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    Home » Cakes » Chocolate Sprinkle Cake

    Chocolate Sprinkle Cake

    Published: Jul 16, 2022 by Amanda · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    This Chocolate Sprinkle Cake is so easy to make and is perfect for parties or taking along to family gatherings. With a deliciously moist chocolate sponge topped with smooth chocolate buttercream and decorated with a generous amount of sprinkles!

    chocolate sprinkle cake sliced into squares on a white background.

    When developing this recipe my daughter who is my main baking assistant suggested we make a chocolate version of my gluten free traybake. We settled on making a old school chocolate tray bake.

    This chocolate sprinkle cake is so easy to make it is perfect for getting the kids involved and having some fun in the kitchen. Although that means they usually get to lick the remains of the buttercream in the bowl!

    If like me you are obsessed with all things chocolate then you also need to try my gluten free dark chocolate cake, chocolate crumb cake, gluten free chocolate cupcakes, pear and chocolate cake, and gluten free chocolate layer cake. They definitely won't disappoint.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    labeled ingredients for chocolate sprinkle cake.
    • Gluten free all purpose flour  - Most gluten free all purpose flour blends or 1.1 baking flours will work well with this recipe. See baking tips below for the flour blend I used when making this chocolate cake with sprinkles.
    • Sugar - Makes the cake light, gives moisture, and adds sweetness to the cake.
    • Cocoa powder - Use a good quality cocoa powder as it will make all the difference in the outcome of the flavor of the chocolate tray bake.
    • Baking powder & Baking soda - AKA bicarbonate of soda. Acts as a leavening and rising agent by reacting to heat. Make the cake light and rise well. Always use gluten free baking powder, see is baking powder gluten free for more information.
    • Xanthan Gum - You can omit it if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum.
    • Salt - Helps balance out the flavors of the chocolate.
    • Butter - I find it easy to melt butter in the microwave.
    • Eggs - Room temperature
    • Whole milk - I like to take the milk out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before making the cake to allow the milk to come to room temperature.
    • Hot water - Don't skip this step as adding hot water will add moisture to the chocolate cake and prevent it from becoming too dry.
    • Heavy cream - AKA Double cream or whipping cream.
    • Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor of the buttercream.
    • Sprinkles - We can't forget the sprinkles as it wouldn't be chocolate sprinkle cake without them! I used chocolate sprinkles but you can use your preferred colored sprinkles. Some Sprinkles may contain gluten so always read the labels to ensure that the sprinkles are gluten free.

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Variations

    • Rainbow sprinkle cake - To make a fun and bright cake, Use rainbow sprinkles to decorate.
    • Layer cake - To make a round layer cake, Divide the cake batter into two 8 inch cake tins. The cake will take approximately 20-25 minutes to bake in the oven or you can make my chocolate crunch cake and replace the crunch decorations with sprinkles.
    • Whipped chocolate ganache frosting - If you prefer ganache frosting on your chocolate traybake then you can easily replace the buttercream by using the chocolate ganache in my gluten free chocolate cupcakes recipe.

    Instructions

    dry ingredients in a clear bowl.

    1.In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt.

    chocolate cake batter in a clear bowl with a whisk.

    2. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and hot water. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients into the larger bowl that contains the dry ingredient mix and whisk until fully combined

    chocolate cake batter in a cake tin.

    3. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking tin and spread evenly within the tin. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. 

    chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream and sprinkles on a white background.

    4. Spread the buttercream using a palette knife or spatula evenly on top of the chocolate tray bake. Decorate with the sprinkles and slice the chocolate sprinkle cake into squares.

    See the recipe card for more detailed instructions.

    Equipment

    For the gluten free chocolate tray bake I used 9x13 baking tin You could use a 9x9 baking tin but will take slightly longer to bake. See above in variations if you prefer a round sprinkle cake.

    For the chocolate buttercream, I recommend using a hand-held electric beater or stand mixer. Don't worry if you don't have them as you can use a wooden spoon and hand whisk but this will require a little extra time and elbow grease.

    chocolate sheet cake sliced into even squares on a white background.

    Storage

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    If stored in the fridge then remove the chocolate sprinkle cake for at least 30 minutes to allow it to come to room temperature before serving for best results.

    Other Recipes you might like.

