Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake
By the Gluten Free Recipes team ·
This rich and moist gluten-free chocolate layer cake, featuring a tender crumb and decadent chocolatey flavor. Perfect for celebrations or a delightful treat, it's surprisingly simple to make.
At a glance: This medium desserts recipe yields 4 servings in about 50 minutes (25 min prep, 25 min cook). It uses 7 ingredients — including certified gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, granulated sugar or coconut sugar, unsalted butter or coconut oil — and walks through 5 steps. Updated . Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.
Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake: When preparing this desserts recipe, to prevent cross-contamination with gluten, always ensure that all ingredients, including spices, baking powders, and any processed items, are certified gluten-free and that your preparation surfaces and utensils are thoroughly cleaned In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.
Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake: This recipe is designed to be entirely free from gluten-containing grains, using a certified gluten-free flour blend for a safe and delicious outcome.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups certified gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter or coconut oil, softened
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 cup certified gluten-free chocolate chips or berries
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, greasing the sides lightly. This preparation ensures the cake releases easily after baking.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter or coconut oil and granulated sugar or coconut sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next, then stir in the pure vanilla extract until fragrant.
- 3
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the certified gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or folding gently with a spatula until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- 4
Gently fold in the certified gluten-free chocolate chips or berries until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with your spatula, ensuring the surface is smooth.
- 5
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Gluten-free baked goods often firm up significantly as they cool, so complete cooling is essential for the best texture.
Nutrition (per serving)
Tips & Notes
- Room-temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly — set them out 20–30 minutes before baking.
- Softened butter should hold a fingerprint but not be greasy — if it melts on touch, it's too warm for creaming.
- Toast desiccated coconut in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, for a deeper flavor.
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