The Best Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Low-Sugar Chocolate Cake You’ve Ever Tasted

Let me start by saying I fought giving up my gluten like a new mom gripping her extra-large coffee cup. No way, no how are you taking my pizza and my bagels (yes, I’m from New York), or my cake.

But when my kids started having adverse reactions to gluten (along with dairy and corn), I decided to give it up at the same time — mostly because they are always wanting a bite of my food, so this avoided oops moments. And it also reminded me to check labels constantly.

Giving up gluten was not as bad as I thought it would be. A lot of my favorite things have gluten-free versions (like bagels) or something close that can be put together (like homemade pizza). But cake, oh cake. Finding a yummy gluten-free cake was not as easy.

Until now. My mom found this recipe on geniuskitchen.com and, after a few modifications, served it for my sister’s birthday. With this frosting, it was delicious! My daughters are requesting it for their own birthdays.

One of our goals as a family is to cut back on our sugar consumption. The recipe below uses less than most traditional cakes, so if you choose to add more, remember to balance it with a liquid, to maintain consistency.

The choice of gluten-free flour is yours. We used sorghum flour mixed with almond flour, which provided a little extra sweetness. Just keep in mind that some of these flours need more liquid than others.

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So here is the best gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sugar chocolate cake you’ve ever tasted:

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of gluten-free flour
• 1 ¼ cups of cocoa powder
• 1 cup of organic cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 4 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons of xanthan gum
• ¾ cup of coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of water

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum) in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients (oil, vinegar, vanilla, eggs, and water) together in a separate bowl. Then add the mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Once combined, pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
5. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to make sure it is finished.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
7. Serve and enjoy!

 

If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to the usual box cake (or the fancy, store-bought equivalent), give this chocolate cake a try. You can offer it to your family, knowing that it’s not chock full of junk and preservatives. It’s also the perfect choice if you or someone you know has allergies or an intolerance to certain ingredients.

Remember that the best part about baking is that you can substitute almost any ingredient until the recipe fits the bill. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and check out my substitution guide if you need some inspiration. Happy baking!

 

Do you have any go-to recipes for healthy desserts? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below!

 

[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]