This gluten-free chocolate bundt cake is every chocolate lovers dream! Moist, fudgy cake, chocolate ganache, and mini chocolate chips = deliciously intense chocolate flavor!
My #1 tip for gluten-free bundt cake is to use oil instead of butter. It creates the most incredible crumb!
You also might like this gluten-free Texas sheet cake, flourless chocolate torte, or this gluten-free chocolate mousse cake.
Looking for an easy gluten-free chocolate cake recipe for Valentine’s Day or other special occasions? This chocolate bundt cake is it!
This fudgy chocolate bundt cake is perfect for the chocolate lovers in your life. The combination of oil and sour cream makes for an ultra-light, tender crumb and moist texture.
You could even bake this recipe in mini bundt cakes for a fun Valentine’s Day gift for friends and family!
Why I love this recipe
- Light, tender crumb – I love the taste of butter, but the texture of this gluten-free bundt cake turns out SO much better when using oil in the batter. Oil has a lower melting point than butter, so it coats the gluten-free flour particles more evenly and creates a light, tender crumb.
- Rich and moist – Sour cream helps to create a rich, flavorful, moist cake that everyone loves!
- Feed a crowd – This cake easily feeds 12 or more people, making it great for gatherings with family and friends. Plus, it can stand alone without ice cream or whipped cream. It’s truly a fuss-free dessert perfect for a crowd!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients to make this gluten-free bundt cake.
- Gluten-free flour: It’s important to use high-quality gluten-free flour with xanthan gum for this gluten-free bundt cake recipe. King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour is my top gluten-free flour choice for this recipe. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour will also work.
- Cocoa powder: Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process) for this recipe. For best results, scoop and level it off while measuring.
- Oil: I love the taste of butter, but the texture of this gluten-free bundt cake turns out markedly better when using oil in the batter. Oil has a lower melting point than butter (which is why most oils are liquid at room temperature). The lower melting point allows the fat to coat the gluten-free flour particles more evenly than butter would. Making this cake with butter will result in a dense, gummy crumb.
- Sour cream: I love using sour cream in my gluten-free cakes (like this gluten-free chocolate sheet cake) for added richness and flavor. It more than makes up for the lack of butter!
- Hot water: Hot water helps the cocoa powder to “bloom” and creates a more intense chocolate flavor. You could also use a cup of hot coffee, if you prefer.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake
Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, hot water and cocoa powder.
Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add the gluten-free flour mixture to oil mixture and, using an electric hand mixer or bowl of a stand mixer, blend until well combined. Mix in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Bake cake. Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Cool to room temperature before topping with the ganache.
Make the ganache. Make sure the chocolate is finely chopped if using chocolate bars. (Chocolate chips will also work!) Add the chocolate and cream to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until completely smooth. Let cool for 3 minutes before topping the cake. (You want it to be warm and smooth, but not piping hot.)
Top the cake. Pour the chocolate ganache mixture over the cooled cake. Add mini chocolate chips to the top of the cake. Let the chocolate glaze cool slightly before slicing the finished cake. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
To Store: Store this gluten-free chocolate cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. This cake can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to three months.
Recipe Tips
- I like to use this light metal bundt cake pan for every gluten-free bundt cake recipe I make.
- Be sure to generously grease the pan with shortening. (Softened butter will also work if you don’t have shortening, but beware: non-stick cooking spray does NOT work as well!)
- Make sure you cool the chocolate bundt cake to room temperature before adding the ganache. Otherwise, it will quickly melt and slide off the cake.
More Chocolate Recipes to Try
- Gluten-free chocolate cupcakes
- Gluten-free chocolate caramel tart
- Flourless chocolate cookies
- Flourless chocolate torte
Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups (262g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180ml) oil of choice, I use grapeseed oil
- 1 cup (240ml) very hot water
- 2/3 cup (63g) unsweetened cocoa powder ,not Dutch process, scoop and level to measure
- 3/4 cup (175g) sour cream, room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips optional but delicious
For the Glaze:
- 4 ounces (113g) bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- Mini chocolate chips for decorating
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease a non-stick bundt cake pan with shortening (or softened butter). I prefer this light metal bundt pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, hot water and cocoa powder.
- Add the gluten-free flour mixture to oil mixture and, using an electric hand mixer, blend until well combined.
- Mix in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before topping with the ganache.
For the Ganache:
- Make sure the chocolate is finely chopped if using chocolate bars. (Chocolate chips will also work!)
- Add the chocolate and cream to a small microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until completely smooth. Let cool for 3 minutes before topping the cake. (You want it to be warm and smooth, but not piping hot.)
