Ever have a craving for something? Like you really want it and you can’t stop until you eat it? Well chocolate cake has been driving me crazy for over a week. As a Celiac is isn’t like I can just go to the grocery store and buy a cake from the bakery. If I want a Gluten Free cake I have to make it. Life finally gave me a short window of time this past weekend so I made a chocolate cake for our family to enjoy. In full disclosure I usually use Gluten Free box mixes to make cakes. I always doctor them up to make them better, but my cakes typically start with a box. Not this cake! I actually made a Gluten Free chocolate cake from SCRATCH!
The making of this cake was a family affair. The kiddos all put on their aprons and we poured, measured and mixed together. The kitchen was more than a little messy when we were done, but we all had fun. The way the timing worked out, we actually ate the cake at 9am on Sunday morning. The kiddos then proceeded to run around the house then and I dropped them off in Sunday School! I’m such a responsible parent.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp GF vanilla extract
- 2 cups GF all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup GF cocoa powder
- 1tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease your baking pans and set aside.
- In a mixer cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients.
- Once combined, add the milk and mix for 2 minutes.
- Pour into your greased baking pans.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool then decorate
This cake was better than any Gluten Free box mix I’ve tried. This will be my go-to Gluten Free chocolate cake recipe from now on. The texture was soft and the cake was moist. Hubby was impressed and said it tasted like the real thing!
You could use this recipe for cupcakes or a sheet cake. I made ours in two 9 inch cake pans then layered them with chocolate icing.
One of my favorite Gluten Free all purpose flours is GF Jules flour. It is a perfect cup for cup substitute and it has a very fine texture so your baked goods are not gritty. I used Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa powder and Duncan Hines Chocolate whipped icing.
Also if anyone wants to teach me how to decorate a cake, I’m in! This is sadly the best I can do.
Happy Gluten Free Baking!
Pam
It was so great to find your post through Gluten Free Fridays at Vegetarian Mama! Your right, this cake even looks much better than any box mix that I’ve found. I particularly like the moistness of this cake, and I’m so glad that your whole family got to help out in the kitchen. And, I’d be very happy to have this cake for breakfast!! 🙂
Hope your family enjoys this one as much as we did!
Looks delicious, but I’m also allergic to dairy (cow’s milk products). Can I sub coconut oil for the butter? Can I use coconut or almond milk for the regular milk?
For a dairy free option that sounds great. I would monitor the texture of the batter, you may need to add some GF flour if the batter is too runny. Enjoy!
I used vegetable shortening and it turned out awesome! I also used almond milk instead of the milk!
great ideas! Will try that
I always use coconut oil and ripple milk with this recipe and everyone LOVES it even more than my regular chocolate cake!!! I also use an egg substitute and make it vegan and gluten free and it’s still perfection!!
Awesome!!! great tip
This looks delicious! I love chocolate cake. 🙂
ME TOO!!!
We just made this cake this morning, I used apple puree instead of butter and only added ONE cup of sugar and it turned out great! There is enough sugar in the icing to make up for the sugar I didn’t add in the mixture. Thanks for the great recipe! My kids LOVED it!
SO glad your family loved it! We really enjoy this cake!
I’m making this for a Super Bowl party on Sunday. I don’t have GF AP flour, but I do have almond flour and coconut flour. Can I substitute either of those? Thank you!
You could do either but make sure to add some xanhum gum and baking soda to help it rise
How much of each do you suggest? I’m not a baker at all so I have no clue. Thank you for your help!
Cup for cup exchange with Coconut flour would not work without a lot other of changes as it is very absorbent and you usually need quite a few eggs.
Can you put me on your email list?
It tastes great, but my cake fell in the middle. What did I do wrong?
Hmmmm – what flour mix did you use? Did it have baking soda in it? How about xanthum gum? Need to make sure you have those in your mix so it will rise.
I used Bob’s GF flour. I followed the recipe and used baking soda and powder, no xanthum. Should I add that too?
I used it and it fell, too. I have another recipe that calls for Pam’s, I’ll try that next time.
Hi, just to clarify is it cooking at 350 Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius?
