Gluten-Free Chocolate Fudge Cake
This rich, one bowl, chocolate cake has been my go-to recipe for years. It originally came from the back of the Hershey's Cocoa Powder box, but I've adapted it to be gluten-free. I think you'll find this cake to be the one you've been looking for. Please leave a comment and star rating below! Your feedback matters - thank you! For those who prefer to cook with weight instead of cups – click the button below to toggle to metric.
Equipment
- 2, 8-inch cake pans
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1¾ cups Cup4Cup (other light gluten-free flour blend)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit of your blend has it)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten, room temperature)
- 1 cup whole milk (or milk substitute of your choice)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee (or hot water)
For the Frosting
- ½ cup butter (or dairy free stick butter substitute of your choice, melted and cooled slightly)
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- ⅓ cup whole milk (or milk substitute of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch cake pans with gluten-free cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, flour, xanthan (if using), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Carefully whisk in the hot coffee or water. The batter will be runny.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling completely.
- Make the frosting. Whisk the melted butter into the cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Alternate adding the sugar with the milk while beating until the frosting is smooth and glossy and a spreadable consistency. If the frosting seems too thick, add a splash of additional milk. If it seems too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Frost the cooled cakes as desired.
Notes
Can this be made dairy free?
Absolutely - just substitute your favorite non-dairy milk in both the batter and the frosting, and use your favorite non-dairy buttery stick to replace the butter in the frosting.Extra tips:
Cakes are always easier to frost if they are very cold. When I make this cake I bake the cake, let it cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic and freeze until solid. When ready to frost, remove the cake from the freezer and frost completely. Cake will defrost relatively quickly, about an hour or so, at room temperature.Can this cake be frozen?
See above! If you want to make this cake in advance of your celebration, you can decorate it then freeze it until solid, THEN wrap with plastic. It'll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. On the day of your event, remove cake from freezer, unwrap and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour.Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 537kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 8gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 471mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 6gSugar: 78gVitamin A: 142IUCalcium: 111mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!