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Gluten-Free Chocolate Stout Cake

This dark and moist gluten free chocolate stout cake is a riff on Nigella Lawson’s classic Guinness Chocolate Cake. It’s made with plenty of (gluten-free) stout and capped with an irresistible cream cheese frosting.

A gluten-free chocolate stout cake and a slice of cake.

Gluten Free Chocolate Stout Cake Recipe

This glorious, gluten free chocolate stout cake recipe is adapted from a favorite cake from Nigella Lawson, and it’s as stellar as the original. Taste-wise, this cake is a beer-and-chocolate-lover’s dream – the overwhelming flavor is of rich chocolate with just a hint of stout. Topped with a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting, the slight bitterness from the beer is hardly noticeable and helps to create the cake’s dense, moist crumb. The result is a portrait of a pint transformed into a cake. If only I’d been able to imprint a four-leaf clover on top! Make sure to use a gluten free stout to make this cake entirely gluten-free (see some options here). Even if you don’t like beer you’re sure to enjoy this cake.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Easy. One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s very quick and easy to assemble. There’s no need for an electric mixer; all that’s required is a whisk to put together the batter and within only about 10 minutes the cake is slipped into the oven.
  • Simple gluten-free flour combo. Just oat flour and a little bit of sweet white rice flour are the only two gluten-free flours you’ll need in this recipe!
  • Unique. Yes – this is definitely part of this cake’s appeal. There are not many cake recipes I’ve come across that call for beer, and while I don’t drink I don’t mind a bit of stout in a chocolate cake from time to time.
  • Always welcome. One need not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (or be Irish, or Irish-American) to enjoy a slice of this cake — indeed, it works just fine as a birthday or everyday cake. So file this one for the “keepers” folder, regardless of the time of year. (Nigella’s recipe for Guinness chocolate cake lives here on her website if you’d like to give it a go.)
Gluten-free stout cake topped with cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients Needed for Chocolate Stout Cake

I’ve outlined what you’ll need for this gluten free chocolate stout cake recipe below. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post – this is just an overview.

For the Cake

  • Oat flour Whole grain, naturally gluten-free oat flour forms the base of the batter
  • Sweet white rice flour – A starchy gluten-free flour, sweet white rice flour adds binding and lightness to the cake
  • Baking soda
  • Stout – The original recipe calls for Guinness, which you can use if you’re not super sensitive to gluten. But for the best gluten-free practices, choose a gluten-free stout.
  • Butter I use unsalted butter in this cake
  • Cocoa powder Use unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs Use large eggs
  • Sour cream Or substitute Greek yogurt
  • Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract will give the best flavor

For the Frosting

  • Cream cheese I use block cream cheese rather than whipped cream cheese
  • Powdered sugar Make sure to sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting!
  • Heavy cream Heavy cream adds a rich smoothness to the frosting
A slice of gluten-free stout cake.

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Stout Cake

I’ve briefly detailed how to make this cake below. Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full instructions.

Make the Cake

  1. Prepare the pan: Butter and line a 9-inch springform tin.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flours and baking soda.
  3. Melt butter: Heat the butter and stout over medium heat, then whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
  4. Combine: Whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then pour in the beer and stir in the flour.
  5. Bake. Preheat oven to 350℉. Pour the batter into the pan and let it rest while the oven heats. Then bake for about 1 hour.

Make the Frosting

  1. Make the frosting: Whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer, sift in the powdered sugar, and beat in the heavy cream.
  2. Assemble. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake.
A slice of gluten-free cake.

Tips and Substitution Suggestions

If you need to make substitutions, no problem! Here’s how to do some ingredient swaps, plus a few extra tips:

  • Bring ingredients to room temperature. Bring the ingredients to room temperature before you incorporate them into the batter. This is especially important for the cream cheese – if it is cold when you beat it into the frosting it can create a lumpy icing.
  • Hydrate the batter. Make sure to let the batter rest while the oven heats. Gluten-free flours benefit from a rest before baking so that the batter can hydrate.
  • Sift the powdered sugar. Again, you want a beautifully smooth frosting! Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl when you make the frosting to eliminate any lumps.
  • Frost the cake in swirls. When adding the frosting, use an offset spatula to create smooth swirls. Nigella says: “Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.”
  • Oat flour substitute: Try sorghum or teff flour by weight.
  • Sweet white rice flour substitute: Swao tapioca flour.
  • Use gluten-free flour: If you wish, substitute 2 cups of 1:1 gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour for the oat and sweet rice flours.
  • Stout substitute: If you are OK with gluten beer, Guinness is the obvious choice. You could also try a non-alcoholic gluten-free stout if you don’t drink. Another option is tea, but I think if you can’t do any kind of beer it’s probably best to make another cake recipe.
  • Make dairy-free: Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter and sour cream for the butter and sour cream. Substitute non-dairy cream cheese for the cream cheese and non-dairy milk for the heavy cream.
  • Make refined sugar-free: Substitute coconut sugar for the granulated sugar in the cake.
A gluten-free stout cake is iced with cream cheese frosting.

Storage Options

Here’s how to store your gluten free stout cake:

  • Fridge – Store the cake, well-wrapped, in the fridge for 5 days. The stout keeps the cake a bit moist, so it will last a little longer without drying out.
  • Freezer – Cake may be well-wrapped in plastic and frozen, unfrosted, for 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before frosting with the frosting.

More Gluten Free Cake Recipes

A piece of gluten-free chocolate stout cake.

Gluten Free Chocolate Stout Cake

Nicole Spiridakis
This dark and moist gluten free chocolate stout cake is a riff on Nigella Lawson's classic Guinness Chocolate Cake. It's made with plenty of (gluten-free) stout and capped with an irresistible cream cheese frosting.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine Irish
Servings 12 servings
Calories 383 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Cake

  • 1 ½ cups/195 g gluten-free oat flour
  • ½ cup/80 g sweet white rice flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup gluten-free stout
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the Topping

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

Make the Cake

  • Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
  • Pour the stout into a large saucepan, slice up the butter, and add to the beer. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Whisk in the cocoa and sugar, then set aside to cool briefly. In a small bowl, whisk together the flours and baking soda.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla. Pour in the beer, then stir in the flour mixture until incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Preheat oven to 350℉ and let batter rest while the oven heats. Then place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, checking to see if a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, the top is firm, and the edges of the cake are starting to come away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. I like to chill my cake in the fridge before frosting.

Make Frosting

  • In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer. Sift the powdered sugar over and beat to incorporate. Then beat in the heavy cream.
  • Frost the cake with swirls of frosting. Nigella says: "Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint."

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 248mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 3gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 434IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!

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