Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Two layers of rich chocolate cake are adorned with dreamy chocolate frosting and packed with intense chocolate flavor for the best vegan gluten free cake! The best vegan gluten free chocolate cake and my absolute favorite.
The Best Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever
For real. Today’s vegan gluten free chocolate cake is the best one ever! Think: rich chocolate cake, creamy, dreamy chocolate frosting, and beautiful cake layers… all for the best vegan gluten free cake you’ve ever made (and/or eaten!). This cake recipe is not only one of the most popular recipes on Beaming Baker, it’s also the highest rated. Wanna see what the fuss is about? Grab your cake pans, a big ‘old container of your favorite cocoa powder and head into the kitchen with me. It’s time to make cake!
All the Ingredients You Need to Make Vegan Gluten Free Cake
For the Cake
- Gluten Free Oat Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Water + Non-Dairy Milk
- Melted Coconut Oil
- Coconut Sugar + Pure Maple Syrup
- Baking Soda, Salt, Vanilla Extract
For the Frosting
How to Make Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Prepare the Frosting
First things first, prepare the frosting. You’ll want to follow every step up until you’re about to whip the frosting. Don’t whip the frosting until your cake is cooled and ready to be frosted.
Make the Cake
Preheat
I start every recipe by preheating the oven, then preparing my baking pan. Head on over to your oven and preheat it to 350°F. Grease your cake pans with coconut oil. Then, dust with cocoa powder until completely covered. Or, use a parchment paper circle at the bottom of the pan.
Sift
Set out a large mixing bowl and sift together your dry ingredients: gluten free oat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside for later.
Heat
Add the water and milk to a microwave-safe bowl. You’ll heat the two ingredients together just until it’s warm—this will prevent the melted coconut oil from solidifying once it touches these liquids.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients, Add the Dry
Set out a medium mixing bowl and add in all of the wet ingredients: the heated water and milk, melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk all the wet ingredients together until its well mixed. Now, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape the wet ingredient bowl clean. Now, whisk the wet and dry ingredients together just until no flour patches remain. You’ve just made your vegan gluten free cake batter!
Pour Batter & Bake
Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans you prepared earlier. Bake for about 24 minutes.
Cool
Remove pans from the oven and cool for about 25 minutes in the pan, but on a cooling rack. Then, gently remove the cakes from the pan and transfer directly onto the cooling rack to complete cooling, about 1 hour.
Frost, Slice and Enjoy!
Now, it’s time to whip the frosting! Whip until creamy and smooth, then frost the cake, slice and enjoy the best vegan gluten free cake!
The Taste: Vegan Gluten Free Cake: Chocolate Edition
This vegan gluten free cake is one of the most popular on the internet for a reason. It’s GOOD. Like, hella good.
The Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake: is moist and fluffy with rich, deep chocolate flavor and the perfect crumb. It’s not too light and not too dense—landing somewhere perfectly in between.
The Vegan Chocolate Frosting: rich, creamy and delightfully chocolatey. While the cake portion of this vegan GF cake is lightly sweet, the 2 ingredient vegan chocolate frosting is on the sweeter, creamier side to balance out the dark chocolate flavors of the cake.
Together, these two components make for the best vegan gluten free cake recipe ever. Try if for yourself and see. 😉
How to Store this Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
To store after frosting: store your cake in an airtight container like this one for 1-3 days, in a cool environment. Keep out of direct sunlight and way from heat sources.
To store before frosting: you may freeze the cake and frost before serving (up to 3 days before). Wrap cake layers in parchment paper or plastic wrap and store in an airtight, freezer-friendly container. Do not make frosting until you are ready to whip and frost the vegan chocolate cake.
Tips for Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Here are a few tips to making your vegan gluten free chocolate cake a success!
Do not make substitutes.
I designed this recipe specifically around the ingredients and amounts listed. If you make any substitutes at all, the recipe is different and I can’t guarantee the results. Any small change, even if it’s swapping one flour for another, can cause terrible results. And definitely do not use almond flour, coconut flour or any other kind of flour expecting ideal results. All of those flours work very differently in this recipe. 🙂
If using homemade oat flour, remember to sift, sift, sift!
