Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake (Egg-Free Too!)

Recipe

This gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cake is also egg-free, yet it's rich, moist, and so chocolatey you'd never guess what's missing. An easy, reliable cake I've made for birthdays and celebrations for many years.

This gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cake is easy to make for a dessert everyone can enjoy. You’d never know it’s also egg-free, since it’s rich, chocolatey, and moist, with a crumbly texture that will win anyone over at first bite.

front view of a rich slice of gluten free, dairy-free, and egg-free chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a plate

Chocolate Cake without Gluten, Dairy or Eggs

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

I first shared this recipe in 2014, after creating it for my middle son, who needed to follow a gluten-free diet, while my youngest couldn’t have dairy. I made it egg-free too because so many of my readers were looking for recipes without all three.

More than a decade later, this is still the chocolate cake I make for many of our family celebrations. I’ve baked it for birthdays, shared it with friends navigating food allergies, and made it enough times over the years to know that being gluten, dairy, and egg-free doesn’t have to mean settling for a disappointing cake.

Ingredients

There aren’t many ingredients in this cake, but each one has a job. Here’s why I use them, with more details and substitutions in the FAQs below.

Gluten-free baking flour mix: I stand by the results I consistently get by using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Mix. This recipe will not work with almond or coconut flours.
Sugar: Use traditional, granulated white sugar.
Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder (nothing fancy) work best.
Baking soda: This is what helps the cake rise.
Salt: Brings out the flavors in the batter.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Milk: Using already-mixed, dairy-free chocolate milk gives this cake a richer chocolate flavor.
Vegetable oil: Use a neutral oil (canola or vegetable) to add moisture to this cake batter. Coconut oil works too, but it leaves a slight coconut taste behind.
Vinegar: Use apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar. It helps the cake rise when mixed with baking soda.
Vanilla: A little to enhance the chocolate flavor; a must for cakes.

How to Make Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake

Prep
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch cake pans.
Make the batter
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then gently stir them together until the batter is smooth and no dry flour remains. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
Bake
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking around minute 25. They’re done when the centers are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before frosting, or the frosting will soften and slide.
Frost the cake
Make sure the frosting is soft enough to spread, especially if you refrigerated it. Frost the first layer, add the second cake layer, then cover the top and sides.

front view of a rich slice of gluten free, dairy-free, and egg-free chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a serving stand, being sliced off

Dairy-Free Chocolate Frosting

If you’ve found a store-bought frosting that meets your ingredient needs, you’ll need one 16-ounce tub for this two-layer cake. Or, make my dairy-free chocolate frosting while the cake cools. It’s made with vegetable shortening, which yields a thick and easily spreadable frosting.

gluten free dairy free chocolate cake slice on a plate with a piece sliced on a fork

Laura’s Tips for The Best Gluten Free Dairy Free Cake

Do I need to use vinegar?

Yes. Don’t omit the vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar both work; the acid reacts with the baking soda to help this egg-free cake rise. You’ll hear some fizzing when you combine the wet and dry ingredients, which means the reaction is working.

Why do I need to use dairy-free chocolate milk?

The chocolate milk gives the cake a richer, sweeter chocolate flavor. Almond, oat, or cashew-based chocolate milk all work. I’ve found that plain, unsweetened dairy-free milk makes the finished cake noticeably less sweet.

Can I omit the sugar or swap it out?

Don’t omit the sugar. If you want to replace the white sugar, many readers have successfully used coconut palm sugar. I’ve tested it once myself and found that the cake was less crumbly. Don’t use honey or liquid stevia; I haven’t personally tested xylitol or other granulated sugar alternatives.

What gluten-free flour works best for this chocolate cake?

After many tests, I stand behind Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Baking Mix for this cake. Both contain xanthan gum, which helps bind the egg-free batter together. You can find both at many local grocery stores or online (Amazon). You cannot use almond or coconut flour for this recipe.

Can I make this as cupcakes or in a different size pan?

Yes. For cupcakes, bake for 18 to 22 minutes and start checking them around minute 16. For a three-layer cake, divide the batter between three 6-inch pans. You can also bake it in a 9×13-inch pan, but keep an eye on the baking time since it will vary slightly. You’ll also find this information in the recipe card notes.

Can this cake be frozen?

Yes. You can freeze the baked cake layers and thaw them the day you plan to frost the cake, or freeze the finished cake frosting and all. I’ve found that freezing and thawing doesn’t noticeably change the texture or flavor, which makes this a great cake to make ahead for a party.

More Gluten and Dairy Free Desserts

After you make this cake, try my healthy no-bake blondies, this avocado chocolate mousse, or a coconut almond flour chocolate cake. While not a dessert, these cassava flour pancakes are also worthy of a weekend breakfast celebration.

Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free Chocolate Cake

Servings: 16 (2-layer 9-inch cake)

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

4.95 from 200 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

3 cups gluten-free baking flour, tested with Bob's or King Arthur; see note for other options
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate non-dairy milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 batch dairy-free chocolate frosting

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 350F with the top rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Grease two (2) 9-inch cake pans with oil (or cooking spray) and set aside. You can also use parchment liners for the bottom, but I still recommend lightly greasing the sides.

Mix:

In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients well to ensure they're evenly mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the dairy-free chocolate milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and stir gently until the batter is smooth and all the flour is incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake:

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I check around minute 25, and if one pan is set but the other isn't, remove it and let the other finish baking for a couple of extra minutes.
Remove the cake pans from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frost:

While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. If you've made it ahead of time, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature so it's easier to spread.
Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand and spread about a cup of frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer, then spread the remaining chocolate frosting over the top and sides.

Serve and store:

Store the frosted cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Take it out of the fridge and let the cake come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Notes

For a 3-tiered cake: You’ll need to fill three (3) 6-inch cake pans with batter.
Cupcakes: Turn this into cupcakes by baking for 18 to 22 minutes, checking that a toothpick comes out clean around minute 16.
13 x 9-inch pan: You can use a rectangular pan for this cake recipe, but keep a close eye on the baking time, as it will vary by a few minutes from the original recipe.
Using other gluten-free flour mixes: I recommend the two listed here because they include xanthan gum, an essential ingredient that binds and thickens the batter. If you’re using something else and it doesn’t include it in the ingredients, add 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients. This recipe only works with baking mixes, not with other alternatives (like almond or coconut flours).

Nutritional information does not include frosting.

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