Best gluten free chocolate cake recipe
Hi there! With the weather having been slightly underwhelming of late, our thoughts have turned to comfort bakes. What could be cosier, as the rain clouds gather, to retreat to the kitchen and get stuck into baking a properly indulgent chocolate cake?
Here we share our simple recipe for a flourless, squidgey gluten free chocolate cake which is both velvety smooth and moist. You can serve it undecorated or topped with a naughty but nice ganache. No icing skills required. Promise!
Enjoy as an afternoon tea treat or try serving as dessert with a scoop of West Country ice cream. After the year we’ve all had, now is the perfect time to enjoy delicious home made treats with loved ones.
We’ve included plant based ingredients if you need to make this cake dairy free.
This recipe is an adaptation of our ‘A Very Chocolatey Cake’ recipe featured in our first book, Honeybuns Gluten-free Baking.
Can I make this cake nut free?
To make this a nut free cake, just swap out the ground almonds and replace with 100g sorghum flour. For more information on this super versatile, gluten free ingredient check out our Ingredients blog. Or any gluten free flour blend will work. Keep the 60g of ground linseed/flax unaltered as these provide natural oil to keep your cake moist.
Can I make this dairy free?
If you are making this dairy free, we recommend using refined coconut oil to replace the butter. Reasons being, this oil lends a rich, buttery quality to cakes. Some other dairy free alternatives taste a bit thin and watery. Refined coconut oil does not have a coconut flavour so can be used in pretty much any mix, sweet or savoury. The only thing to bear in mind is that it has a low melting point so either eat your cake up quickly (no hardship!) or keep in a cool place.
Rapeseed oil is another good dairy free oil for baking. You can buy British. Try Fussells and it’s neutral in flavour.
What can I use instead of flax?
If you prefer you can use Linwoods blended seed mixes instead of the flax. We really like the pumpkin, sunflower and flax blend. It’s packed full of good natural oils and is highly nutritious as well as tasting nutty without the allergen issues.
How do I store this cake?
This cake and topping can be frozen. You can also keep it in a cool place, ideally in a cake tin for up to 5 days.
How can I decorate this cake?
For a wow factor dessert or tea time treat, try topping with chocolate covered espresso beans and edible gold leaf.
So let’s get baking…
FREE FROM
Gluten free / Wheat free
MAKES
One 23cm diameter cake
GLUTEN FREE INGREDIENTS
- 150g butter, plus extra, melted, for brushing (for dairy free use vegetable oil)
- 200g dark, gluten free chocolate, chopped (dairy free dark chocolate is widely available)
- 5 free range eggs
- 200g granulated sugar (coconut, light brown, white all work fine)
- 1tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 100g ground almonds
- 60g ground linseeds (aka flax)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 100g milk chocolate, cut into chunks (for dairy free add more of the dark chocolate)
FOR THE OPTIONAL GANACHE TOPPING
- 50g butter (or dairy free equivalent, we like Pure)
- 100g dark chocolate, cut into chunks
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO BAKING YOUR CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / gas mark 4. Line a 23cm round springform tin (or a 30cm x 23cm x 4cm baking tin) with baking parchment, then brush with melted butter or vegetable oil.
- Melt the butter/dairy free equivalent with the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth.
- Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, then add the sugar, baking powder, almonds, linseeds and vanilla. Pour in the chocolate mixture. Beat at medium speed until creamy, then fold in the milk (or your dark) chocolate chunks with a spatula.
- Pour the mixture into the tin and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes (20-25 if using a rectangular tin), then check and cover the top with baking parchment if the cake needs further cooking. When ready, the cake should spring back when pressed gently with your fingertips.
- Remove from the oven, and leave to cool in the tin on a rack for 1 hour.
- Turn the cake out on to a rack and peel off the parchment.
TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
- For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter as before, stirring until smooth.
- Spread the chocolate mix over the cake with a palette knife.
- Leave to set for 2 hours.
I really hope you enjoy this super simple gluten free recipe. Do let us know how you get on.
For more top tips on gluten free baking take a look Under the bonnet of our gluten free Chocolate Orange Brownie with recipe too! And take a read of our guide to baking with chocolate.
If time is too short for baking or if you’d like to send someone a gorgeous surprise in the post then the Honeybuns Honeybuns online shop is full to bursting with chocolate gluten free , dairy free and vegan treats.
Our Milk Chocolate Brownie and vegan Dark Chocolate Brownie are best sellers week in week out. Discover what all the fuss is about and treat yourself- you’ll be helping a small independent business at the same time!
We’d love to hear how you get on. If you have any questions- do get in touch via this blog in the comments section or facebook, email or telephone. We’d love to see you pics.
Emx
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