It is difficult to grind homemade oat flour to the degree that big companies with fancy equipment can. So, if you’re making your own, making sure to sift out coarse bits that can cause your chocolate cake to become crumbly, or overly moist. Then, after sifting, measure your oat flour and use.
To “Butter” Pans with Coconut Oil
Start with slightly softened coconut oil. Drop about 2 teaspoons onto a cake pan. Using a rubber spatula, spread coconut oil. The more you spread, the softer and easier the coconut oil will be to work with.
To “Flour” Pans with Cocoa Powder
- Use a sifter to evenly drop cocoa powder over pan (or else you’ll just get big clumps)
- Then, tap the pan around to get the cocoa powder to spread.
- For the sides, you have to aggressively tap and hold the pan on its side, getting the cocoa powder to fall down onto the opposite side. Rotate as you tap so the cocoa powder will fall and coat more and more of the side of the cake pan.
For a Visual Guide + Tips on Making Homemade Chocolate Frosting
- Check out this post: How to Make Homemade Chocolate Frosting.
Best Tools for the Best Gluten Free Dairy Free Cake
- Black Stoneware Plate & Black Cake Server – there’s just something about black stoneware & black utensils that scream “cool” and understated elegance. 😉 These two are the plate & server you see in all of the photos.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – the key ingredient in my 2 ingredient vegan chocolate frosting.
- Cake Essentials: Frosting Spatula | Cake Stand | Cake Carrier
- The frosting spatula is actually secretly my go-to tool for doing everything in the kitchen. It precisely picks up everything like a champ, and, shocker, it’s awesome at spreading frosting! 😉
- The Cake Decorating Set + Stand make frosting the cake so, so easy. It grips the counter like a boss and allows you to spin the cake around smoothly so you can frost the cake like a pro.
- The Cake Carrier with Locking Lid is what I’ve used for years to transport my carefully made cake from one location to another. Also, it’s basically a big, perfectly shaped Tupperware for storing your vegan chocolate cake so you can enjoy it tomorrow! 😉
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer – one of the most quintessential baking favorites of bakers around the world. It’s sturdy, lasts decades and is the gold standard for bakers everywhere. 🙂
- KitchenAid Hand Mixer with Hand Mixer Whisk Attachment – let’s be honest, not all of us have the counter space in our kitchens for a stand mixer. That’s when this handy little guy comes in. I’ve lived in all of the small city apartments and this hand mixer was my go-to tool for whipping up the perfect vegan chocolate frosting. More importantly, you’ve got to get the hand mixer whisk attachment. Yep, I’ve tried using the attachment it comes with, and nope, it didn’t work! Boo…
- Where to Buy Ingredients: Vegan Chocolate Chips | Coconut Oil | Coconut Cream | Gluten Free Oat Flour | Maple Syrup | Coconut Sugar
Vegan Gluten Free Cake Recipes & More
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
- 50+ Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts!
- 35+ Best Vegan Gluten Free Desserts
- Chocolate Espresso Martini
- 3-Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting
Who Says You Can’t Have Your Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and Eat It Too?
Ignore the haters! Haha. Just, don’t think that you can’t have your vegan gluten free cake and actually eat it too. This one’s not gummy, not weird, and totally can sneak by as a “traditional” chocolate cake. If you make this recipe, make sure to leave a comment and rating below. You know I love hearing from you! ‘Til our next sweet adventure…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
🍰 📸 🍫
Did you make this vegan gluten free cake recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it!
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 9 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices 1x
Description
Two layers of rich chocolate cake, adorned with dreamy chocolate frosting and delicious chocolate flavor for the best vegan gluten free cake! The best vegan gluten free chocolate cake!
Ingredients
FROSTING
- 2 batches Vegan Chocolate Frosting
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free oat flour – if using homemade, make sure it’s very finely ground (not coarse)*
- 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the frosting: The night before, begin preparing a double batch of this Vegan Chocolate Frosting. Do not whip the frosting until the cake is cooled and ready to be frosted.
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans as follows: coat with softened coconut oil, then dust completely with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: oat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Add water and milk to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 10-second increments until just warm. This will prevent the melted coconut oil from solidifying once mixed with these liquids.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients: water, milk, coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until well incorporated. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Whisk until just incorporated, making sure no flour patches remain.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans. Tap the pans several times to even out the batter and release bubbles that have formed in the batter. Bake for 22-26 minutes. Mine took 24 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick—it should come out clean when done.
