Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 28, 2016
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1½ hours cooling
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Once frosted, serve the cake within a few hours. Not all brands of chocolate and cocoa are processed in a gluten-free facility; make sure to read the label. Do not omit the xanthan gum; it is crucial to the structure of the cake.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, and grease parchment.
- Microwave oil, chocolate, and cocoa together in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt together.
- In large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together. Whisk in sugar until well combined. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and milk until combined. Whisk in flour blend mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
- Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of cakes to loosen. Remove cakes from pans, discard parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. (Cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Place 1 cake layer on platter and spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top using small icing spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread remaining 2 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top and sides. Serve.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 1½ hours coolingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Everyone loves a rich-tasting chocolate cake, but too often the gluten-free translation is less than appealing. Instead of the dense, bricklike versions we turned out in our initial testing, we wanted fluffy, tender, moist layers that baked up tall and sturdy. A combination of cocoa powder and melted bittersweet chocolate provided the best chocolate flavor, but we were afraid the melted chocolate was weighing down our cakes. When we tried a cake made with all cocoa powder, the results were dismal—dry and dense, with a very flat chocolate flavor. Instead, we kept the chocolate and cocoa combination and swapped out the traditional butter for oil, which had proven successful in other gluten-free cakes. This not only gave our cake better texture, but also brought a richer, cleaner chocolate flavor to the forefront. Another combination of ingredients was necessary for leavening our rich layers: baking powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum. The soda helped to keep the cake tender, while the powder gave it lift, and the xanthan gum provided necessary structure. Chocolate cake recipes often call for sour cream to add moisture and richness, but this cake batter was already thick and plenty rich. Switching to whole milk gave us better results.
Before You Begin
Once frosted, serve the cake within a few hours. Not all brands of chocolate and cocoa are processed in a gluten-free facility; make sure to read the label. Do not omit the xanthan gum; it is crucial to the structure of the cake.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, and grease parchment.
- Microwave oil, chocolate, and cocoa together in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt together.
- In large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together. Whisk in sugar until well combined. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and milk until combined. Whisk in flour blend mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
- Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of cakes to loosen. Remove cakes from pans, discard parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. (Cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Place 1 cake layer on platter and spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top using small icing spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread remaining 2 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top and sides. Serve.
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