The best vegan gluten-free chocolate cake! Rich and decadent and made with simple ingredients. No one will ever guess it’s both vegan and gluten-free!
If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you’ll know that I don’t eat gluten-free. My mom and sister, however, do. So I love making them cakes and cupcakes when there’s a birthday or special occasion.
And honestly this cake is so good that there will never be a reason to make a gluten-free vegan cake and a ‘regular’ vegan cake for everyone else. If you have a gluten-free guest coming over for a special occasion then this is the cake to make for them and for everyone! There won’t be a single complaint I promise.
Of course if you love the look of this cake but only have regular all purpose flour on hand and you don’t need it to be gluten free then no problem. You can simply switch the gluten free flour for all purpose flour and get the same fantastic results. Or make our most amazing vegan chocolate cake instead.
How To Make Vegan 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 flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder and mix together.
- Prepare vegan buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice to a measuring jug and adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle.
- Prepare flax eggs by adding 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding 6 Tbsp hot water. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter.
- Now add in a cup of boiling hot water and whisk it in. The batter will be thin.
- Divide the batter between two 9-inch cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper on the bottom).
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
Ingredient Notes
Gluten-free all purpose flour. It’s essential that you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. I don’t recommend trying this recipe with any single type of gluten-free flour such as rice flour or almond flour or coconut flour. I would not expect this recipe to work in that case. It must be a blend that is meant to replace regular wheat flour.
Instant espresso powder. We use just a little instant espresso powder in this recipe which really helps to enhance the chocolate flavor. You don’t notice any coffee flavor at all in the cake, it’s just really chocolatey. You can use any espresso powder or instant coffee. Alternatively you can omit it altogether.
Vegan buttermilk. We made the vegan buttermilk using soy milk. But you can also make it using almond milk if you prefer.
Flax eggs. This recipe uses two flax eggs which is just a mix of ground flaxseed with hot water. You can make a chia egg the exact same way as a flax egg and use that instead. Or you can replace the flax eggs with 6 Tbsp of applesauce.
The Frosting
The frosting on this cake (as pictured) is the whipped version of our vegan chocolate ganache. It’s just 2-ingredients: vegan chocolate and coconut cream.
It’s not a very sweet frosting and so it’s ideal for those who prefer their frostings to be less sweet.
If you want a more traditional buttercream frosting then our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting will work great for this cake.
Recipe Q&A
What brand of gluten-free flour works best in baking?
We have tried this recipe with different brands of gluten-free flour blends and it has worked great with all. There can be some variety between brands but the main thing you want to look out for is that it must be a blend and it must be designed to replace regular flour in baking. That being said one of our favorite brands for consistent results is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (not sponsored, we just like the flour).
What size cake pans does this recipe adapt to?
You can make this cake in two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans. For a fatter cake you can also do it in two 8-inch cake pans, but increase the baking time to 35 minutes. For a 9×13 sheet cake bake for 35-40 minutes.
Can I make cupcakes from this recipe?
Sure! This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. If you want a perfect 12 cupcakes then check out our recipe for gluten free chocolate cupcakes.
Can this cake be made with regular all purpose flour?
Sure. Just replace the 2 cups of gluten-free flour with 2 cups of regular all purpose flour.
Storing and Freezing
Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Or you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
It is also freezer friendly for up to a month if you want to freeze it.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
- Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake
- Vegan Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies
- Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
- Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend (272g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- 2 cups White Granulated Sugar (400g)
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder Optional*
- 1 cup Vegan Buttermilk (240ml) 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice + Soy Milk up to the 1 cup line*
- 2 Flax Eggs 2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed + 6 Tbsp Hot Water*
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Hot Water (240ml)
Frosting Options:
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Ganache Whipped*
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
- Sift the gluten free flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder and mix together.
- Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice to a measuring jug and adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle.
- Prepare the flax eggs by adding 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding 6 Tbsp hot water. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with the flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter.
- Add the hot water and whisk it in. The batter will be thin.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 9-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with whipped vegan chocolate ganache or vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Notes
- Gluten-free all purpose flour. It’s essential that you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. I don’t recommend trying this recipe with any single type of gluten-free flour such as rice flour or almond flour or coconut flour. I would not expect this recipe to work in that case. It must be a blend that is meant to replace regular wheat flour.
