If you love chocolate, this gluten free devil's food cake recipe will be for you! This cake is made the old-fashioned way from my Grandma's delicious recipe. It has rich dark chocolate flavors are in every bite you take of this gluten free devil's food cake.
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Today is all about chocolate cravings. As I was going through my family's antique recipe cards, it was really hard to figure out what to make next.
When I saw this devil's food chocolate cake recipe in my grandmother's recipe box, I knew I needed to convert this recipe to gluten free asap just in case my readers love chocolate as much as my family.
Devil's food cake is a moist, rich chocolate cake. If you love angel food cake, this would be the chocolate version of that cake. This gluten free version of devil's food cake is dense, and rich, and would be delicious by itself, or smothered in a rich chocolate frosting.
If you prefer a slow-cooked version, try this incredible Gluten Free Crock Pot Lava Cake.
Why Make This Cake:
- You will also notice this gluten free chocolate cake has a darker color than many gluten free chocolate cake recipes. This recipe has extra baking soda, which changes the pH level of this cake, making it a deeper dark brown color.
- This gluten free cake recipe can make a sheet cake, a layered cake, or cupcakes!
- This cake as incredible chocolate flavor. It is a chocoholic's dream cake!
If you love chocolate as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious gluten free chocolate recipes.
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
I love how this card is noted: "Never Fails". If you are a chocoholic, or just love chocolate cake, this easy gluten free chocolate cake recipe is going to become one of your favorites!!
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure. Other blends should work, but you may need to add more liquid depending on the starch level of the blend you use.
- Xanthan Gum - If your blend doesn't have xanthan or guar gum, add one teaspoon.
- Brown Sugar - Be sure to break up the clumps. Use a brand that is gluten free to avoid cross-contamination.
- Cocoa Powder - There are several great brands, and I like to use Anthony's. Sift it if your cocoa has a lot of lumps.
- Baking Soda - This helps the cake get that dark brown color.
- Milk or Non-Dairy Milk - Either will work in this recipe.
- Butter - I recommend unsalted butter.
- Eggs - Size large.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract.
When you make this cake, you will find it is a moist chocolate cake that is still light and airy. I created another delicious Gluten Free Chocolate Layer Cake that is beautiful for a party.
As you can see, this cake has all of the delicious devil's food cake traits, it is moist and rich!
Variations:
- Make this cake in a round baking pan and you have an amazing gluten free birthday cake!
- It also makes a delicious gluten free sheet cake. All you would need is the frosting! It would be perfect for a kid's birthday party.
- Knowing my kids, they would want a cupcake version of this so they can pile on the frosting :-).
- Add chocolate chips and or nuts.
If you want to try more recipes with this cocoa, give these Gluten Free Chocolate Donuts or this delicious Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes recipe a try!
If you are new to cake baking, here is a good write-up of my favorite Kitchen Tools For Baking Cakes.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
This cake is a little different from your typical cake recipe because the cake is made from the chocolate custard. You want to make the chocolate custard first and allow it to cool a little bit. This is what makes the cake so moist and chocolaty!
Step 1: This gluten free chocolate cake is so easy to make! The first step is to make the chocolate custard in a saucepan. Add the chocolate custard ingredients to the saucepan and melt everything together and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk to prevent burning.
In the old days, this cake was made with unsweetened chocolate baking squares. Times have changed over the years and many more devil's food cake recipes are made with unsweetened cocoa powder now.
Step 2: Mix in the chocolate custard, and the remaining wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Avoid heavy starchy flour blends or blends with bean flour. If your blend doesn't include Xanthan Gum, add 1 teaspoon to your blend.
Step 3: You can see the batter is just right (sorry for the meh picture!) Bake the cake in this 8x8 pan, it is a perfect size, unless you prefer to make a cute little-layered gluten free birthday cake! Then you would want these layer cake pans.
Step 4: Bake your cake at 350º F for 30-45 minutes. That is a big range, but it really depends on the size pan you use.
I like to use what I call the toothpick test for checking to see if my cake is done. Insert a toothpick into the middle of your cake. If the toothpick comes back clean, your cake is finished baking. If there are crumbs or batter on your toothpick, you need to bake it longer.
Are you ready to take a bite? I love how this forkful of cake looks like a heart!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
There are a lot of great high-quality gluten free cocoa powders out there. I tend to use this organic cocoa powder because it has great flavor. I also like Rodelle and Ghirardelli.
You can easily make this cake dairy free by using vegan butter.
I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
These gluten free devil's food cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Gluten Free Chocolate Desserts:
- How fun are these Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Pops? Everyone will love decorating them.
- This Dark Chocolate Custard makes a wonderful chocolate dessert that is thick and creamy.
- A Gluten Free Chocolate Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect for a birthday cake, or use the batter to make cupcakes!
- Bananas and chocolate go perfectly together in this easy Gluten Free Chunky Monkey Donuts recipe.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake
Ingredients
Custard
- ¾ cup cocoa powder * see note
- ½ cup almond milk * see note
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
Cake
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Spray coconut oil in an 8x8 baking pan.
- In a saucepan, add custard ingredients and cook over low heat. Allow to bubble gently, then remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, add all cake dry ingredients. Sift together.
- Add wet ingredients to custard and whisk to blend.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake 30-45 minutes until done. *see notes
Notes
- Baking time really will vary by pan size, if you are making sheet cake, thinner layer cakes, or cupcakes with this batter.
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- There are several great gluten free cocoa powder brands I like to use. Ghirardelli, Rhodelle, Anthony's, and Hershey.
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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(*This post was updated from an older September 2018 post when it appeared on my old blog Grandma's Gluten Free Recipes. I moved it over to this blog when I merged my two sites.)
Ronna
Hi,
In your gluten free chocolate cake, I’ll have to use almond flour instead of the gluten free flours you’ve tested.
Any tips for me to do that?
Thanks so much.
Sandi Gaertner
Unfortunately, almond flour, by itself isn't going to work. It doesn't absorb moisture in the same way as gluten free flour. I would recommend looking for a different recipe as mine won't work with only almond flour.
Laura
Great chocolate flavor! I made them as cupcakes, turned out little dense and dry. I will try them again, maybe need more liquid?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Laura, I am so glad you love the flavor. As for the dense and dry, you will definitely want to add more liquid. Every gluten free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio and some blends need more liquid. Which did you use? If you click on my Resources section in my blog menu, you will see I have a cake troubleshooting guide, and also a gf flour blend guide that talks more about the flour blends.