    • gluten free chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting with a pot of chocolate in the background
      Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
    • School dinner cake sliced into squares
      Gluten free Old School Sponge Cake
    • A slice of chocolate crumb cake on a white plate with a fork.
      Chocolate Crumb Cake
    • four gluten free chocolate pop tarts beside a small bowl of chocolate icing
      Gluten free Chocolate Pop Tarts

    📖 Recipe

    chocolate sprinkle cake sliced into squares on a white background.

    Chocolate Sprinkle Cake

    This Chocolate Sprinkle Cake is so easy to make and is perfect for parties or taking along to family gatherings. With a deliciously moist chocolate sponge topped with smooth chocolate buttercream and decorated with a generous amount of sprinkles!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cake, Dessert, party food
    Cuisine: American, British
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 Servings
    Calories: 280kcal

    Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and all information is approximate.

    Author: Amanda
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 9x13 baking tin You could use an 9x9 baking tin but will take slightly longer to bake.

    Ingredients

    Chocolate sheet cake

    • 200 grams Gluten free all purpose flour  AKA Plain flour in UK
    • 200 grams Sugar
    • 50 grams Cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking powder Some brands may have ingredients that contain gluten. Always be sure to check the label.
    • 1 teaspoon Baking soda  AKA bicarbonate of soda. Some brands may have ingredients that contain gluten. Always be sure to check the label.
    • ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum  You can omit if your flour blend already contains xanthan gum.
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 200 grams Butter  Melted, I find it easy to melt butter in the microwave.
    • 2 large  Eggs  Room temperature
    • 200 ml whole milk
    • 60 ml Hot water

    Chocolate buttercream

    • 250 grams Butter Room temperature
    • 300 grams Powdered sugar AKA Icing sugar
    • 4 tablespoon Cocoa powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • 2 tablespoon Heavy cream AKA Double cream
    • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
    • 30 g Chocolate sprinkles To decorate. Some Sprinkles may contain gluten so always read the labels to ensure that the sprinkles are gluten free.

    Instructions

    How to make the chocolate cake

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
    • Line the baking tin with parchment paper. I recommend having extra parchment paper overlap the sides of the baking tin as this will make the cake easier to remove when cooled.
    • In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
    • In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and hot water. Mix well.
    • Add the wet ingredients into the larger bowl that contains the dry ingredient mix and whisk until fully combined and resembles a smooth chocolate cake batter.
    • Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking tin and spread evenly within the tin.
    • Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. You can check if it is ready by inserting a wooden skewer and when it comes out clean it is ready to remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully removing the chocolate traybake onto a cooling rack.

    How to make chocolate buttercream

    • With an electric beater or stand mixer beat the butter until it is light and fluffy ( usually looks whiter in color).
    • Sieve powdered sugar, salt and cocoa powder into a bowl and add to the butter a few tablespoons at a time until fully combined.
    • Add cream and vanilla extract to the buttercream and beat well until it is smooth and shiny.

    Assembling the chocolate sprinkle cake.

    • Once the chocolate cake is fully cooled carefully spoon the chocolate buttercream on top of the cake.
    • Spread the buttercream using a palette knife or spatula evenly on top of the chocolate tray bake. Decorate with the sprinkles and slice into squares.
    • Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.5g | Protein: 10.3g | Fat: 14.8g | Saturated Fat: 9.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 98.4mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 17.5g

    Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is meant as a guideline and is always an approximate calculation. Recipes may include information of various products used. It is your responsibility to check that ingredients you use when making a recipe are gluten free.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @glutenfree.tranquility or tag #glutenfreetranquility!

    I hope you enjoyed this Chocolate Sprinkle Cake recipe.

    I would love your feedback.  Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below. You can also tag me in any photos taken when trying this recipe over on my Instagram.

    This Chocolate Sprinkle cake was shared with Twinkl as part of their MacMillan Coffee morning featuring a collection of delicious recipes all in support of a great cause. If you want to get involved you can check out the Twinkl coffee morning event page to read all about it and how you can support it by hosting a coffee morning.

    More Gluten free Cake Recipes

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      Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
    • Gluten free carrot loaf cake on a wooden chopping board.
      Gluten Free Carrot Loaf Cake
    • Gluten free dark chocolate cake on a wooden cake stand with a white background.
      Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cake
    • Nutella torte on a white plate with hazelnuts on top.
      Nutella Torte (Chocolate Hazelnut Cake)

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am passionate about creating gluten free versions of all the foods that I enjoy. I love sharing them with others looking for easy but delicious gluten free recipes.

    More about me →

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