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.
I cut back the sugar by 1/2 cup. Also used 1/2 sour cream and half unsweetened coconut yogurt (Meijer brand) It was very light and moist. I skipped the ganache and bought frozen coconut whipped cream sold by the cool whip where I shop. Put that on each serving. Delicious!!
We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the Bundt cake, Diane! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. Happy baking!
The BEST EASIEST ever gf cake !!!
Yay! We’re so glad you loved it, Minnie! Thanks for sharing. Happy baking!
By far the best gluten-free cake I’ve tasted!! Two thumbs way up 🙂 I made it as a layer cake with mousse filling and whipped cream chocolate frosting. Definitely will make again.
Yay! We’re so pleased to hear you loved the cake, Diane! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience. The layer cake with mousse and whipped cream chocolate frosting sounds delicious!
I can’t believe how easy this was to make. Moist, not too sweet and looks so beautiful. It was delicious. Thank you!
Yay! We’re so pleased to hear how much you loved the recipe, Ami! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us!
I can’t wait to try this the cinnamon rolls were a huge hit. I have a question what temperature is hot or very hot water? I have a tea kettle that has temps 160, 175,185, 190 and 200
Thank You
Hi Lynn, we recommend just below boiling so we’d opt for the 200°F option on the kettle. We hope this helps!
Thank You that Help . Can’t wait
Can I use Greek you hurt instead it sour cream?
Hi Maria, we haven’t tested out Greek yogurt as a sub for sour cream in this cake, but it should work well. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
One word… INCREDIBLE! This cake is perfectly chocolatey and moist. Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, the Aldi chocolate Bundt cake was my favorite chocolate treat, but this gluten-free Bundt takes the cake! I followed the recipe exactly, weighing the ingredients to ensure proper ratios, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. The cake is richly flavorful, and the mini chocolate chips add a delicious crunch to each velvety bite. I am so grateful to my husband for getting me the Meaningful Eats cookbook for Christmas. I never thought I would be able to make such delicious gluten-free bakery items at home! 10/10 Would recommend this recipe!
Yay! This makes us so happy, Amber! Thank you for taking the time to share such kind feedback with us. Happy baking!
Do you have to refrigerate this cake with the icing?
Hi Gretchen, this cake will keep for 5 days at room temperature. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Could I use erythritol/monk fruit or coconut sugar in place of part or all of the sugar?
Hi there, thank you for your question! We don’t typically bake with sugar substitutes so it’s hard to say how those options would impact taste and/or texture in this one. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Can you make this in two 8 inch cake pans instead and lower the cooking time?
Definitely, Sher! We’d recommend checking the cake starting around 30-35 minutes since the batter will be thinner in the two 8″ pans. The best way to decide when they’re done though is to test the center with a toothpick. We hope you love the recipe!
I’m cooking for two, so I cut the recipe in half and used a 6″ bundt pan. Wow! This cake is the best gluten free chocolate cake I’ve made, and I’ve tried quite a few. This is one of those chocolate desserts that actually gets better the next day. It was good the first night, but almost too moist. The next nights, I heated it up for just 12 seconds in the microwave and the mini chips were soft like the first night and the cake itself was terrific! In the past, my chocolate gluten free cakes have often gone to waste after a day or two because they dried out so badly. Not this one! It is now my go-to dessert for all occasions. I can’t wait to try it out on my friends and family who are able to digest gluten and see how they react. I suspect that they’ll never know this cake is gluten free.
Aww, thank you for such kind feedback, Jay! We’re so happy to hear you loved the recipe enough to make it your new go-to!
Jay, do you recall the bake time with the 6″ bundt pan?
Thanks
Can I use regular chocolate chips instead of mini and if so, do I use 1/2 the required amount?
Hi Millie, thank you for your question! You can use regular chocolate chips in the same quantity as the mini chips, they just won’t disperse throughout the cake as much. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I don’t typically leave reviews for recipes, but here I am raving over this GF Chocolate Bundt Cake. I followed the instructions exactly, and it turned out beautifully moist and rich. The bittersweet chocolate in the ganache was a perfect balance to the interior. Delicious, and also extremely attactive. I added a few stripes of Chistmas nonpariels between the mini chocolate chips, and the whole thing looked like something out of a bake shop with minimal effort. I will make this again and again.
Wow, thank you for such a kind review, Ashley! We’re so happy to hear how much you loved the cake!
We just tried this recipe, and it was amazing! By far the best gluten free cake I’ve ever made. Even my non-gf family members said it was good. This recipe will definitely be on repeat. Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Yay! We’re so glad everyone loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us, Laura!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but looks very doable. I usually make a chocolate Kaluah Bundt cake with chocolate pudding during the holiday. Since becoming gluten sensitive it’s been banded from my recipe book. Any ideas on how can I incorporate the Kaluah in this recipe?
Hi Virginia, we haven’t tried it ourselves, but here are a few ideas: (1) Use 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup Kaluah in the batter instead of the full cup of water listed, (2) add 1-2 tbsp to the ganache after the chocolate and cream mixture is smooth, (3) mix 2-3 tbsp with 1 tbsp water or coffee and brush lightly on the cake as a syrup coating. We hope these ideas help! We’d love to hear how it goes!