Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cake!
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A two layer gluten free and dairy free chocolate cake for everyone to enjoy! Fudgey, chocolatey, and DELICIOUS. Prepped in 15 minutes, baked in 30 minutes total time of just 50 minutes.
Choosing the right dairy-free butter
The dairy-free butter you use is so important and makes or breaks a dairy-free cake. Many dairy-free spreads sold in plastic tubs contain a high water-to-fat ratio. If you bake with them, the excess water evaporates in the oven, causing your cake to sink, turn dense, or develop a rubbery layer. Furthermore, tub spreads will turn your chocolate buttercream into a runny, split mess.
For this recipe, you must use a hard, block-style dairy-free baking stick (such as the foil-wrapped Stork block or Vitalite block). Because dairy-free block butter softens and melts at a lower temperature than traditional dairy butter, the resulting buttercream will be exceptionally silky and supple. This makes it perfect for slathering generously between the layers and over the top of the cake.
Why you might need xantham gum
In traditional baking, gluten acts as the structure that holds the sponge together and traps air bubbles as the cake rises. When you remove gluten, large bakes lose their form, leading to a brittle, dusty texture that collapses into a pile of crumbs when sliced.
This is where xanthan gum comes in. It acts as a direct substitute for that missing gluten network, binding the starch particles together and locking in moisture. While you can often skip xanthan gum in small bakes like cupcakes, it is absolutely essential for a heavy, two-layer celebration cake like this one. A trusted brand like Doves Farm is readily available in most supermarkets and works flawlessly.
Naturally dairy-free chocolate
The secret to the deep flavor of this sponge is using real melted chocolate rather than relying solely on cocoa powder.
Most high-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or higher) is naturally dairy-free because it is made from cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and sugar. However, you must always check the ingredient label carefully. Some brands introduce milk fat, whey, or milk solids into their dark chocolate blends. If you are baking for someone with a severe dairy allergy, look for brands that explicitly guarantee a dairy-free manufacturing environment to avoid any cross-contamination.
Easy Recipe Variations
This recipe is highly adaptable depending on the dietary requirements of your guests:
- Dairy-Only Variant: If you need the cake to be dairy-free but do not mind gluten, simply swap the gluten-free flour for standard wheat-based self-raising flour and omit the xanthan gum.
- Gluten-Only Variant: If you need it to be gluten-free but can tolerate dairy, swap the dairy-free fat for standard unsalted dairy butter at room temperature in both the sponge and the frosting.
- Egg-Free/Vegan Option: If you also need an egg-free cake, I recommend checking out my dedicated vegan chocolate cake recipe, where you can simply swap the standard flour for a gluten-free blend with a pinch of xanthan gum.
FAQs
Yes, but because plain flour lacks raising agents, you will need to add 2 level teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder to the dry ingredients to ensure the cake layers rise properly.
This is almost always caused by using a high-moisture tub spread instead of a solid baking block, or by opening the oven door before the structure of the cake has fully set (usually within the first 25 minutes of baking).
This usually happens if your melted dark chocolate was still too warm when you added it to the dairy-free butter, causing the fat to melt completely. To fix a split buttercream, pop the mixing bowl into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to let the fats firm up again, then whip it on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until it comes back together into a smooth emulsion.
I do not recommend swapping the block butter for liquid oil in this specific recipe. Liquid oils alter the structural chemistry of the batter, making a gluten-free sponge far too dense and heavy, which will prevent it from rising properly. Stick to a solid, block-style dairy-free fat for that traditional, fluffy crumb.
Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 300 g dairy free butter
- 300 g light brown sugar
- 300 g gluten free self raising flour
- 6 medium eggs
- 3/4 tsp xantham gum
- 200 g dark chocolate
Buttercream Ingredients
- 250 g dairy free butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 400 g icing sugar
- 200 g dark chocolate
Decoration
- 12 Strawberries
- Sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc Fan, and line two 8"/20cm springform cake tins with parchment paper.
- Melt your dark chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, or in a bain marie. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, add your dairy free butter, and light brown sugar. Beat together until light and fluffy.
- Add in your gluten free self raising flour, eggs, and xantham gum, and beat again until combined.
- Add in the cooled melted dark chocolate, and fold until combined.
- Split evenly between your tins, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Start checking the cake after 30 minutes, if its looked baked. A skewer should come out clean!