- Instant espresso powder. We use just a little instant espresso powder in this recipe which really helps to enhance the chocolate flavor. You don’t notice any coffee flavor at all in the cake, it’s just really chocolatey. You can use any espresso powder or instant coffee. Alternatively you can omit it altogether.
- Vegan buttermilk. We made the vegan buttermilk using soy milk. But you can also make it using almond milk if you prefer.
- Flax eggs. This recipe uses two flax eggs. If you don’t have ground flaxseeds you can replace the flax eggs with 6 Tablespoons of applesauce.
- The Frosting. The frosting on this cake (as pictured) is the whipped version of our vegan chocolate ganache recipe. It’s made with just 2-ingredients: vegan chocolate and coconut cream. It’s not a very sweet frosting and so it’s ideal for those who prefer their frostings to be less sweet. If you want a more traditional buttercream frosting then our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting will also work great for this cake.
- Cake Sizes. You can make this cake in two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans. For fatter cake layers you can also do it in two 8-inch cake pans, increase the baking time to 35 minutes. For a 9×13 sheet cake bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Cupcakes: This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. If you want a perfect 12 cupcakes then check out our recipe for gluten free chocolate cupcakes.
- Make it with regular all purpose flour instead. If you don’t want this cake to be gluten-free then you can just replace the 2 cups of gluten-free flour with 2 cups (250g) of regular all purpose flour.
- Storage: Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Or you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: It is also freezer friendly for up to a month if you want to freeze it.
- Nutritional information is for cake only and does not include frosting. Nutritional information for the chocolate ganache or chocolate buttercream can be found on those separate linked recipes.
do you put both pans in the same rack in the middle of the oven? would it be possible to bake all the dough in the same pan? would it cook well
Yes, we put both in at the same time in the middle of the oven. If you want to only make one layer, rather use a larger pan and bake it for longer so it cooks through.
hi Alison,
thank you for your detailed post!
i’m planning on making a 3 or 4 layered cake and want to try out your recipe! the think is i only have 1 8′ pan, so i am thinking if the batter will survive standing and waiting for the first layer to bake?
thank you!
I’m not sure Masha, but always cover your batter if you are not going to bake it straight away. 🙂
This made a very tasty cake indeed! However I did find it a little crumbly for my liking, and therefore I did struggle to cover it in buttercream when making a tier cake.
Any recommendations you could suggest to help it be less crumbly please?
Hi Sylvie, so happy it was tasty! I haven’t experienced this coming out crumbly. It may help to simply try a different gluten free flour blend.
I don’t usually leave reviews, because ultimately I never end up making cakes to cater for everyone’s dietary needs because I don’t have the confidence to get it right. I’m gluten free, so are several of my family members, and then others are vegan and low sugar. Needing to cater to all of that is so overwhelming. But I needed to make a cake for my 50th birthday dinner tomorrow, that everyone can have. To be honest I got sick of Googling vegan, gluten free, egg free, low sugar etc… and I decided to try this one and I couldn’t have been more impressed. I had ALL the ingredients on hand <- that never happens! (Although I used unsweetened almond milk as that's all I had in the way of dairy free). It's super quick to put together, I didn't even need to take my stand mixer out of the cupboard. This cake was SO easy, and beyond delicious!! To cater for low sugar I only used 150g white sugar and replaced the rest with 150g home pureed apple. This is definitely going in the KEEP folder for all future birthdays. Thank you so much!
So happy to hear that Trish! Thanks so much for the awesome comment and review!
This cake recipe is 5 stars all the way! I’m a professional vegan and gluten free baker and this is my go to. I’ve made numerous recipes but from now on I’m sticking with this. Thank you Alison for your amazing creation.
Thank you so much Maggie, that means a lot! 🙂
No one could believe this was a gluten free, vegan cake…..not even me! I followed the instructions exactly as written. It impressed the sophisticated palates of ALL of my family – no easy feat! We served it with a pistachio “cream” instead of ice cream which was a fabulous addition. Thank you for my new go to “occasion” cake.
That’s awesome Laureen, thanks so much for the wonderful review.