- Place pans on a cooling rack to cool for 25 minutes. Afterward, use a plastic knife to cut around the interior edges of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Shake the pan a few times until you hear the cake pop loose. Place a large plate or cooling rack upside down, on top of one cake pan. Grasping both the pan and the plate tightly, flip the cake onto the plate/rack. Repeat with second layer. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting (about 1 hour).
- Frost the cake: Whip the frosting as instructed. Frost the cake. Enjoy! Storing instructions below!
If you prefer cupcakes, try these Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes or these grain-free Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes!
Equipment
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
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Whisk Attachment for Hand Mixer
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Buy Now → Notes
*If using homemade oat flour, make sure to sift the flour to remove coarse bits of oats that could create grainy, overly moist cake without fluffy texture.
To carry your cake On-the-Go: I recommend storing your cake in this cake carrier with locking lid. Even when I’m not carrying the cake to an event, I like keeping it in this cake carrier because it’s like a giant tupperware for cake! 😉
Where to Buy Ingredients: Vegan Chocolate Chips | Coconut Oil | Coconut Cream | Gluten Free Oat Flour | Maple Syrup | Coconut Sugar
Storing Instructions: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Okay to keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, in a cool, dark environment.
Freezing Instructions: Store pre-sliced cake in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 15-40 minutes before enjoying.
Recommended Tools: Frosting Spatula | Cake Stand | Cake Carrier | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Black Stoneware Plate | KitchenAid Hand Mixer | KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Hand Mixer Whisk Attachment | Cooling Rack | Black Cake Server | Glass Mixing Bowls
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 24 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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Hi Jill. I haven’t tried that in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure. If you do give it a go, I’d say to proceed with caution and start with swapping 2 tablespoons. That way you can see how it goes, and adjust as needed. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hello,
I was wondering if you think replacing some of coconut oil with applesauce would work?
Thanks!
Hi Jill. I haven’t tried that in this recipe, so I can’t say for sure. If you do give it a go, I’d say to proceed with caution and start with swapping 2 tablespoons. That way you can see how it goes, and adjust as needed. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi Raquel! I bake mine side by side on the same rack. Hope this helps!
Hi Raquel! I bake mine side by side on the same rack. Hope this helps!
Thank you for clarifying. I had never baked 2 pans at once. Just FIY, i baked one on top, one on bottom (i made the cake before reading your reply to my comment) and the one at the bottom was slightly undercooked. 2 more questions: have you tried baking this cake in one single 9inch pan and slicing it in the middle? I don’t bake much but for some reason most of the recipes i see say to duvide batter into 2 pans. I did use 9inch pans. The batter did not raise more than halt an inch. Is that what happens when you bake it? I ended up with a small, short cake, not more than 4 cm high (sorry for the metric). Great taste but somewhere in between a brownie and a cake, and on your picture what i see is a tall cake. Is it my peception only? Last question. There’s bakjng soda but no acid. What if i add some vinager? Wouldn’t that help the cake rise more? I read one of your replies to someone asking about the baking soda but i think your reply had some autocorrect, so i was a bit confused and did not know what you meant. Thanks a lot! I look forward to your replies 🙂
How do you bake 2 pans? Both on the same rack, side by side? One on top, one on bottom? Cook one first, then the other? How does this affect the result in each cake? Thank you!
Hi Raquel! I bake mine side by side on the same rack. Hope this helps!
Haha thanks! 🥰
Haha thanks! 🥰
Aww thank you so much, Rebecca. 😊 Amd happy birthday! 🎊🎉🎂 I’m so honored that I got to be a part of your special day. Here’s to many more years of delicious cakes! ❤️
Aww thank you so much, Rebecca. 😊 Amd happy birthday! 🎊🎉🎂 I’m so honored that I got to be a part of your special day. Here’s to many more years of delicious cakes! ❤️
Thank you SO much for this amazing recipe!! 🥰 I made it for my birthday!! Everyone loved it & I will be making it for years to come!! 💝 Thank you for your hardwork in finding the right ingredients & it tasting delicious!! Big hugs!!