Yes, Fahrenheit 🙂
Pam your recipe sounds and looks delicious! And your icing is beautiful. Don’t run yourself down! I’ll have to try this one for sure. How old are the twins now? Jeanne
Amazing moist chocolatey cake – I didn’t tell my husband or son it was gluten free – after devouring a huge piece there only comment was incredible!! Thanks for such an amazing recipie!!
WOOHOO! We win! Congrats
I tried the cake twice .. it stays liquidy , why ?
The smell is amazing though
ugh – try it with only half the milk or no milk at all. See if that helps.
Has anyone tried the chocolate cake mix manufactured by Sof’ella Natural Foods? They are no longer in business but I was wondering if this delicious looking cake compares. Sof’ella”s cake was rich, dark, moist and choclately. I’ve been searching for another cake like it and I think this may be it.
I swear by the King Arthur gf chocolate cake mix. Dark and chocolately goodness. The only one I use now. It can be pricey but I usually buy more than one when it is on sale. I like a more dark chocolate cake myself.
Not sure exactly what but the ratios seem a little off on this. I am an avid baker. I use the gf flour blend from gf on a shoestring and I usually can use that interchangeably with any recipe I have tried and it works fantastic. I have been baking gf for over 25 years, my Mom was diagnosed in the 80’s and I was diagnosed after my youngest was born. My cakes sank as well, I think there may be too much sugar or butter in the recipe. I did use a mix of hersheys regular and special dark cocoa. It has a wonderful chocolate flavor but the crumb is a little big, not fine, they weren’t dry at all. Maybe too much levening as well.
Can you make this cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan? I like making gluten free cakes, but there all for round cake pans. Should I double the recipe? It’s my daughter’s 15th birthday tomorrow. Thanks for getting back to me.
Yes, a 9×13 would be fine. no need to double it.
Enjoy!
Hey there! Needing to know how to replace the eggs in this recipe? Would applesause work? Or the egg replacement powder?
Thanks!
Apple sauce might add too much moisture. Try Flax Eggs or Bob’s red Mill egg Replacer
Do you think this recipe will work in a bundt pan?
Yes! I use a bundt pan often with this recipe
Hello, can I use the Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe?
Hi, can I use Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe?
That would be a great blend to use! Enjoy
I made this for my husband’s birthday today. It is by FAR the BEST GF chocolate cake I have ever made. Even I had a piece, and couldn’t taste the difference. Thank you so much for sharing!! Yummolicious!!
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it!
What size baking tin do you use for this cake? I would like to use round tins.
I use 2 9″ cake pans
I can’t use baking powder since I’m allergic to corn. What can I substitute it with?
I found a baking powder at Whole Foods made with tapioca starch. The brand was Hain, I think.
Thanks for sharing
Ok, I’m going to try this tonight for the Man’s b-day tomorrow…. You’re a wonderful parent and your cousin can teach you how to decorate cakes…. She’s a PRO! Luvu muchoo for always having my GF back for the man. XOXO
Hi there,
So I made this cake yesterday and I had 2 issues. My Kitchen aid mixer had a real real hard time mixing this as it was super thick. I had to stop mixing it and try and do it by hand. Is the normal? Also, the cake was a little dry. Tastes great, just dry. Did I overcook it? Help I really want to be able to make a great moist chocolate cake.
Thanks.
Heather
Sorry you had an issue with the recipe. Try adding more milk to the batter. 1/4 cup more
So which gluten free flour did you use for the cake?
I used Bloomfield Farms all purpose baking mix
Anyway we can reduce the sugar and use something else as a replacement?
You could use Splenda instead if you want to reduce the sugar
Hi , I’m not celiac … but my husband and two of my six children are ! I made you chocolate cake for my youngest for Mother’s Day ! It was wonderful! Mine turned out sorta like a torte which I loved ,I frosted it with 7 minute frosting her favorite ! Everybody loved it !!
Thank you so much! You have a new follower xo happy Mother’s Day
AWESOME! Happy it is what you wanted!
So good I could cry! Thank you!!!
YEAH!!!! So glad you love it!
do you have a recommended baking time if we’re doing cupcakes instead? I’ll have to wing it since they’re already in the oven!!
Thanks!