Moist Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
This moist gluten free dairy free chocolate cake is two tender cocoa layers made with homemade dairy-free buttermilk and covered in vegan chocolate buttercream. I tested it three times before it earned a spot on the blog.
Every time I cut into this cake I turn into the kid from Matilda. The giant chocolate cake, the whole assembly hall cheering, one boy working his way through the entire thing. That’s me with this cake and a fork, going back for one more sliver until the sliver is a slice.
This gluten free dairy free chocolate cake is a two-layer cocoa cake made with a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend, vegan butter, and dairy-free buttermilk, then frosted with vegan chocolate buttercream. There’s no dairy in the cake or the frosting, and the layers bake in 30 to 34 minutes.
I tested this recipe three separate times to get the crumb where I wanted it, soft and fudgy and deeply chocolatey, and it still shocks me how good it is for how little work it takes. It’s my emergency chocolate cake for birthdays, last-minute visitors, and urgent Friday night chocolate cravings.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For the Cake
- Soy or almond milk: stirred together with vinegar, this becomes your dairy-free buttermilk. Any dairy-free milk works, and so does regular milk if you don’t need the cake dairy-free.
- White vinegar or apple cider vinegar: the acid that thickens the milk into buttermilk.
- Vegan butter: goes into both the cake and the frosting to keep the whole thing dairy-free. Regular butter works if dairy isn’t an issue for you.
- White sugar: swap in coconut sugar if you want it a little less sweet.
- Eggs: give the layers enough structure to stack without crumbling.
- Vanilla extract: rounds out the chocolate.
- Gluten free all-purpose flour: your blend needs xanthan gum in it. My full flour notes are in the FAQ below.
- Natural cocoa powder: this is the entire flavor of the cake, so use a good one.
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt: you need both leaveners. Homemade gluten free cakes never puff up like a boxed mix, and using both gets you the most rise.
- Boiling water: thins the batter and blooms the cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor. The key to a moist gluten free chocolate cake is a thin batter, and this is how you get it.
For the Frosting
The buttercream uses the same vegan butter, dairy-free milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder as the cake, plus:
- Powdered sugar (icing sugar): sweetens the buttercream and thickens it to a spreadable texture.
- Toppings (optional): fresh raspberries, dark chocolate chips, or extra melted chocolate.
How to Make Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Make the Cake
- Make the vegan buttermilk by stirring the vinegar into the dairy-free milk and let it sit while you prep. It’ll thicken and look a little curdled, which means it worked.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Beat the vegan butter with a hand or stand mixer, then beat in the sugar. 4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a separate bowl. Cocoa ALWAYS has lumps, and nobody wants a pocket of dry cocoa in their slice.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Pour in the boiling water and mix. The batter will look way too runny. Don’t panic, and don’t add more flour.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 34 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Let the layers cool COMPLETELY on a wire rack. Even slightly warm cake will melt your buttercream.
Make the Frosting
- Beat the vegan butter until creamy.
- Beat in a splash of the dairy-free milk, then the powdered sugar one cup at a time, then the vanilla.
- Beat in the cocoa powder. If it’s too stiff to spread, add the rest of the milk. I used all of it in mine.
Frost the Cake
- Set the first layer on a cake stand and frost the top. Be generous, because this is your middle layer.
- Stack the second layer on top, centered, and spread a thin crumb coat over the top and sides. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Finish frosting the cake. The crumb coat locks every crumb in place, and it’s a beautiful crumb-free thing.
Tips for the Moistest Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Spoon and level the flour. Scooping straight from the bag packs it down and can add up to 25% more flour than the recipe needs. Extra flour is the fastest way to a dry gluten free cake.
- Don’t skip the buttermilk. It’s what gives the crumb that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Don’t overbake. Overbaking is the #1 way to lose that fudgy crumb, and underbaking makes the middle sink
- Give the layers a quick trip to the freezer before frosting. They cool faster, firm up, and shed way fewer crumbs when you frost.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake FAQ
Is this chocolate cake dairy-free and vegan?
It’s dairy-free, with vegan butter and dairy-free milk in both the cake and the buttercream. It isn’t vegan, because the cake uses eggs.
What’s the best gluten free flour for chocolate cake?
A 1-to-1 gluten free all-purpose blend that already contains xanthan gum. I bake this with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour in the blue bag. King Arthur Measure for Measure works too since it has xanthan gum built in. Skip almond flour and coconut flour here, because neither gives you this texture.
Can I use regular all-purpose flour instead?
Yes. If you don’t need the cake gluten free, regular all-purpose flour works in place of the gluten free blend.
Can I make this cake egg-free?
I haven’t tested it with egg substitutes, so I can’t promise how it turns out. For an egg-free chocolate fix, my Healthy Homemade Twix Bars and Homemade Snickers Bars are both vegan and gluten free.
Can I turn this into a flourless chocolate cake?
No. The texture depends on the flour blend, so this recipe won’t work flourless.
Can I make this cake ahead or freeze it?
Yes, and the frosting can be made ahead too. Cool the layers completely, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and freeze them in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge and frost once they’re fully thawed.
Moist Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 cup soy milk or almond milk
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup hot water boiling
For the frosting
- 1 ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup soy or almond milk +1/8 cup to add if needed
- 4 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Make your buttermilk by combining the non dairy milk with the vinegar. Set aside to let thicken.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8 inch cake pans.
- In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter with a hand or stand mixer. Cream in the white sugar and continue beating. Then add in eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be thin – this will create a moist cake.
- Pour batter evenly into each pan. Will be just under 2 3/4 cup batter in each pan. Bake for 30-34 minutes, watching the cake carefully so it doesn’t over bake.
- To check if it’s fully cooked, quickly open the oven door and insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done.
- Allow cake to FULLY cool before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl cream the vegan butter using a hand or stand mixer. Add in 1/4 cup dairy free milk, the icing sugar one cup at a time and the vanilla slowly. Then add the cocoa powder. If icing is too thick, add the remaining 1/8 cup milk. I used all the milk in my frosting.
- Place the first cake down on a cake stand or plate and frost the top. This will be the middle layer of frosting – be generous!
- Place the second cake on top of the first cake, ensuring it’s completely centered. Apply a very thin layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake (this will be your “crumb coat”). This acts as a glue so the cake crumbs do not come off while you are applying the thick layer of frosting. Place in fridge for 20 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator and continue icing the cake as you normally would and count on your trusty crumb coat to keep your cake surface from getting into your frosting. It’s a beautiful crumb-free thing. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.
More Treats to Bake Next
- Gluten Free Chocolate Glazed Donuts (Tim Hortons Copycat)
- Gluten and Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins
- 43 Gluten Free Christmas Desserts (Dairy-Free Options)
If you bake this, leave a star rating and a comment below. It helps other gluten free bakers find the recipe, and it tells me which birthday it showed up at. Tag @basicswithbails or #basicswithbails on Instagram or Pinterest so I can see your slice.
About Bailey
I love to bake, cook, exercise, and document all of the above. Nutrition is not low fat. It is not low calorie. It’s not feeling deprived or being hungry all the time. It’s nourishing your body with real, whole foods so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live your life to the fullest! Read more…
Can I use all purpose flour instead ?
Hi Soujanya! Yes absolutely you can use all purpose flour! 🙂