This moist and delicious vegan gluten-free chocolate cake tastes just like the original! With a combination of almond flour and gluten-free all purpose flour, you get the perfect light and fluffy texture.
It tastes just as good as a traditional homemade chocolate cake, and our taste testers had no idea it was gluten-free and vegan! This recipe is also an excellent way to use coconut sugar to add caramel notes and make it refined sugar-free!
This classic vegan gluten-free chocolate cake recipe is perfect for Christmas, Birthdays, and as a special treat to go with your afternoon coffee. I make this recipe with my vegan chocolate frosting many times throughout the year for holidays and it is always a hit!
If you're looking for more delicious vegan and gluten-free cakes, you'll also love my Vegan Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake! It's perfect for the rainbow sprinkle lovers in your family.
For more gluten-free chocolate baking recipes, check out my Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie (no bake), Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins, Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins.
How to make it (with photos)
Ingredients Notes + Substitutions
This vegan gluten-free chocolate cake recipe uses almond flour and has only 10 common ingredients! See the notes below the photo for substitutions.
- vinegar - You can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in this recipe. Vinegar helps to activate the baking soda and baking powder and keeps your cake fluffy. You cannot taste it in the cake after baking, and without it this cake is more dense.
- hot brewed coffee - Coffee brings out and boldens the chocolate flavor in this recipe. You can also replace it with hot water.
- oil - Use vegetable oil, avocado oil, or another neutral oil that is liquid at room temperature. I do not recommend canola oil because it can have a strong bitter flavor.
- gluten-free flour - Use your favorite gluten-free all purpose flour blend! I like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, and it's what I used for my recipe trials.
- almond flour - I tested a vegan gluten-free chocolate cake with almond flour and without, and found that I almost exclusively make the one with almond flour! I like that almond flour adds extra moisture and structure. Use blanched almond flour so the texture stays light and fluffy.
- granulated sugar - If you're a fan of coconut sugar, I recommend it for this recipe! Coconut sugar is an unrefined sugar and has caramel notes. The flavor pairs well with chocolate cake! If you don't have it, white sugar or a combination of white and brown sugars will work well too.
- vegan chocolate frosting - I like to use my recipe for vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. However, you can also use store-bought frosting to make this recipe a bit quicker. I promise the homemade stuff is easy and quick (and tastes better) if you're willing to go that route.
You also need cocoa powder, vanilla extract, gluten-free baking powder, baking soda, and salt to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This vegan gluten-free chocolate cake recipe is easy and uses only one-bowl. It is a supremely delicious recipe, and also low effort making it a no-brainer for any holiday!
- Prep: Grease two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Milk + Vinegar: In a liquid measuring cup, mix the almond milk and vinegar. Stir and set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk together thoroughly.
- Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the remaining wet ingredients followed by the almond milk and vinegar mixture. Then stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. It's ok if there are small pea-sized lumps or pockets of flour - this is best because it means the batter is not over-mixed!
- Bake: Distribute the batter equally between the two cake pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 28 - 35 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted diagonally into the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- Cool: When finished baking, set the pans on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing and frosting.
Expert Tips
Make excellent vegan gluten-free chocolate cake with almond flour on the first try with these expert tips!
Go for the coffee!
Whether decaf or caffeinated, coffee adds a nice richness to this gluten-free chocolate cake. It doesn't taste like coffee or mocha, it simply deepens the rich chocolate flavor.
If you don't keep coffee on hand and don't want to buy it, however, you can replace the hot coffee with hot water.
Vinegar keeps this chocolate cake fluffy.
In traditional American baking, buttermilk gave baked goods a light and fluffy texture because the acidity created more bubbles when combined with baking soda and powder.
Since we don't often use buttermilk anymore or keep it on hand, the vinegar adds that extra acidity. You cannot taste the vinegar in the final gluten-free cake.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Leftover vegan gluten-free chocolate cake will last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the frosting set before storing. When the frosting is set, it is no longer sticky and is dry to a light touch.
Because almond flour absorbs moisture, it keeps gluten-free cakes moist and soft. It can also help maintain a traditional cake crumb when mixed with all purpose gluten-free flour.
Gluten-free cakes will be moist if you use a quality gluten-free recipe. The only reason gluten-free cakes become dry is because the recipe is not made specifically for gluten-free flour, which absorbs moisture differently than traditional wheat flour.
Related gluten-free cake and chocolate recipes to consider...
Looking for more gluten-free baking recipes like this vegan gluten-free chocolate cake? Check these out!
These recipes are also gluten-free and vegan as written (except for the muffins, which have a tested vegan option that we make in my home all the time).
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card or comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (296 ml)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water (236)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil or avocado oil (177 ml)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour (342 grams)
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (200 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar , coconut sugar works great here for a refined-sugar-free option (280 grams coconut sugar)
- 1 cup cocoa powder or cacao powder (90 grams)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 batch vegan chocolate buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Prep: Grease two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- Milk + Vinegar: In a liquid measuring cup, mix the almond milk and vinegar. Stir and set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk together thoroughly.
- Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the remaining wet ingredients followed by the almond milk and vinegar mixture. Then stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. It's ok if there are small pea-sized lumps or pockets of flour - this is best because it means the batter is not over-mixed!
- Bake: Distribute the batter equally between the two cake pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 28 - 35 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted diagonally into the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- Cool: When finished baking, set the pans on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing and frosting.
Janelle says
I’ve made this vegan gluten-free chocolate cake three times now and I am completely addicted to it. It’s really so easy, almost a little too easy, because I can’t stop eating cake!
Rima says
How can I make this recipe sugar free
Jamie says
I unfortunately am not an expert on sugar-free. You can use coconut sugar to avoid refined sugars, but it's still sugar. Maybe someone who has tried it will chime in.
Brenda says
I love the almond flour in this vegan gluten-free chocolate cake! It was so moist and delicious that I did not miss any of the dairy ingredients or egg. I really appreciate that you do so many recipe trials. This one was a winner in my house and will be our go-to chocolate cake recipe from now on.