This fluffy, moist gluten-free chocolate cake piled high chocolate buttercream frosting is so easy to make! It’s sure to become your new go-to recipe.
Sour cream and buttermilk make the cake especially delicious (dairy-free option if needed) and a secret ingredient in the frosting makes this cake the best.
I love a good, simple sheet cake! They’re easy-to-make, portable and basically fool-proof. This chocolate cake makes a delicious celebration cake when you want a no-fuss, tried-and-true recipe that everyone will love.
Much like this amazing gluten-free carrot sheet cake and this gluten-free vanilla cake, nobody will be able to tell this cake is gluten-free. These gluten-free cupcakes are also a tasty option!
Ingredients You’ll Need
A few ingredients make this gluten-free cake especially delicious. Here are a few notes on the key ingredients:
- A high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: I like to use gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It works best to use a blend that contains xanthan gum in this recipe.
- Oil: I prefer to use oil for this cake rather than butter. Oil allows for a light, moist crumb that doesn’t clump up as it tends too with butter.
- Buttermilk: This chocolate cake requires the moisture and acidity from buttermilk.
- Sour cream: Using part sour cream in place of what would usually be more buttermilk gives this cake stability. It also gives it a delicious flavor and richness!
- Hot water: Hot water allows the cocoa powder to absorb and the batter to hydrate properly. It also enhances the cocoa powders flavor!
Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake
You can easily make this cake dairy-free with a few substitutions. I like to use Kite Hill dairy-free sour cream and almond milk mixed with a little apple cider vinegar. You can also use vegan butter in the frosting.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake from Scratch
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, coconut oil, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-high speed until totally combined.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in 3 additions. Mixing after each addition.
- Slowly pour in the hot water. Mix on medium for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides once until smooth and incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Ingredients for the Chocolate Buttercream
The chocolate frosting is rich and fluffy and made with pantry staples. Here are a few notes on the key ingredients:
- Cocoa powder: You can use any kind of cocoa powder. I usually use Hershey’s but Dutch-processed will work as well. It will make for a richer frosting.
- Almond extract: This is the secret ingredient! I think it really makes the cake. A little almond extract compliments the rich chocolate flavors so well.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter in frosting. That little bit of salt cuts through the sweetness.
Almond extract is the secret ingredient for the chocolate frosting! Just a little gives the cake an unmistakable gourmet flavor.
Make the Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cocoa powder. Mix to smooth any lumps.
- Add the butter and mix until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low until incorporated.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
- Top the cooled cake with the frosting. Swirl and spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Storage Tips
Store any leftover cake covered tightly with plastic wrap at room temperature. The cake will stay good for up to 2 days.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try it be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake {Easy Sheet Cake}
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Other:
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup oil, vegetable, canola or coconut oil will work (melted if using coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot water
For the Frosting:
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream or milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, coconut oil, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-high speed until totally combined.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in 3 additions. Mixing after each addition. Slowly pour in the hot water. Mix on medium for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides once until smooth and incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cocoa powder. Mix to smooth any lumps. Add the butter and mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
- Top the cooled cake with the frosting. Swirl and spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- A high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: I like to use gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. It works best to use a blend that contains xanthan gum in this recipe.
- Oil: I prefer to use oil for this cake rather than butter. Oil allows for a light, moist crumb that doesn’t clump up as it tends too with butter.
- Buttermilk: This chocolate cake requires the moisture and acidity from buttermilk.
- Sour cream: Using part sour cream in place of what would usually be more buttermilk gives this cake stability. It also gives it a delicious flavor and richness!
- Hot water: Hot water allows the cocoa powder to absorb and the batter to hydrate properly. It also enhances the cocoa powders flavor!
- Cocoa powder: You can use any kind of cocoa powder. I usually use Hershey’s but Dutch-processed will work as well. It will make for a richer frosting.
- Almond extract: This is the secret ingredient! I think it really makes the cake. A little almond extract compliments the rich chocolate flavors so well.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter in frosting. That little bit of salt cuts through the sweetness.
- Use Kite Hill dairy-free sour cream in place of the sour cream.
- Use ½ cup almond milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar in place of the buttermilk.
- Use vegan butter in the frosting.
Chris says
This is crazy good cake. Never would I have guessed it was GF. The frosting is a dream!
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad it turned out for you! Glad you liked the frosting 😉
Marcia says
Easy to make! Appreciate that it uses basic ingredients that most have at home.
I almost over baked it but it was still moist!
You mentioned 1/2 cup hot water but didn’t’ see in the instruction what to do with it so I just added it to the liquids.
Melissa says
Another family favorite! I’ve made this a bunch and everyone always loves it! Thanks for all these recipes!
Marcela says
Great flavor, my go-to chocolate cake!
Lesliw says
Taste and texture are the same as eating a Tasty cake chocolate cupcake!,!!!!
Love it
Christen says
Can this recipe be done as cupcakes?
Erin Collins says
That’s a great question! I haven’t tried that yet myself. I do want to develop a gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe though and would probably start with this batter. I think it will work but can’t say for sure!
JoEllen Travis says
Erin, Greetings!
I made this Chocolate Cake w/Buttercream Frosting when all my family gathered recently. I’m the only one in the family with a wheat allergy so I must go gluten free. Everyone raved about it-it surely was a hit!! Thanks to you we had a cake to celebrate all our families birthday’s with (Because of Covid, we couldn’t separately celebrate them, so we celebrated everyone’s birthdays together, all at once!) Thanks always for your fantastic recipes!
Erin Collins says
Hi JoEllen! I’m so happy to hear you liked the cake! Glad it could make a covid birthday a little more special. Thanks for comment 🙂
Maria says
This is the BEST chocolate cake! So decadent but perfectly sweet. It is surprisingly simple to make and truly is amazing!
Lindsay says
Can this be made in 8 or 9 inch rounds ?
Erin Collins says
Yes! This recipe works great with 2 9-inch rounds as well. Just decrease the bake time by 5-10 minutes 🙂
Sarah says
This was the best gluten-free cake recipe I have tried in the 9 years I’ve been gluten-free (and I have tried a lot)! Even my non-Celiac family loved it and was amazed it was gluten-free. My mom kept saying how light and moist it was. Thank you so much for sharing. This will be my new go-to cake recipe. My husband also commented we should start having cake a lot more often, not just at birthdays. 😉
Erin Collins says
I’m so happy the cake turned out for you! That is great to hear. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Barbara says
I’m allergic to eggs. Would an egg replacer work?
Thanks
Erin Collins says
I haven’t tried this myself so I can’t say for sure. Sorry about that!
Paola says
Barbara, did you try it? I’m going to give it a go and will post here if it works out.
Carol says
Oh, my goodness!! I just made the chocolate cake with the chocolate buttercream frosting!! I could be persuaded to start with dessert tonight! I have a feeling this is going to become a family favorite. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. Thank you so much!
Erin Collins says
I’m so happy it turned out for you! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Elizabeth says
This cake looks great. I don’t have an electric mixer. Would stirring it by hand work? Or a hand-crank egg beater?
Erin Collins says
An electric mixer will work great!