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the cake. Top with mini chocolate chips. Let cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use this light metal bundt cake pan for every gluten-free bundt cake recipe I make.
- Be sure to generously grease the pan with shortening. (Softened butter will also work if you don’t have shortening, but beware: non-stick cooking spray does NOT work as well!)
- Make sure you cool the chocolate bundt cake to room temperature before adding the ganache. Otherwise, it will quickly melt and slide off the cake.
- Gluten-free flour: It’s important to use high-quality gluten-free flour with xanthan gum for this gluten-free bundt cake recipe. King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour is my top gluten-free flour choice for this recipe. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour will also work.
- Cocoa powder: Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process) for this recipe. For best results, scoop and level it off while measuring.
- Oil: I love the taste of butter, but the texture of this gluten-free bundt cake turns out markedly better when using oil in the batter. Oil has a lower melting point than butter (which is why most oils are liquid at room temperature). The lower melting point allows the fat to coat the gluten-free flour particles more evenly than butter would. Making this cake with butter will result in a dense, gummy crumb.
So very delicious! Rich, light, and moist!
Excellent and rich chocolate cake. Easy to make as well. And I couldn’t even tell it was GF.
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing!
Why not dutched cocoa specifically?
Hi Nadiya, good question! Dutch cocoa and unsweetened (natural) cocoa are processed differently. Dutch cocoa is neutral and does not react the same in cakes as the unsweetened cocoa that is acidic. This cake uses baking soda and needs the unsweetened cocoa to react with it for a good rise. We hope this helps and you enjoy the cake!
I don’t thin it’s a very good idea to put mini chocolate chips in the cake batter. I put them in and they dropped to the bottom of the pan. The top of the cake stuck to the pan and it was all chocolate chips.
We’re sorry you had this experience, Jan. We hope you still enjoyed the flavor! The mini-sized chips usually sink less than the heavier, regular-sized ones, but you can also toss the mini chocolate chips in a little flour or cocoa powder to help keep them from sinking. Thank you for sharing with us!
How should I divide this recipe if I have a mini 6 inch Bundt pan that holds up to 3 cups?
Hi Denver, a typical 10″ Bundt pan holds up to 12 cups so your mini pan holds 1/4 the amount. The smaller size will also call for a reduced baking time. We would recommend keeping a close eye on the bake and testing doneness with a toothpick since the baking time will vary. We hope this helps!
The best gf chocolate cake I have ever made. Everyone asks for the recipe and they’re shocked to find that it is gluten free!
Yay! That’s such a compliment, Susie. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us!
I am gluten and dairy free. You use sour cream in this and other recipes. Do you have a dairy free alternative that you have made this cake with that works well?
Hi Regina, we haven’t tested out a dairy free version of this recipe. If you decide to try it with a dairy-free sour cream, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Can I still make this recipe in a regular pan if I don’t have a Bundt pan?
Hi Tiff, we think this will work! A typical 10″ Bundt pan holds up to 12 cups which is about the same as two 9″ round cake pans or nearly as much as a 13×9. Such changes will call for varied baking times, typically less time than what the Bundt pan needs, so we would recommend closely watching the cake(s) and checking for doneness using a toothpick. We hope this helps!
Absolutely amazing! Very simple to make and delicious. Can’t tell it’s gluten free at all
Can you use butter instead of oil
Unfortunately no! Butter won’t yield the same delicious crumb.
Can this be made in 4inch mini bundt pans? If so, how would you adjust the baking time?
Hi Kellen, a typical 10″ Bundt pan holds up to 12 cups so you would need to consider how many cups the mini Bundts hold. The smaller size will call for a reduced baking time. We would recommend keeping a close eye on the bake and testing doneness with a toothpick since the baking time will vary. We hope this helps!
Getting ready to make this cake and I was wondering if I could add some espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor
Hi Dorrel, definitely! You can mix the espresso powder with the cup of hot water. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I can’t believe this is gluten free! Tasted incredible!
I made this cake as a Valentine’s Day treat for my husband and he loved it!
I used avocado oil because that’s what I had on hand and the crumb of this cake turned out perfect! Definitely will make again!
Heavenly!! The more chocolate the better!! I have so many friends that need gluten-free, so this recipe is perfect for all!!
This is such a great option for my gluten free family and friends! Such great chocolate flavor.
2 cups of sugar? Can this be reduced?
Unfortunately the sugar is needed for the proper structure! You can reduce it to 1 3/4 cup but I wouldn’t do more than that.
Can I use Dairy free sour cream for this? Like Lactaid? I cannot have dairy either.
Hi Alice, yes generally dairy-free sour cream can be used in place of regular sour cream. We hope you enjoy the cake!