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Gluten free chocolate cake on a white cake stand
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4.84 from 31 votes

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Gorgeous 2-layer moist and delicious gluten-free chocolate cake frosted with a rich chocolate ganache frosting. Ideal for special occasions.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Cakes, Dessert, Gluten-Free
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 10
Calories: 258kcal

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

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

  1. 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. 
  2. Flax egg - this can be replaced with an extra 3 Tbsp of applesauce. 
  3. 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. 
  4. 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
    • 9x13 sheet cake - bake for 15-20 minutes
    • 9x9 square cake - bake for 20-25 minutes
  5. Cupcakes  - This recipe makes a perfect 12 cupcakes. Bake for 22-25 minutes. 
  6. 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. 
  7. Nutrition estimate is for cake only and excludes frosting. Nutritional information for the frosting can be found on that separate linked recipe. 
  8. 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. 
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Nutrition

Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.7g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 12.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 308mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 20.4g