It's the first Monday of the New Year and I don't know about you, but I can only think about chocolate. There is no reason not to enjoy a slice of cake, or two in January! So, get your baking ingredients back out because it's time to whip up the best vegan gluten free chocolate cake recipe you will ever have!
What you’ll get with this recipe:
- Moist, soft chocolate sponge
- Espresso buttercream that you'd never tell is vegan
- Espresso buttercream piled as high as your heart desires
- Perfect cake for any occasion (or any day of the week)
- Rich and decadent
Ingredients For Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Cassava flour
- Cocoa powder, sifted!!
- Granulated sugar, cane sugar or coconut sugar work best!
- Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Brewed coffee
- Vanilla, baking soda, salt, and water
- Powdered sugar
- Vegan butter
- Espresso powder
The Instagram post for this recipe was sponsored by Edward and Sons Trading Co., however, this blog post is not sponsored and I just wanted to share this awesome recipe with my non Instagram blog followers!
The icing on the cake, yes the literal icing on the cake, is topped with Edward and Sons Confetti Sprinkelz! To achieve a soft, moist crumb, I also used their Cassava Flour. Cassava flour has a very subtle flavor and the texture is incredibly perfect, you'd never know it was gluten free.
How To Make Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process.
- Sift together cassava flour and cocoa powder, and then add sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Marry your olive and apple cider vinegar and let it sit for just a minute.
- Add olive oil and vinegar mixture, vanilla, cold coffee, and cold water to your dry ingredients.
- Add cake batter into a 9x13-inch pan (greased and lined with parchment paper)
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Allow cake to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make vegan buttercream, by beating butter until light and fluffy.
- Add softened powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso powder.
- Frost cooled cake and top with sprinkelz.
RECIPE TIPS
Cassava flour. I have had luck using regular all purpose flour in place of cassava flour, but still think cassava will give you the best, most satisfyig texture. I don't recommend trying this chocolate cake recipe with any single type of gluten free flour such as almond or coconut flour.
Instant espresso powder. You only need a little in this recipe to make the buttercream really stand out and add a great depth of flavor. You can also use instant coffee!
Vegan butter. Miyokos Vegan Butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks work best here! Be sure to cream the butter until there are no clumps and it become slight and fluffy. Vegan buttercream will always be softer than a traditional buttercream frosting since it's oil based. So, if you wish to pipe your buttercream, pop it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to slightly firm up leaving it soft, yet pipe-able.
Cake to cupcakes. You can definitely make this gluten free chocolate cake into cupcakes! Just adjust your baking time as needed and grease and line your muffin tins. Be sure to read how to make pipe-able vegan buttercream right above!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Tips
You can make the chocolate cake sponge ahead of time and wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap 24 hours in advance.
Keep it stored in an airtight container or on a cake stand at room temperature for 2-3 days. Or you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It is also freezer friendly for up to a month if you want to freeze it.
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter so you never miss a new recipe and follow along on our Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more About to Sprout goodness! Don't forget to tag us on when you make a recipe at #abouttosroutrecipes
More Gluten Free Baking Recipes:
- Gluten Free Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Gluten Free Toasted Almond Flour and Lemon Cake with Whipped Coconut Cream and Macrated Strawberries
- Gluten Free Salted Almond Butter Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Vegan Gluten Free No Bake Brownies with Chocolate Ganache and Strawberries
- Gluten Free Blackberry Chocolate Cake
If you make Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
Olive Oil Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 3 cups cassava flour sifted
- ¾ cup cocoa powder sifted⠀
- 2 cups granulated sugar cane sugar or coconut sugar work best ⠀
- 2 teaspoons baking soda⠀
- 1 teaspoon salt⠀
- ¾ cup olive oil⠀
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar⠀
- 2 teaspoons vanilla⠀
- 1 cup cold coffee⠀
- 1 cup cold water⠀
Espresso Buttercream
- 16 oz. vegan butter⠀
- 3 cups powdered sugar⠀
- sifted 2 tablespoons cocoa powder sifted⠀
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder sifted⠀
- 1 teaspoon vanilla⠀
- 2-4 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.
- Combine sifted cassava flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda & salt into a large bowl.
- Measure out your olive oil and add you ACV and let sit for 1 minute.
- Pour in your oil/vinegar mixture, vanilla, cold coffee & cold water and mix until combined.⠀
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before frosting.⠀
- ⠀
- MAKE YOUR BUTTERCREAM: Using a stand/handheld mixer, add your butter and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then add vanilla and beat once more.
- Add sifted powdered sugar, cocoa powder and espresso powder and beat until thick and creamy.
- If your buttercream is too thick, add the additional non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time to make it a bit lighter. You want it to be able to hold its shape!⠀
- Frost your cooled cake and top with sprinkles if you want!
The recipe is perfection. Easy, amazing and delicious result. Not sure I will ever make another Chocolate Cake recipe again. This was SO GOOD!
I’m so glad you loved it!! Thanks so much for the sweet review! Xo Rylee
LOVED this recipe! I came home from college for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and my Mom and I decided to try this one out. We are SO glad we did! This easy-to-make, delicious cake had the perfect mix of chocolate and coffee flavor and put the cherry on top of a sweet birthday weekend. 🙂
Hey Katrina!
I'm so glad you loved this recipe!! It is one of my favorites! Thank you for giving it a try and leaving a sweet review! 🙂