Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cake

This super rich and decadent gluten-free dark chocolate cake is such a luxurious bake. Its moist, tender crumb has a bittersweet flavor. It is covered in a fudgy, rich dark chocolate ganache and topped with elegant chocolate curls.

A slice of this cake is any dark chocolate lover's dream and can be heated slightly to make a gooey gluten free chocolate fudge cake perfect for serving with a scoop of ice cream. It's like a sophisticated Matilda cake.

Recipe Development

When recipe testing this gluten free dark chocolate cake I used my chocolate crunch cake as a base and scaled the ingredients to make it a 4 layer cake.

I also used buttermilk to add a slightly tangy flavor that balances out the flavors and helps keep the cake moist. I have tested the recipe using whole milk and it also works well.

I wanted to increase the chocolate flavors, so I added coffee. Although it doesn't make the cake taste like coffee, it helps deepen those intense chocolate flavors.

📋 Ingredients Notes

• Gluten free All Purpose Flour - I used a shop bought Gluten free Plain flour blend from Doves Farm Freee from range. Which is a flour blend of Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize and Buckwheat flour. I have had reports that others have used Bob’s Red Mill and other Gluten free All purpose blends with my recipes that have worked well.
• Sugar - Gives moisture, and adds sweetness to the cake. I used white sugar in the chocolate cake and light brown sugar in the dark chocolate ganache which adds a subtle sweetness that will balance out the bitterness of the dark chocolate.
• Cocoa Powder - Use good quality unsweetened cocoa powder. I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder that adds a smooth chocolate flavor with a deep rich color.
• Salt - Adding salt to the cake and ganache will enhance the flavors.
• Coffee - Not only will this add moisture to the cake, but it will also enhance the chocolate flavor without the coffee flavor being noticeable. I used instant expresso powder. You can use your preferred coffee if you do not have expresso powder available.
• Butter - Use good quality unsalted butter.
• Buttermilk - This will also add moisture to the cake and will help intensify the chocolate flavor. I like to take the buttermilk out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before making the cake to allow the milk to come to room temperature. If you don't have buttermilk just substitute for regular whole milk.
• Heavy Cream - Using heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or double cream is essential when making chocolate ganache. The fat content in the cream will result in the correct texture as the higher fat content helps emulsify the ganache binding the chocolate and cream together into a smooth silky frosting that is stable.
• Dark Chocolate - Be sure to use dark chocolate that has a minimum of 54% cocoa solids. I used dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids. Always check that the chocolate is gluten free as some brands may contain gluten.

See the recipe card below for full ingredients & measurements.

⚡ Substitutions & Variations

🥣 Step by Step Instructions

Below is a brief step-by-step process with photos of how to make a gluten-free dark chocolate cake.

See the recipe card below for more detailed recipe instructions.

Make the Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cake

Step 1:Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line the bottom of the 4 baking pans with parchment paper.

Melt the butter, In a separate bowl or jug mix coffee with hot water and set both aside to allow them to cool.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl.

Step 2: Mix the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted butter, in a small bowl.

Tip: Be sure to check that the melted butter has cooled down as you don't want the eggs to start cooking when added to hot butter.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients into the larger bowl that contains the dry ingredient mix.

Step 4: Pour in the coffee a little at a time and mix well until fully incorporated.

Step 5: Once the dark chocolate cake batter is fully mixed divide the chocolate cake batter evenly between the 4 baking pans.

Step 6: Place in the oven and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. Insert a skewer into a cake. If it comes out clean it's ready if not leave it in slightly longer. (Times may vary slightly depending on the oven). Transfer to a cooling rack. Carefully remove from the tins once slightly cooled as the cake will be delicate to handle while it is still hot.

Tip: I like to weigh each of the baking pans to check that the cake batter is evenly divided.

Make the Dark Chocolate Ganache

Step 7: Make the ganache while the cakes are baking and cooling.

Chop the chocolate up and place it in a large bowl.

Step 8: Pour cream, sugar, and salt into a non-stick saucepan and heat on medium-high heat until the cream is hot stirring continuously. DO NOT bring the cream to a boil.

Step 9: Carefully pour the hot cream into the bowl with the chopped chocolate and leave it to sit for 3-4 minutes. This will allow the hot cream to begin to melt the chocolate.

Stir the melted chocolate and cream together until fully combined, smooth, and free of any lumps.

Step 10: Leave the chocolate ganache to cool completely and then cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until it is thick enough that it will hold its shape and is not too runny.

Tip: If there are still small lumps that have not melted you can place the ganache in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until the chocolate has fully melted.

Assemble the Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cake

Step 11: Once the cakes have fully cooled using a serrated knife or cake leveler trim off any domes and make the cakes straight and even. I find placing the cakes in the fridge for 30 minutes before trimming makes the cakes firmer and easier to handle.

If you have a bit of chocolate cake trimmings you can use it to make a few gluten free cake pops.

Step 12: Use half of the ganache and divide evenly between the cake layers and spread with an offset spatula, layering the cake carefully. Place the top cake layer bottom side up for a clean straight finish.

Step 13: Use the remaining half of the ganache to cover the side of the cake. Use a cake scraper for the sides and the offset spatula for the top to create a smooth finish.

Step 14: Decorate the top of the cake with the chocolate curls. You can use some chocolate ganache to help secure them in place if preferred. See the recipe card below for how to make chocolate curls.