For the Buttercream
- Melt your dark chocolate in the microwave in short bursts, or in a bain marie. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Make sure your dairy free butter is supple enough to mix first by leaving it to warm on the side for a bit.
- Add your dairy free butter to a bowl, and beat on its own for at least a minute to loosen it up.
- Add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract, and beat again. Add in the melted dark chocolate, and fold through.
For the Decoration
- Get your first cake, and and slather on half of the buttercream.
- Add on the second cake, and slather on the rest of the buttercream.
- Add a fresh strawberry for each slice, and sprinkle over your favourite sprinkles!
Notes
- This cake will last for 3 days once baking, and should be stored at room temperature.
- I use this 8″/20cm springform tin.
Storage and freezing
Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to four days. If you need to make it ahead of time, the un-iced sponges freeze beautifully. Ensure they are completely cold, wrap them tightly in a double layer of cling film, and freeze for up to three months.
Gluten free baking
I’ve dabbled slightly in gluten free baking before with my gluten free double chocolate cookies and gluten free chocolate cupcakes and a few others, and I’ve done one dairy free recipe so far with my dairy free brownies, but I haven’t done both before. It’s something you do have to think about. You have to check every single ingredient first, which I made a mistake with before and it was a little odd.
Fantastic recipe, I have made it a couple of times- struggled to find a container it would fit in as it rose so beautifully! This time made it in a tray bake- perfect, beautiful sponge😃
Hello, would you have any idea of how many slices per cake (average size) and also how many calories per slice? Thankyou xx
Just tried making the sponge and it’s a really pale colour almost mottled with chocolate bits it doesn’t look nice at all and with the buttercream it went from being super soft to super thick within seconds. Not sure what I did wrong :/
Followed the recipe and the result is delicious!!
Hello I am baking this cake but it’s needs to be vegan what could I use instead of eggs? And what amount? Thanks 🙂
I have no idea im afraid – it may be best to follow my vegan chocolate cake recipe and make that gluten free instead x
This cake was out of this world! Super moist and delicious! I used regular butter for the buttercream. It was super rich. Recommend icing the cake per the photo unless you really want chocolate “overload.”
Hi Jane, can we use normal butter instead of the dairy free version? And can I use this receipe for a 6 inch cake?
I love your receipes by the way x
Yes! if you just want the gluten free side of it, you can use normal dairy products! And usually I say you should use about 2/3 of the mix for 6″ tins x
Used this recipe recently for wedding cup 🧁 big success thanks so much thought they’d be a disaster but turned out beautiful 😃
This recipe is incredible. I followed all the correct ingredients and it was amazing! I made it for my friends birthday as she’s gluten free and it went down amazingly. I have even baked it 3 more times since then, it is better than any chocolate cake I’ve had!
Hi Jane!
I’ve only recently discovered you (today I made your toblerone brownies to impress at a picnic tomorrow!) And I’m just ogling your other recipes.
I tried a low fodmap diet a few months ago, not to lose weight but to try to understand my allergies, but I seriously feel you on the gluten/dairy cold turkey front. When I eat gluten free I’m always so hungry and cranky! I fell off the wagon but am thinking of starting again soon. I know this is an old post so I hope you’ve found your allergies now, but if not, try the fodmap thing!
Finally, THANK YOU for sharing these recipes and keep your fingers crossed for the brownies tomorrow! ❤️
Jane I made this at the weekend for my best friend’s 40th birthday and she was gobsmacked that I’d managed to make a cake that was both gluten and dairy free. Not only that, it really tasted delish. Slightly crumbly which is to be expected with a lack of gluten, I wonder maybe if I didn’t add enough xantham…….the “butter” cream was really wonderful and tasted like there was butter in it. FYI, it’s also pretty awesome heated for 40 secs in the micro and covered with vegan squirty cream 😊
And for anyone wondering, I used green and blacks organic dark chocolate, which is naturally dairy free xxx
Hi! I have made this delicious cake before and it was perfection! I unfortunately I am out of gf self raising flour but I have gf plain flour and gf baking powder. Can I use these instead and what would you suggest for amounts?
Many thanks! Xxx
Hey! I’m assuming it works in the same way that regular flour does – where you use 2level tsps per 150g of plain flour! x