Erin’s Recipe Rundown

Texture: Moist, tender crumb topped with fluffy, creamy frosting.

Taste: Rich chocolate cake and decadent frosting made with a secret ingredient to take it to the next level!

Ease: Beginner-friendly, reliable sheet cake.

Top Tip: Using hot water blooms the cocoa powder for bakery-quality chocolate cake. You can also use hot coffee!

Recommended GF Flour: Use a high-quality flour that contains xanthan gum. Both King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour work well in this one.

Would I make these again? Absolutely! I’ve made this easy gluten-free chocolate cake more times than I can count and nobody ever guesses it’s gluten-free — perfect for any celebration!

xoxo erin

a piece of chocolate cake on a plate with one bite on a fork.
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Featured Comment

From Rosalie: “This cake is the BEST!! Haven’t had a chocolate cake in years because I had tried recipes and mixes I wasn’t happy with. I was recently craving good old-fashioned chocolate cake and am so happy I tried this recipe! I looked at many recipes until I chose this one. My non-celiac husband said he couldn’t even tell it was GF.”

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free chocolate cake. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

chocolate cake ingredients measured and labeled.
  • Gluten-free flour: It’s important to use a gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I like to use King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
  • Oil: I prefer to use oil since butter often causes it to clump up. The smoothness of the oil helps to create a light, moist crumb.
  • Buttermilk/sour cream: Chocolate cake can easily become dry, but this combo adds extra moisture, stability and lift for a tender cake. Plus they ensure rich, indulgent flavor!
  • Hot water: Hot water (or coffee) allows the cocoa powder to absorb and the batter to hydrate. This deepens the flavor and creates a smooth batter for the perfect texture!
chocolate frosting ingredients measured and labeled.
  • Cocoa powder: You can use any kind of cocoa powder. I usually use Hershey’s, but Dutch-processed or natural cocoa powder can be used for a richer frosting.
  • Heavy cream or milk: Both loosen the frosting to make it smooth and spreadable. I recommend heavy cream for a fluffier, more luxurious topping.
  • Almond extract: This is the secret ingredient! It elevates the frosting’s flavor and depth creating truly decadent frosting.

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!

steps for making the chocolate cake.

Two bowls are all you need for this simple recipe! In one combine all of the dry ingredients, in the other add all of the wet ingredients (except the hot water). I like to use a stand mixer to beat the wet ingredients, but a hand mixer will work too!

While you have the mixer running, slowly add the dry mix in 3 phases, mixing after each addition. Slowly add the hot water and continue to mix (2-3 minutes), scraping the bowl’s sides along the way.

You’ll know it’s ready to bake when it looks smooth and incorporated. Bake (35-40 minutes) until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting!

steps for making the chocolate frosting.

Use the stand mixer (or hand mixer) to prep the frosting. Beat the butter on medium-high until creamy (2 minutes), then add 3 cups of powdered sugar, plus the other ingredients. Whip the frosting until fluffy, starting on low (30 seconds), then medium-high (2 minutes).

You want it to be a spreadable consistency. If it seems too thick, you can always add more cream/milk. Too thin? Add a little more powdered sugar. Frost the cooled cake and enjoy!

sliced chocolate cake in the pan with one piece missing and another on the spatula.
a piece of chocolate cake with frosting and sprinkles on a plate with a fork.
4.99 from 56 votes

Easy, Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake (9×13!)

Author Erin Collins
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 servings
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.
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Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Other

  • 1¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) neutral oil
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120g) sour cream at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) hot water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • ½ cup (113g) butter at room temperature
  • 3-4 cups (360-480g) powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup (27g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream or milk of choice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • pinch of kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat together sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla on medium-high speed until well-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 speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through, 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.
  • For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups powdered sugar along with the cocoa powder, cream/milk, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and whip for a full 2 minutes.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add a little more cream/milk. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar to get a spreadable consistency. Frost the cake as desired.

Notes

Gluten-Free: Use a high-quality gluten-free flour that contains xanthan gum. I like King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free sour cream in place of the regular. Combine 1/2 cup of unsweetened dairy-free milk with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to replace the buttermilk. Use dairy-free butter and milk in the frosting.
Nut-free: Omit the almond extract.
To Make-Ahead: The unfrosted cake can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature. The frosting can also be prepped up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. 
To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge.
To Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then store in foil or a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (of 12 pieces) | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg

This post was originally published in January 2021. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2025.

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Hi, I'm Erin!

BS Food Science,

MS Nutrition

I believe you can make amazing, gluten-free food with everyday ingredients that everyone will enjoy. I'm here to share my tried-and-true recipes with you!

Read about Erin

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Comments

  1. Such an amazing cake. I used hot coffee instead of hot water to up the chocolate flavor. No one knew it was gluten free. This goes to the top of my list for a chocolate cake.

    Reply

  2. Hi I am wanting to make this into a Black Forest cake and was wondering how many 8×8 circular cake pans this would make?

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Another family favorite! I’ve made this a bunch and everyone always loves it! Thanks for all these recipes!

    Reply

    1. 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!

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

    1. 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 🙂

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    This is the BEST chocolate cake! So decadent but perfectly sweet. It is surprisingly simple to make and truly is amazing!

    Reply

    1. Yes! This recipe works great with 2 9-inch rounds as well. Just decrease the bake time by 5-10 minutes 🙂

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    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. 😉

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  15. This cake looks great. I don’t have an electric mixer. Would stirring it by hand work? Or a hand-crank egg beater?

    Reply
4.99 from 56 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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