Dear Alison, thank you for this beautiful recipe. I was in an exploratory/experimental mood so I tried this recipe with a few changes and it was a success! So fluffy and moist!I used muffin tins and made 24 cupcakes, baking them for 15 minutes long at 350 F. I used cream instead of soy milk. (It’s not vegan, but I was curious!) I made my own blend of flours using: 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour, 1/2 cup fine white rice flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 1/2 cup tapioca starch. They are INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much! I haven’t had gf chocolate cake in years. This may be one of the best days in my life! I am so grateful. *\(^o^)/*
So glad they came out great, thanks for sharing.
Hi! I don’t need to add xanthan gum to the recipe? Thanks!
If your gluten free flour blend already has it, then great, but if not, then there’s no need to add it.
Forgot to put 5 stars, so here they are… 🙂 thanks again!
Thanks so much Kate!
This was an excellent cake! I followed all your instructions, except I skipped the espresso powder. The cake was so moist and fluffy, I loved it! If I didn’t know I would have never guessed that it was vegan and gluten free! Thanks for this fabulous recipe!
So glad to have found this!! My daughter is graduating this year and I needed a cake everyone could enjoy. Chocoholics? Check! Gluten-free grandpa? Check! Vegan best friend? Check! Going to bake in 6-inch layers and turn into a geode cake in school colors.
So happy you enjoyed it Jennifer! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Alison. I tried this recipe yesterday and was a little disappointed. Since I don’t have access to the blend you recommended, I made my own blend using 150 g of rice flour, 75 g of potato starch and 50 g of tapioca starch. These proportions are the same as what I use for GF bread when baking for my gal, so I thought they would work. We baked the cake in a 9 x 13 pan for an extra 13 minutes, and thought that would be enough. Nope! Had a couple of pieces for desert and found it still very sticky and moist, so we put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Unfortunately, almost no difference, so I either needed to use more flour or less water, I guess. Any recommendations??
Hi Bob, I don’t have experience with making up my own blends, so I always use a blend that is recommended specifically for baking. I think that would work out much better if you try it again. 🙂
Loving it!!! I needed to prepare a chocolate cake for a woman with Down syndrome who’s never enjoyed her birthdays because of dietary restrictions. I’ve been looking for the perfect recipe for a while but finally found your page at the last minute. I honestly wanted a simple process and very few ingredients. I used Golden Monkfruit sweetener instead and since I’m not a baking powder fan, I added an additional 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1tsp lemon juice to my Buttermilk. I made two batches and used 30g less sweetener in the second batch because it was too sweet. I also used raw cacao powder. I didn’t have instant coffee so I omitted it in the first batch but in the second however, I seeped a bag of Vanilla Nut Teeccino in the hot water as a coffee substitute. I was already more than satisfied with the first batch but then I made the second one and I honestly had to sit down and process everything after tasting this cake. I thought to myself… “Oh boy…this is dangerous”. Before tasting it, the smell alone made it impossible to resist. I wondered if something that smelled so good could actually fail the taste test. I’m a home vegan chef somewhat new to baking. I actually started baking boxed cakes growing up in Haiti before even turning 10. My first cake made from scratch wasn’t great so I gave up and since 2020, I picked it up again and bought all the supplies. My gluten-free experiments have never tasted this amazing and I’m so grateful for your recipe! I even enjoyed the process of making it. In my first batch, I forgot to add the oil and realized 5 minutes after putting the cakes in the oven… I didn’t wanna take the chance so I quickly took them out, poured them back to bowl and mix the oil in. That caused the cakes to stick to the sides but I used a butter knife and got them out in one piece. I’m learning! Lol
I’m going to try one batch with coconut sugar and another with date sugar and my homemade Canna-Coco oil. I wonder how they will come out as muffins though? The texture is EVERYTHING! I can’t believe it’s gluten-free. I’m excited to check out more of your recipes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
PS: The birthday Queen loved her cake, she didn’t even know it was vegan! Bravo!!!!
So happy it was a success! Thanks for sharing and the great review!
Made this cake for my son’s 7th birthday and it was very moist and fudgey! I made it in one layer in a springform pan lined with parchment paper and it turnout well. I baked it for about 10-15 min longer. I also used coconut milk and lime juice instead of soya milk and lemon. I was worried that being so thin with the water at the end would not work BUT behold the vegan magic, it did! I will be printing this out and putting it in my personal cookbook binder of recipes. Will be making it again! Thank you. 😀
Awesome Eva, so glad it was a success!
Hi this looks amazing. Can I use oat milk instead of soya milk?
Sure!