Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe
Serve a crowd with this delicious gluten free chocolate sheet cake. This gf Texas sheet cake is moist and fluffy, and it's easy to slice for big occasions.
Yield: 1 half sheet cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 5 tablespoons (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) brewed coffee at room temperature
- ¾ cup (168 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- 1 (25 g) egg yolk at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the icing
- 3 cups (345 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 5 tablespoons (5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed, if possible)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter chopped
- 7 tablespoons (3 ½ fluid ounces) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Nonpareils for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325° F. Line a half sheet pan (13 x 18 x 1 inches) with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
For the cake.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
- Pour the melted butter, coffee, sour cream, egg and vanilla, and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, and spread into an even layer with a wet spatula.
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake until the cake is uniform in color and springs back readily when pressed gently with a finger, about 20 minutes.
For the icing.
- During last 10 minutes of the cake’s baking, make the icing. In a large bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt and whisk to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
- In a clean small saucepan, place the butter and the milk, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is completely melted.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove, pour the hot butter and milk mixture over the dry ingredients, add the vanilla, and mix to combine.
Ice the cake.
- As soon as the cake is finished baking, remove the pan from the oven and pour the hot icing over the hot cake.
- Working quickly to ensure that the icing is spread before it sets, with an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the icing over the entire surface of the cake. Sprinkle immediately with the (optional) nonpareils.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan to room temperature.
- For easier slicing, chill the cake, then lift it out of the pan by the parchment paper. Slice it into 12 to 16 generous pieces, and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Originally published as Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake on the blog in 2012. In 2018, recipe scaled up 150% and baked in a half, rather than a quarter, sheet pan, photos and video new. In 2022, some new photos, text resources added.