This Chocolate Cake is my mom’s FAMOUS recipe and one of my all-time favorite desserts!
It’s gluten-free, super easy to make dairy-free, and the perfect amount of chocolate (there’s no such thing as too much, right??). This cake is light, airy, and has just the right amount of sweetness that makes it so drool-worthy!
Watch my full video tutorial HERE.
I’ve had requests for YEARS to share this cake recipe and I’m finally doing just that. This is seriously one of my absolute favorite cakes I have EVER had! There’s a reason it’s one of my mom’s famous recipes… you’ll be hooked from the first bite.
You really can’t go wrong with chocolate cake, it’s a classic. Whether you’re making it to celebrate someone, show off to your friends and family, or want to impress at a party, this is the only recipe you’ll need!
This recipe makes enough for two 8-inch cake pans for a layered cake. If you want to make only one layer, divide the recipe. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to make more than two layers, just double it up!
I love adding organic sprinkles to mine to add a pop of color and a bit of crunch. Some other fun add-ons you can try could be chocolate chunks, sea salt, fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries), etc. Make it as simple or as fun as you want!
What you’ll need for THE best chocolate cake:
- 1:1 gluten-free flour – Bob’s Red Mill blue bag is our favorite!
- Unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- Sugar
- Oil – we use avocado oil.
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Milk – I use homemade cashew milk. For a dairy-free option, use any milk alternative!
- Coffee – cooled.
- Baking powder & baking soda
- Salt
More cake recipes you’ll love:
- Mom’s Famous Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (gluten free)
- The Best Ever Banana Cake (gluten free, dairy free)
- Peaches and Cinnamon Mug Cake (paleo, gluten free, dairy free)
Famous Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 and generously spray 2 round cake pans.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
- In another large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients (be careful not to over-mix).
- Add milk and coffee and mix again (batter will be quite watery!)
- Pour batter into pans and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean. Let cool completely before removing from pans
This looks delicious! Will almond flour work in this recipe? It’s what I have on hand. Thanks!
Hi Lulu! Sadly I don’t think almond flour will work in this recipe in an exact 1:1 ratio because it is so different from regular GF flour. I’m sorry! 🙁
I’m curious about the recipe for the frosting!
Hi Lindsey! I used a classic chocolate buttercream frosting— 1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 5 cups powdered sugar, and a few splashes of milk (you can use regular or dairy-free milk). I know it’s not the “healthier version” but in this case, I wanted a classic chocolate cake 🙂
I made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday. The recipe was easy to follow, and it tasted so good. I used the basic buttercream recipe you included above too. It was delicious! Excited to eat more today.
I am so honored this recipe was a part of you husband’s birthday celebration! So happy you loved 🙂 thank you for the comment!
Hi there! I made this cake last night for Mother’s Day today and when taking the cakes out of the cake pans they were falling apart and the bottoms stuck to the pan. I am not sure if I will be able to stack them because they are so delicate and cracking/crumbling apart, Any ideas why ? I greased my pans and followed everything to a tea besides for using regular milk and regular coffee. Thank you <3
Hi Amanda! Oh no, I am so sorry you were having issues 🙁 hmmmm, I’m not sure why this would have happened! What kind of pans did you use?
Is it 350 Celscius?
Fareheit!!
Hello! I wanted to ask what kind of sugar should I use and if you have tried with oatmilk. Thanks
Hi! I used regular organic cane sugar 🙂 Oat milk will work — Enjoy!
I rarely bake so imagine my surprise when this cake turned out so beautifully! I baked it for my son in laws birthday (he can’t eat gluten) and everyone loved it! Best chocolate cake ever! I froze the leftover and eat a little sliver at a time. I’m diabetic and need to watch my carbs. Thanks for this awesome and easy recipe!
So special that you were able to make that for your son in law and it was a hit! Enjoy those leftovers 🤗
This cake was perfect! A true hit for my 2 year old birthday party! Thank you!
I also had issues with the caking falling apart (I made this recipe 3x now as we just love it!). I’ve used silicone pans and regular ones (round ones). I even divided in 3 pans so it would be lower, but still had the issue. Maybe I just need to leave longer in the oven?
Hi! I’m so happy you love this cake so much you keep making it 🥰 It could be falling apart because of needing a little longer in the oven and to cool/set after baking. Oven times can vary because each can bake differently so I would start checking at the 50 minute mark like the recipe says and let it keep baking for a few minutes more until the center comes out clean when you test it. It will harden when you take it out and let it cool too! Hopefully that helps 🤍
when you say 1 cup coffee, is this 1 cup of straight granules or a literal cup of coffee (with water)?🤭
Hi Veronique! That would be a brewed cup of coffee 🤗
I made this cake for my birthday and my daughter’s 30th birthday. I have Celiac Disease so I follow a gluten free diet. This was absolutely the best cake ever! Would it need refrigeration or is it okay to leave out if covered? Made the buttercream frosting as well! Thank you for all of your recipes. I love them all and enjoy making them. I plan to order your meal plan book as I’ve been diagnosed with pre diabetes. Need to start following a low sugar diet. Thank you so much!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing, I’m really glad that these recipes have been something you can look forward to and enjoy 💕 For this cake, I like to store it in the fridge to keep it fresh for longer!
This cake was INCREDIBLY delicious, moist, easy to make (no weird ingredients!), and my non-GF/DF fam couldn’t even tell the difference!
Amazing! I love to hear that your whole family enjoyed it, thanks so much for sharing Audrey 🥰