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    You are at:Home»Dairy-Free Recipes»Dairy Free Desserts»Perfect Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake

    Perfect Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake

    17
    By Contributed on April 19, 2018 Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes

    If you ever need a “perfect” gluten-free recipe, then look no further than Nicole Hunn of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring. This lovely woman is a testing and precision machine, and it shows in not only the recipes on her blog, but also in her cookbooks. To give you a sample of her style, this Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake recipe is from her latest cookbook, the second edition of Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap.

    Perfect Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe Photo by Jean Schwarzwalder

    I must disclaim upfront that Nicole does use dairy in many of her recipes. But I still believe her formulas are priceless for anyone who cooks and bakes gluten-free. Why? Because they work! I’ve tried several of her recipes over the years (adapting for dairy-free), with delicious results every time. Experienced dairy-free home chefs should have no problem in making substitutions, when needed, for most of her recipes.

    And Gluten-Free on a Shoestring does have several dairy-free surprises within:

    • Gluten-Free on a Shoestring (2nd edition) by Nicole HunnFrom-scratch staples like Savory Olive Oil Crust, Pizza Dough, Wonton Wrappers, and Flour Tortillas
    • Homemade Asian sauces to replace store-bought versions, which typically contain gluten
    • Fun breakfast delights like Tortilla Espanola and Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
    • Plant-based favorites for Sweet and Sour Beets, Glazed Carrots, and Lentil Sloppy Joes
    • Comforting soups including Tomato, Matzoh Ball, and Tortilla
    • Asian-inspired meals such as Szechuan Meatballs, Beef Potstickers, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Lemon Chicken Chinese Style
    • Specialty desserts like Ladyfingers, Chocolate Chip Biscotti, Pumpkin Bread, and the Perfect Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake (sample recipe below!)

    Dairy-Free Chocolate Frosting

    And what would the perfect birthday cake be without frosting? In the photo, Nicole uses a simple, drizzly chocolate ganache, like the one in this recipe. For other dairy-free options, you can use my Amazing Mylk Chocolate Frosting Recipe (a crowd favorite!), enjoy some contrast with Dairy-Free Cream Cheesy Frosting, or mix things up with Coconut Pecan Fudge Frosting.

    Perfect Chocolate Birthday Cake

    Special Diet Notes: Perfect Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake

    By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, and vegetarian.

    5.0 from 2 reviews
    Perfect Gluten-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake
     
    Print
    Prep time
    15 mins
    Cook time
    28 mins
    Total time
    43 mins
     
    This cake is a real crowd-pleaser. Everyone seems to be able to agree upon it. Typically, to make a rich chocolate cake, you need to replace some of the butter with melted chocolate. In this cake, though, there’s nearly a full cup of cocoa powder. Combined with a neutral oil, the cocoa powder makes for a very deep chocolate cake.
    Author: Nicole Hunn
    Serves: Makes one 9-inch round cake or 18 cupcakes
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (157 g) all-purpose gluten-free flour (see below)
    • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using the flour blend below or if your flour blend already contains it)
    • ⅞ cup (70 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
    • 1⅛ cups (225 g) granulated sugar
    • 6 tablespoons (84 g) vegetable oil or other neutral oil
    • 3 eggs (150 g, weighed out of shell), at room temperature, beaten
    • ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) lukewarm water
    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin tin or 9-inch cake pan and set it aside.
    2. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum (if using), cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center, and add the oil, eggs, and water, mixing to combine well after each addition.
    3. Fill the prepared wells of the cupcake tin ⅔ of the way full or transfer the cake batter to the prepared round pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Place in the center of the preheated oven, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs attached (about 19 minutes for cupcakes; about 28 minutes for the cake).
    4. Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. For the cupcakes, repeat with the remaining batter.
    Notes
    This dairy-free All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend from Nicole's book makes 2 cups (280 g): Whisk together 84 grams (about ½ cup) superfine white rice flour (30%), 84 grams (about ½ cup) superfine brown rice flour (30%), 42 grams (about ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons) tapioca starch/flour (15%), 42 grams (about ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons) potato starch (15%), 14 grams (about 3½ teaspoons) potato flour (5%), 8 grams (about 4 teaspoons) xanthan gum (3%), and 6 grams (about 1 tablespoon) pure powdered fruit pectin (2%).

    This recipe is reprinted with permissions from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap (2nd edition) by Nicole Hunn. Copyright © 2017. Available from Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
    3.5.3229

    Gluten-Free Cookbooks by Nicole Hunn


    Contributed

      This recipe was shared with Go Dairy Free by another recipe creator. We have not tested this recipe in our kitchens unless otherwise noted.

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      17 Comments

      1. Stephanie on May 16, 2018 5:28 pm

        I can’t have egg whites, can I only use the egg yolks?

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on May 20, 2018 10:59 am

          Yolks won’t provide the structure needed. You could try aquafaba – it might work, but I can’t make guarantees on modifications. Especially since this isn’t my recipe!

          Reply
      2. Meg on April 22, 2018 6:56 am

        What about the icing? The pic shows the cake covered in icing?

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 22, 2018 8:16 am

          Good question! I forgot to link up to some icing recipes! I will do that now. The one in Nicole’s book uses butter and sour cream, but this dairy-free chocolate frosting really shines on chocolate cake -> https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/milk-chocolate-vegan-frosting

          Reply
      3. Kortney on April 20, 2018 10:17 pm

        That ganache icing looks so good! This sounds like a really accessible cookbook, thanks for sharing.

        Reply
      4. Jereann Zann on April 20, 2018 3:01 pm

        Nicole is such a talented baker! This chocolate cake looks perfect!!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 22, 2018 8:16 am

          Agreed!

          Reply
      5. Kristina on April 20, 2018 11:15 am

        I am SO having chocolate cake cravings now… (I am planning on making a *different* flavor of cake this weekend, but I really want chocolate now… saving this one for the next cake! 😉

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 22, 2018 8:17 am

          Well I can’t wait to see what flavor you make Kristina – it’s bound to be exciting!

          Reply
      6. Leslie on April 20, 2018 11:01 am

        This is a chocoholic’s delight! I would love this for my birthday.

        Reply
      7. Amanda on April 20, 2018 8:18 am

        This is a beautiful cake. The cookbook looks interesting. It would be perfect for those new to a gluten-free lifestyle as well as those who have been gluten free for a long time.

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 22, 2018 8:17 am

          Agreed – it’s really about affordable gluten-free living, cooking, and baking, and I think it suits all levels well.

          Reply
      8. Kristen Wood on April 19, 2018 2:34 pm

        This looks like the perfect chocolate cake! Oh my!

        Reply
      9. Kelly on April 19, 2018 12:51 pm

        That indeed looks like perfection. I’d be happy to have that cake on my bday!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 19, 2018 1:03 pm

          You and me both Kelly. I might have to drop hints 🙂

          Reply
      10. Jules Shepard on April 19, 2018 12:39 pm

        Wish I had a slice for myself right now! Yummy!

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on April 19, 2018 1:02 pm

          Tell me about it! Huge chocolate cravings right now and this would definitely satisfy.

          Reply

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