A mega chocolate-y, super-rich gluten free vegan chocolate cake that calls for minimal ingredients. Made in just one bowl and topped with your favorite icing, this cake is a total winner.
This tender gluten free vegan chocolate cake is not only vegan but free of oil! It's enriched by coconut milk, which deepens its flavor and brings an almost buttery quality, though it's entirely dairy-free.
I used a simple blend of gluten-free flour (my homemade gluten free flour blend) and almond flour to make the cake. There's plenty of cocoa powder - a whole cup - which a gorgeous dark chocolate cake.
You can leave the cake plain, dust it with powdered sugar, or top it with chocolate buttercream frosting, simple chocolate icing, or salted caramel frosting. Use non-dairy butter in those recipes to keep both cake and frosting vegan!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Gorgeous Cake
The world can never have too many chocolate cakes, am I right? I'm partial to my oat flour chocolate cake, but when I'm in the mood to lighten it up a bit, I make a vegan gluten free chocolate cake. This one checks all my boxes - it's super decadent, made in one bowl, and it's vegan! Here are some more highlights:
- This cake is so easy to make. First, sift the dry ingredients into a big bowl, then stir in coconut milk, and bake. That's it!
- It has a delicious fudgy texture. The right combination of gluten free flour blend and almond flour creates a dense, moist crumb that still manages to be fork-tender and light.
- It's vegan! Coconut milk in this recipe brings flavor and richness, while keeping the recipe totally suitable for vegans and those who need to eat dairy-free.
Ingredients Needed
Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Gluten free flour - I used my homemade blend, and oat flour is also nice. Another single-origin gluten-free flour choice could be brown rice flour, or try your preferred 1:1 blend.
- Almond flour - Use fine-ground almond flour. If you can't eat nuts, substitute an equal amount of gluten-free flour.
- Granulated sugar
- Cocoa powder - Unsweetened cocoa powder is best so that the cake doesn't turn out too sweet.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt, and table salt also works.
- Baking powder
- Coconut milk - I love whole-fat coconut here for richness, and have also had good success with lite coconut milk. Or try your favorite non-dairy milk.
How to Make Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake
Here's an overview in photos of how to make this one-bowl cake:
1. Sift dry ingredients: Sift all of the dry ingredients into a big bowl. This helps break up any lumps.
2. Add coconut milk: Stir in the coconut milk until a smooth batter forms.
3. Rest: Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch baking pan, then rest it for 20 minutes.
4. Bake: Place in a 350F oven and bake for about 45 minutes.
Baking Tip: The Batter May be Thick
Depending on the type of gluten-free flour blend you use, the batter may be quite thick after adding the coconut milk. If so, add 1-2 tablespoons more of coconut milk or water until the batter reaches a pouring consistency.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- Rest the batter! In this cake in particular (although all gluten-free bakes need time to hydrate the flour), because there are so few ingredients, make sure to rest the batter for at least 15-20 minutes before baking. This will help to eliminate any grittiness.
- Try oat flour. Instead of gluten-free flour, try gluten-free oat flour. If you don't eat oats, use brown rice flour.
- Any type of non-dairy milk works. I love the richness in coconut milk, but any non-dairy milk will work here.
- Pan sizes. I like a thicker cake, so I bake this recipe in an 8-inch round. Also, try a 9-inch round. Or make a batch of 12 cupcakes. You'll need to adjust the baking time if you do cupcakes.
- Make it with coconut sugar. I originally developed this recipe to include coconut sugar, then later updated it to call for granulated sugar to keep things easier. Coconut sugar adds a unique sweetness that I like. If you want to use coconut sugar, substitute ¾ cup of coconut sugar for the 1 cup of sugar.
How to Serve
This cake can be served in a multitude of ways! Try it plain, with non-dairy or regular ice cream or whipped cream served alongside thick slices. I like a little drizzle of salted caramel sauce over the top, or you can just sift powdered sugar over it. Or, try your favorite frosting, icing, or a maple glaze.
Storage Options
- Fridge - Store the cake in the fridge, well-covered or in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Eat straight from the fridge or bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer - Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then place it in an airtight freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
NOTE: This recipe was originally published with slightly different measurements. If you liked the original and would like to make it as it was written, use 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup white rice flour, and ½ cup water in addition to the coconut milk.
More Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour (140 grams) or oat flour
- ½ cup almond flour (60 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup coconut milk or non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 8-inch cake round and line it with a round of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the 1 ½ cups gluten free flour, ½ cup almond flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Stir in the coconut milk until a smooth batter forms. Note: if your batter is very thick, add a tablespoon or 2 more of coconut milk or water.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, let it rest for 20 minutes, then place in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Rest the batter! In this cake in particular (although all gluten-free bakes need time to hydrate the flour), because there are so few ingredients, make sure to rest the batter for at least 15-20 minutes before baking. This will help to eliminate any grittiness.
- Try oat flour. Instead of gluten-free flour, try gluten-free oat flour. If you don't eat oats, use brown rice flour.
- Any type of non-dairy milk works. I love the richness in coconut milk, but any non-dairy milk will work here.
- Pan sizes. I like a thicker cake, so I bake this recipe in an 8-inch round. Also, try a 9-inch round. Or make a batch of 12 cupcakes. You'll need to adjust the baking time if you do cupcakes.
- Make it with coconut sugar. I originally developed this recipe to include coconut sugar, then later updated it to call for granulated sugar to keep things easier. Coconut sugar adds a unique sweetness that I like. If you want to use coconut sugar, substitute ¾ cup of coconut sugar for the 1 cup of sugar.
Bee says
Hi,
I have a question about the measurements: you write to use 1 cup or 100g white rice flour. When I measure 1 cup white rice flour, I get 180g.
So, I used the cup measurements because the rest the ingredients is listed with cups/tsp and tbsp only, no more gram conversations. My cake turned out dry, looking more like a crinkle cookie, and the batter was not pourable at all, even after adding more liquids.
Please advise! I'd love to have this easy a recipe for a chocolate cake!
Thank you!
Nicole Spiridakis says
Hi, Sorry it didn't turn out so well! I have updated the measurements because I don't think I aligned them well with cups/weight. So try 1/2 cup white rice flour (80 grams) and 1 cup of almond flour (120 grams). You could also try 200 grams of a preferred gf flour of choice like oat flour if you can eat oats!
Ritha says
Hey!! Thank you for the recipe :)
So easy to make and everyone was a fan !!
Was wondering if I could do it sugar free or using sweeteners such as monk fruit instead of brown sugar or coconut sugar ?
Nicole Spiridakis says
Love to hear that! I haven't baked with monk fruit, but the google tells me it should work if you use half as much as the recipe calls for. I don't know if I'd skip the sweetener altogether because it might make the cake too dry.