I will definitely be reviewing other recipes by you 😘
Haha thanks! 🥰
Aww thank you so much, Rebecca. 😊 Amd happy birthday! 🎊🎉🎂 I’m so honored that I got to be a part of your special day. Here’s to many more years of delicious cakes! ❤️
Hi Demeter, Thank you for all the time and effort you have gone into creating these delicious recipes. This is only my second time baking with oat flour, the first was your brownie recipe which turned out beautifully, rich and moist.
I made the chocolate cake last night and while the flavors were rich and delicious, it came out dry. I used the same batch of oat flour as the brownies and followed your steps to the tee. Any idea please on what I did wrong, I would love to make it again. I have recently discovered I have allergies to dairy, eggs and almonds, no more almond meal 🙁 Should I have cooked it for less time? ( I cooked it for 24min but didn’t check it earlier) I live in Australia, could my cup measurements be different? Please help
Hi Tonya! Aww, thank you so much for the kind words. It really means a lot to me. 😊 As for the cake, it’s definitely possible that the cup measurements are off somewhere–I have heard from a few Aussie readers that measuring cups/spoons don’t always line up the same as they do in the states. Did you make any other changes to the recipe? Also, it definitely could be simply a matter of overbaking, so I’d say do try checking it earlier next time. Once the toothpick comes out clean, you’re good to go. Hope this helps!
Hi there. I have made this cake numerous times and it was absolutely amazing!
This time I am wondering if I can use this recipe for vanilla cake and omit cocoa powder?
Hi Lucy! So happy you’ve been enjoying the cake. Unfortunately, simply omitting the cocoa powder won’t work because of the balance in sweetness, texture and the interactions with the leavener. It’s good to know there’s an interest in a vanilla cake, so I can start factoring that into my recipe planning for the future. 🙂
Hi! Just doing this now… so it has no baking power or vinegar to react with the baking soda? Thanks!
Love your recipies.
Hi Andrea! Yep, baking powder of cinnamon gear necessary. The cocoa powder does all the heavy lifting for us here. 🙂 Happy baking!
This is literally the best cake I have ever made tastes amazing!!
Aww thank you so much Kara! 🥰
This recipe is amazing, decadent, rich and so much more! Can you do a strawberry version of this cake using oat flour?
I could hug you. I haven’t had a good gluten-free vegan cake since discovering I was intolerant to gluten, and then becoming vegan, about five years ago. Even though I made two crucial mistakes with your recipe (realising I had only two cups of oats – which I then topped up with potato flour – and not grinding the oats finely enough, as you asked), STILL, it baked beautifully in 20′, came out with a gorgeous dome which is a true miracle for gluten-free and vegan, and we just ate the crumbs from levelling both layers out (which did not break from handling) and it’s just gorgeously crumbly and so, so delicious. I’m making it again for my upcoming birthday, and I promise to follow your recipe to a T then. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. Really, I could hug you!
I could hug you back!! 🙂 Gluten free and vegan is no joke, that’s for sure. (Especially baking, ya know?) I’m so happy to hear that the potato flour worked out–isn’t it the best when a last minute save works out beautifully? Here’s to a wonderful BIRTHDAY ahead and just about a million hugs headed your way!! 🎈
I made this last December for my daughter-in-laws birthday. She greatly appreciated the effort! I want to do it again but would prefer to use a 9×13” pan (rather than a 2-layer). Would I change the baking time? Thoughts on this…..
Hi there! If you use a 9×13 pan, I’d recommend baking it for about 40 minutes. Hope your daughter-in-law has a wonderful birthday!
If you are cooking for someone who is allergic to coconut, what would you suggest substituting?
Hi Tia Juby, for the CAKE: sub melted coconut oil with melted vegan butter; sub coconut sugar with organic cane sugar. For the FROSTING: try looking for a vegan frosting that’s made with organic powdered sugar. 😉 Since my vegan chocolate frosting is made with coconut cream, I don’t suggest substituting it. Good luck & happy baking! Let me know how it turns out!
So easy to make and it’s so delicious with a very nice texture. Loved it so much. Thanks so much for this recipe. I had tried a few other GF Vegan recipes but they were terrible.
You’re very welcome Jan! Happy you’re enjoying the taste and texture here. 🙂
it was my mother’s birthday yesterday and i made this cake for her. she just loved it and all my family did too.
Oh that’s so wonderful to hear Sanice! Wish her a belated happy birthday from me! 🙂