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Rich, but not too rich; sweet but not too sweet. This moist and tender gluten free devil's food cake can easily be made into cupcakes or a layer cake.
Why we love this gluten free devil's food cake
Devil's food cake is similar to red velvet cake, but not quite the same. It's one of the very best gluten free chocolate cakes, mostly because it's just enough—but not too much of anything, kind of like gluten free angel food cake.
I decided to make this as a layer cake, since making a cake is easier than making cupcakes. This is a robust recipe that will make a full 24 cupcakes.
You can also make 48 mini cupcakes, if you're making this recipe for a school birthday party, as I once did way back when. It will also make two reasonably-sized 8-inch round cakes that are perfect for layering.
But when it comes to all the leftover confections, cookies and cakes we always have at my house, cupcakes are much simpler to store. Just pop them in an airtight container, squeeze all of the air out and freeze.
Simple vanilla buttercream frosting
For a frosting recipe, I made the simplest vanilla buttercream ever. Here's the recipe:
- 16 tablespoons (224 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups (460 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy (at least 2 minutes). Add the sugar and salt, and beat on medium speed until just absorbed.
Add the milk and vanilla and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. The frosting should hold its shape easily when scooped with a spoon. To adjust the consistency of the frosting, add more milk very, very sparingly and beat to combine.
For an extra special vanilla frosting, add the seeds of a half a vanilla bean before the final mixing. Nothing says “I love you a little extra” like those seeds!
Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, (omit if your blend already contains it)
- ¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, (natural or Dutch-processed)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (327 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups (10 ⅔ fluid ounces) warm water
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans, or line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with liners. Set the pans aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar, and whisk again to combine, working out any lumps in the brown sugar.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the water, butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The batter will be soft and relatively thick.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared baking pans, or fill the wells of each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way with batter. Smooth the tops of the batter.
- Place the baking pans at the same time, or the muffin tins one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven.
- If making cakes, bake for 15 minutes, rotate the pans and continue to bake until the tops spring back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (about another 10 minutes for a total of 25 minutes).
- If making cupcakes, bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly (about 22 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
When the room temperature butter is added, what is the intention on how it should be mixed in? It didn’t incorporate evenly. I ended up smashing it with a fork and ultimately mixing everything with a mixer, but somehow don’t think this was the idea. Thanks.
Lola, it sounds like your butter wasn’t actually at room temperature, or it would have incorporated if you had continued to mix.
How would you suggest adding beet root powder to this recipe to give it a natural ,more reddish color? maybe replace some of the flour for the beet powder? I came across a red velvet crinkle cookie recipe and that called for a 1/4 cup of the beet powder. Maybe a similar amount for your cake recipe?
Thank you!
I’m afraid you can’t add beet root powder to this cake recipe in a volume sufficient to change its color without changing the recipe significantly, Christine. You’d really need a recipe that was developed to be made with it. I have a gluten free red velvet cake, but it relies on gel food coloring for its vibrant color.
i made this for christmas and it is sooooooooo good! did a square cake pan for dessert and 6 cupcakes for later (to the freezer as soon as cool), i did a cream cheese icing and it is so yummy, thanks nicole. happy holiday to everyone!
Made this for Christmas with peppermint chocolate ganache and peppermint whipped cream and it was fantastic! My new go-to cake recipe, no one will know it’s gluten free! Thanks!
Hi Nicole….going to make this Devils Food cake for a friend today. Can I cream the butter with the brown sugar first and then rotate/incorporate dry and other wets until the batter is made? Seems probable, but thought I’d ask. My friend has Celiac’s and she loves Junior Mints Candies, so I thought I’d make this cake and frost it with Peppermint buttercream and some chocolate ganache. Thanks for providing the GF community some “doable” alternatives!
JW
I made this with Cup4Cup and it turned out amazing. My family has been GF for 5 years now so family and friends know what I make is GF. However, last night I still had several family members ask if the cake was GF. They could not believe it. Thank you again for such wonderful recipes!
My husband is diabetic. Can you use sugar-free brown sugar? Thanks in advance.
Is there a difference in baking time if you use a convection oven? I forget, so don’t like to rotate baked goods in the oven. My convection oven moves the heated air so things tend to cook in a shorter time period. Is this ok?
Could this cake be made dairy free? I’m super new to my new lifestyle brought on my serious health issues and I can’t have gluten or dairy
Google vegan sour cream, Mesti. There is also Earth Balance that could be used for the butter substitution.
Ok, I was wondering if I could replace coconut oil for the butter, just wasn’t sure about the sour cream…Thank You!!! I’ll check it out…like I said I’m in my infant stage with all this, so I’m trying to learn all I can!!!
I have dairy and gluten and corn allergies. Instead of sour cream try a goat or sheep’s milk yogurt. The yogurt gives a sour flavor like the sour cream.
Ok!!! Thank You I didn’t realize goat milk was lactose free
Goat Milk is NOT lactose-free. That is a misconception. It actually has more lactose than cow milk, but because the fat molecules are smaller, it is sometimes easier to digest that cow milk. Just an FYI.
I didn’t think so but thought I might have missed something…I have to be absolutely lactose free!!!! Thank You for clarifying ?