GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE
my favorite chocolate cake with hints of coffee made gluten free.
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER | QUANTITY: 8” double LAYER CAKE
LISTS
GROCERY LIST:
2 ½ sticks | Unsalted Butter (plus more for buttering cake pans - about 3 tablespoons)
3 large | Eggs
1 cup | Buttermilk
½ cup | Vegetable or Canola Oil
2 cups | Granulated Sugar
2 ½ cups | Confectioners’ Sugar
1 ¾ cups | Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
Brand recommendation - Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
¾ cups | Natural Cocoa Powder (plus more for dusting cake pans - about 3 tablespoons)
Brand recommendation - Navitas Organics Cacao Powder
1 teaspoon | Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons | Baking Soda
1 teaspoon | Baking Powder
2 teaspoons | Vanilla Extract
6 ounces | Semisweet Chocolate Chunks
Brand recommendation - Scharffen Berger Baking Chunks
1 cup | Coffee (freshly brewed)
1 tablespoon | Instant Coffee
KITCHENWARE:
2 8-inch Round Cake Pans
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer w/ Large Mixing Bowl
Medium Mixing Bowl & Heat-resistant Bowl
Measuring Spoons & Cups, Sieve (fine mesh strainer), Rubber Spatula, Serrated Knife or Cake Leveler & Offset Spatula
PREP
Helpful tips!
Let butter and eggs come to room temperature by leaving out for about 1 hour*.
Let buttermilk come to room temperature by leaving out for about 30 minutes*.
When measuring flour and cocoa powder, don’t pack them or you will end up adding more into the mixture and risk having a drier cake. Instead, use a large spoon to scoop into measuring cups and level off with the handle of the spoon.
Don’t sift kosher salt. It’s usually not fine enough to get through the sieve.
*Dependent on the temperature of your home
BAKE
CAKE:
1 ¾ cup | Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
¾ cups | Natural Cocoa Powder
2 cups | Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons | Baking Soda
1 teaspoon | Baking Powder
1 teaspoon | Kosher Salt
1 cup | Buttermilk (room temperature)
½ cup | Vegetable or Canola Oil
2 large | Eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon | Vanilla Extract
1 cup | Coffee (freshly brewed)
FROSTING:
6 ounces | Semisweet Chocolate
1 tablespoon | Instant Coffee
2 teaspoons | Water (hot)
2 ½ sticks | Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1 large | Egg Yolk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon | Vanilla Extract
2 ½ cups | Confectioners’ Sugar
Brew a cup of hot coffee. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350° F and place rack in the center of the oven.
Roll out parchment paper and trace the bottom of two 8x2-inch round cake pans. Cut out the two parchment circles and set aside. Butter two 8x2-inch round cake pans with 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter per pan. Use your hands to smear butter all over the bottom, corners and sides of the inside of the pan. Place parchment circles inside of pans. Use remaining ½ tablespoon of room temperature butter per pan and smear over parchment circle. Sprinkle about 1 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder over buttered pan and rotate and tap the pan to move cocoa powder around to completely coat the bottom, corners and sides. Tap out excess cocoa powder. This will allow for an easy and clean removal. Set aside.
Make the cake by sifting flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and baking powder in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl. Add salt, mix and set aside.
Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and mix well.
Turn your stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low or use a hand mixer on low and slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly add in the freshly brewed coffee and mix until combined. Batter will be very liquidy. Use a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients at the bottom and around the edges are incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake cakes for 20 minutes. Quickly rotate pans to ensure an even bake and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t leave your oven open too long or you run of the risk of your cakes sinking. Cool the cakes in the pans for at least 30 minutes before removing.
While cakes cool, place chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl set over a pot of simmering water with the heat on the lowest setting. You shouldn’t need more than 2-inches of water and want to ensure the bottom of the bowl is not sitting in the water. Stir the chocolate frequently until melted. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
Dissolve the instant coffee in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. Mix and set aside.
Make the frosting by beating the room temperature butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar until mostly mixed. Increase speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until smooth and creamy. On low speed add the cooled melted chocolate and instant coffee mixture until blended, but don’t overwhip. Set aside.
This cake is naturally a pretty flat cake but use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to remove any domed top. Use an offset spatula to frost the middle and a thin crumb coating on the top and sides of the cake. Don’t worry about having visible crumbs in this coat, just make sure not to get crumbs into your bowl of frosting. After the crumb coating is done, place in fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will firmly set the crumb coating. Once cooled, use remaining frosting to completely cover cake and decorate as desired.
Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature.
