But if you buy a ready-made blend like Bob’s Red Mill or another one of the blends, you don’t need to add anything.
Heather says
Yes, my blend does not have xanthan gum or binding ingredient. So any binding substitute would work? Such as flax seed egg?
Alison Andrews says
If you’re using an all purpose blend, then no need to add anything, this recipe is complete.
Jess says
I’m sorry, but I need to back up Heather and ask that you be a little bit more specific. Bob’s Red Mill (which is the brand you said you had used) has two all purpose flour blends (3 if you count organic vs non) and one of them contains xanthan gum and the other doesn’t. The one labeled “All Purpose” does not contain xanthan gum, but their “Gluten Free 1 to 1” does contain xanthan gum. Do you, by any chance, remember which one you used? If you could double check the ingredient list on the back, that would be great. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
The one I used is the All Purpose Flour blend – NO xantham gum involved. It doesn’t make a difference. As long as it’s a blend, designed for baking, you should be good.
Jess says
Sure it’ll work without, but adding xanthan gum can greatly improve the texture, structure, and moisture levels of any gluten free dough. Adding it can also allow denser baked treats like cake or bread to rise properly during the backing process. Your first few attempts probably crumbled because the first flour you used didn’t have any in it, and you had to add all the extra moisture in the final recipe to make up for not having it.
I do want to try your recipe as is first though. I’ve always preferred denser cupcakes/cakes, so it’ll probably end up being perfect regardless.
Thanks for the clarification!
Alison Andrews says
No…. my first attempt crumbled because I used rice flour, not a blend. This recipe has since been tested with different blends, including those containing xantham gum. And the extra moisture is a non-negotiable regardless.
Kim Hesche says
Made this for my 4 year old with multiple food allergies. It really is fantastic. You cannot tell a difference between this and the non-gluten free, non-vegan version. We all loved it!
Thanks so much!!
(I’d rate the recipe 5 stars but it won’t let me ?)
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much for posting! So happy to hear! Oh yay, I see the rating did work, thanks so much for that! 🙂
Alison says
Hiya! SO happy i came across this recipe, my brother is allergic to eggs, dairy , nuts and gluten! We are a refined sugar free household, can we substitute the brown sugar with raw honey or organic maple syrup? Thanks!
Alison says
or coconut sugar?
Alison Andrews says
Coconut sugar would likely be fine because it’s also a dry ingredient. It can’t be replaced with something like maple syrup though as that is a wet ingredient and would throw out the balance between wet and dry. But I don’t see any issue with coconut sugar. All the best and let us know how it goes!
Diana says
Is there anything that can substitute the powdered sugar?
Can maple sugar be added instead of the brown sugar?
Alison Andrews says
Maple sugar should be okay as a swap since it’s also a dry ingredient. I don’t know about any substitutions for the powdered sugar.
Diana says
Do you think I can substitute a pear purée instead of applesauce as my husband has an allergy to apples?
Alison Andrews says
Yes, this should work perfectly!
Jane says
I made this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday. He is gluten-free and my daughter is allergic to eggs. Until now I have not found a recipe that could so amazingly satisfy them both. The cake was gone in minutes. My mother, who is careful about what she eats, couldn’t resist taking a second piece. My son who has no allergies, was downing it like there was no tomorrow. I know this is going to become a standard in my kitchen and I am so grateful for this unbelievable recipe.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear Jane! That is simply fabulous! Thanks so much for posting! 🙂
GF-V Mum of 3 says
Thank you for this awesome recipe. You have proved me so wrong with the thought that my kids would forever be eating dry gluten free vegan cakes and hoping they would not know any better. I have been failing for years at making gluten free vegan cakes until I found this recipe. I have no allergies or intolerances but my 3 kids have extensive allergies and this cake will make birthdays pleasurable again. Does not taste gluten free or vegan at all and all my family who aren’t gluten free or vegan simply loved and could not believe it. I did use the Bob’s red mill gluten free all purpose flour like you recommended but tried the ‘1 to 1’ flour instead which has a blue label. Not sure if this made a difference. It seems to have different ingredients to the regular gluten free flour mix. I’ve never commented on anything online before but I am so over the moon excited that I just had to thank you.
GF-V Mum of 3 says
Oh and it was still moist and soft the next day, which I have never achieved with gluten free vegan.
Alison Andrews says
You are so welcome! I am so happy to this worked out so well! I had the same experience, everyone who ate it (most of them neither gluten-free nor vegan) absolutely LOVED this cake! I’m so glad it was the same for you. Thanks so much for commenting!
Francis says
I doubled the recipe and used a 9 x 12 pan for a dinner party. The cake came out beautifully with a nice crumb and lovely flavor. I ran short on the brown sugar and used 1 cup of coconut sugar in addition without any problem in sweetness levels. My guests never knew that it was vegan and gluten-free and they scooped up every last crumb. I paired the cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting made with Earth Balance.
Alison Andrews says
That sounds awesome Francis! Thanks so much for posting! 🙂
Caitlin says
Did you adjust the baking time at all for the larger size and different shape?
Roz says
What is a flax egg?
Aubrie says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it for my boyfriends brother in law’s birthday and it was gone in minutes. My boyfriends mother was adamant I had to make it tomorrow for their belated thanksgiving dinner. I am going to make it four layers this time because it was a little short the first time and I couldn’t find coconut cream so I used another recipe for vegan heavy cream and it worked great!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So glad it came out well! Thanks for posting. 🙂
Lauren says
Hi there this looks awesome! Vegan is not something we care much about in my family so I’m wondering will regular milk and a regular egg work in this recipe? I don’t see why not but I figure i would check 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Hi Lauren, any milk would work fine, but it has not been tested any other way as it was created as a vegan recipe.
Amanda says
I made this recipe for cupcakes, no frosting. I took the oil out, because we do not eat oil in our food. I replaced it with 1/2 cup of applesauce. I also added a Tbs of baking powder. They were great! I wish there was a frosting recipe without butter or oil. We love them plain! I will be making these for my sons birthday!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome Amanda – great to hear they came out well and that those substitutions worked out! I have a vegan chocolate frosting recipe that uses only a little vegan butter, but you could try omitting it in favor of extra plant milk – I haven’t tried it like this myself but think it would probably work out fine. https://lovingitvegan.com/how-to-make-vegan-chocolate-frosting/
Anna says
This looks great, the GF baking info is really helpful as well. Applesauce is not something we ever use, what could you substitute it with please?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anna, the applesauce is just creating more moisture, so you could substitute it for more oil (in the exact 1:1 ratio) or vegan butter (margarine).
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Gluten-free baking can be quite the puzzle, but with some experimenting it can definitely be figured out and it looks as if you’ve definitely figured this one out! This cake looks AMAZING. I’m glad you were persistent 🙂 I just pinned it so I can refer back to it the next time I need to make a cake.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Gwen! 🙂
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says
This cake looks like perfection! Yay for gluten-free and vegan friendly!!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Bethany! 🙂
Eva says
What is coconut cream? The rest I can pick up but this item not sure what it is. Thanks.
Alison Andrews says
It’s just a more intensified (creamier) version of coconut milk. You get it in a can and it is in the same section of the store as the coconut milk. You can also use full fat coconut milk for this if you can’t find coconut cream, but it is usually easy to find.
DIane says
Hi. Would it be okay to use a regular egg in place of the flax egg? Anyone tried this?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Diane, this should be fine as a direct swap for the flax egg.