I’m planning to make a cake for my gluten-free friend’s wedding this spring. This is the catalyst behind my recent gluten free baking spree, and the inspiration for this gluten free chocolate cake recipe.

Gluten free baking is unique in a lot of ways, and really throws the rule book out when it comes to baking.

It’s a totally different animal, which has taken a lot of trial and error for me to get comfortable with.

What’s In Gluten Free Flour??

There are a lot of gluten free flour blends out there. Each brand uses a unique mixture of wheat flour alternatives, like rice flour, brown rice flour, and even almond flour!

It can be difficult to get the texture of gluten free flour just right for baking. A lot of these alternative flours have a finer texture than all-purpose flour.

Some type of starch is usually added to help give the mixture better structure, and a bit of binding power. Tapioca and potato starch are the most commonly used starches.

One other ingredient in gluten free flour that might sound a little strange is xanthan gum. It’s a key ingredient in gluten free baking. Xanthan gum has a big impact on the texture of gluten free baked goods too.

Gluten adds elasticity and stickiness to dough and batter. Xanthan gum emulates these characteristics in gluten free baking, and helps lock in moisture.

Does It Matter What Brand of Gluten Free Flour I Use?

I’ve tried this recipe with a few different brands of gluten free flour, and so far each of them has worked great:

• King Arthur gluten free measure for measure flour
• Cup4Cup gluten free multipurpose flour blend
• Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour

My favorite brand of gluten free flour for this recipe was King Arthur. However, any brand of gluten free flour you can find at your grocery store should work.

My only word of caution is to be sure you use some sort of gluten free flour blend.

Using a single type of gluten free flour like almond flour or cassava flour in this recipe will not yield the same results!

Most grocery stores carry at least one blend of gluten free flour. Stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s also have lots of great options.

If all else fails, Amazon is another easy way to get your hands on a gluten free flour blend. I order a majority of my baking supplies on Amazon, including most of my specialty ingredients.

Why This Recipe Works With Gluten Free Flour

This gluten free chocolate cake recipe is based on my moist chocolate cake recipe.

Gluten free baked goods have come a long way in the past few years, but a lot of people still think of them as gritty, dense, and even gummy.

Using a good gluten free flour blend can fix most of these issues.

However, I found that the gluten free batters have a hard time incorporating butter. Gluten free flour blends can’t absorb liquids as well as regular flour, and they also can’t absorb fat as well.

I tried using gluten free flour in my go-to chocolate layer cake, and the texture wasn’t quite right.

That’s when I decided to try making a gluten free version of my moist chocolate cake recipe. It uses oil as a fat instead of butter, which is easier for the gluten free flour to absorb.

The texture was spot on, with the help of the following gluten free baking tips.

Tip #1: Over-Mix the Batter

While I strongly advise against over mixing batter in other recipes, and even design my recipes to have as little mixing as possible, gluten free batter is different.

The whole reason you don’t want to over mix your batter is that it develops thick strands of gluten, which can lead to dense, tough cake layers. But when you’re using gluten free flour, this isn’t a problem.

In fact, overmixing gluten free flour can actually give the cake layers better structure! This helps cake layers rise better as they bake, and gives the cake a more tender crumb.

The additional mixing can also make it easier to slice into a tall layer cake like this. The incremental structure helps prevent the cake layers from crumbling as they’re cut.

Tip #2 Let the Batter Rest

Remember earlier when I said that gluten free flour blends can have a hard time absorbing moisture and fats?

If you let the batter sit for a bit before baking it, you give the flour more time to absorb all that goodness. This helps thicken the batter, and prevents your cake layers from having a gritty texture.

I unintentionally did this as I was photographing and filming this gluten free chocolate cake batter. You’d be surprised how long it takes to get a perfect shot of pouring cake batter into a pan!

Letting the batter sit for about 30 minutes drastically improves the texture of these cake layers, so be sure you don’t skip this step!!

Tips for Making the Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake:

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure the gluten free flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Don’t be afraid to over-mix your batter! Vigorously whisk your batter for a few minutes once it’s made, to help give it structure.
• Let your batter sit for about 30 minutes before baking to help the gluten free flour absorb more moisture from the batter.
• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake, to make it easier to stack and frost.

Making This Cake In Advance & Storage Tips:

• Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
• A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try my gluten free chocolate cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so I can see your delicious creations!

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