Cooking and Serving: 55 minutes | 9 slices
Ingredients
Mayonnaise – Adds all the richness and fat we need, eliminating the need for | Boiling water – Since this cake is made without melted chocolate in the | Cocoa powder – Since this cake has baking soda in it to neutralize any acid
Description
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 9 slices
Ingredients
Mayonnaise – Adds all the richness and fat we need, eliminating the need for
Boiling water – Since this cake is made without melted chocolate in the
Cocoa powder – Since this cake has baking soda in it to neutralize any acid
Brewed coffee – Deepens the chocolate flavor without adding any detecable
Sugar – Adds sweetness and tenderizes the cake’s crumb.
Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is as delicious in chocolate cake as it is
Gluten free flour blend – Any well-balanced gluten free flour blend that is
Cornstarch – A touch of cornstarch adds some lightness to the flour blend,
Instructions
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
I don’t like to bake too much with neutral oils like canola and vegetable oil,.
since they tend to create an oily-tasting cake in larger amounts. Baking with.
mayonnaise allows us to bake without any dairy substitutes, but still bake a.
moist and tender, super decadent chocolate cake that is also dairy-free.
And since this cake doesn’t require any nondairy substitutes that you may not.
already have, you can bake this cake for a dairy free friend without having to.
buy something special at the store.
If you’d prefer a more “classic” chocolate cake, and you can have dairy, try our.
one bowl gluten free chocolate cake.
Overhead image of chocolate cake batter in a bowl being stirred.
image of chocolate cake batter in a bowl being stirred.
Chocolate cake batter in square cake pan lined with white paper.
cake batter in square cake pan lined with white paper.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Here are a few things to keep in mind about each of the ingredients and what.
role they play in the finished cake:.
Mayonnaise – Adds all the richness and fat we need, eliminating the need for.
additional eggs, or any butter replacement. Avoid mayonnaise with added.
flavors, and use Hellmann’s if possible, since other mayos tend to have more.
pronounced flavors of their own that might shine through more.
Boiling water – Since this cake is made without melted chocolate in the.
batter, it relies heavily on cocoa powder for chocolate flavor. To deepen the.
chocolate flavor, we dissolve the cocoa in boiling water in a process called.
Cocoa powder – Since this cake has baking soda in it to neutralize any acid.
in your natural cocoa powder, you can use natural cocoa powder or.
Dutch-processed, or even Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder, which is a.
Brewed coffee – Deepens the chocolate flavor without adding any detecable.
coffee taste. You can use decaf or caffeinated coffee, or replace it with.
Sugar – Adds sweetness and tenderizes the cake’s crumb.
Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is as delicious in chocolate cake as it is.
in our gluten free vanilla cake.
deepening all the other flavors.
Gluten free flour blend – Any well-balanced gluten free flour blend that is.
designed to work well to make cakes should work. Just be sure yours has a.
finely ground rice flour or the cake will be gritty. I like Better Batter’s.
classic blend, Nicole’s Best with added xanthan gum, and Bob’s Red Mill’s.
Cornstarch – A touch of cornstarch adds some lightness to the flour blend,.
for a more tender crumb. If you can’t have corn, try using arrowroot or.
Baking soda – Helps give the cake lift, and neutralizes acidic ingredients.
like natural cocoa powder, if you’re using it.
EXPERT TIPS
USE A LIGHT-COLORED PAN.
A light colored metal pan will bake most evenly without overbaking. It can be.
harder to determine doneness in a chocolate cake than a vanilla cake because the.
dark color will hide any signs of browning in the oven. If you’re using a darker.
colored pan or porcelain or glass, which hold heat especially well, begin.
checking for doneness.
AVOID FAT FREE OR LOWFAT MAYO
Fat adds moisture, tenderness and richness to baked goods. Low-fat and fat-free.
baked goods tend to be rubbery, so use the real mayonnaise with all the fat.
LET YOUR CAKE COOL BEFORE FROSTING
A warm cake will melt your frosting and ruin its texture, even if you.
refrigerate it after to firm it back up.
FROSTING OPTIONS
make it into a whipped ganache frosting for this cake. It’s super decadent, and.
not overly sweet, as the only sugar in the frosting comes from the chocolate.
You can also use your favorite dairy free buttercream frosting, or serve this.
cake without any frosting at all. A light dusting of confectioners’ sugar on a.
completely cooled cake would make a nice touch.
Fork with chocolate crumbs on white plate with rest of chocolate frosted.
chocolate cake partially eaten.
with chocolate crumbs on white plate with rest of chocolate frosted chocolate.
cake partially eaten.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
This cake is made with mayonnaise, which contains eggs and oil in perfect.
emulsion. I think that vegan mayonnaise would work in its place.
If you need to avoid corn products, make sure your gluten free flour blend is.
cornstarch-free and replace the added cornstarch with arrowroot or potato.
starch, or just more flour blend,.
COFFEE
Brewed coffee deepens the chocolate flavor, but you can use more boiling water.
in its place. You can also replace some hot water with more coffee.
You may be able to make this cake with Lankato brand monkfruit granulated sugar.
alternative. Alternative sugars tend to dry out a cake’s batter, so pay close.
COFFEE
Brewed coffee deepens the chocolate flavor, but you can use more boiling water.
in its place. You can also replace some hot water with more coffee.
You may be able to make this cake with Lankato brand monkfruit granulated sugar.
alternative. Alternative sugars tend to dry out a cake’s batter, so pay close.
Notes
* ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, (natural or Dutch-processed)
* 1 ounce dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped (optional)
* ⅔ cup (150 g) mayonnaise, (regular mayo) at room temperature
* ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
* 1 /4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 ¼ cups (175 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
* ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 6 ounces dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional
FOR CHOCOLATE TOPPING (OPTIONAL)
* 10 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped
* Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch round or square baking
pan. Set the pan aside.
* In a medium-size, heat-safe mixing bowl or measuring cup, place the boiling
water and brewed coffee and the cocoa powder, and whisk until well-combined.
The cocoa powder will resist combining, so just keep whisking.
* Add the (optional) chopped chocolate, and mix until melted and smooth. Add
the mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and vanilla, and whisk until well-combined.
* In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda, and
about 5 ounces of the (optional) chocolate chips, and mix to combine and coat
the chips in the flour.
* Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the wet mixture.
Mix until very smooth and well-combined. The batter will start off very thin,
but will thicken a bit as you stir. Keep mixing until that happens.
* Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan, and smooth into an even layer
using a moistened spatula or broad, flat knife.
* Sprinkle the remaining (optional) chocolate chips evenly over the top, and
bang the cake a few times on the counter to help the chips adhere.
* Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 30
minutes, or until done. A round cake will be thicker, so it will take a bit
longer to bake than a square cake. Begin checking a square cake at 25
* Doneness should be determined rounded at the edges. It also shouldn’t jiggle when moved back and forth, and
a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean (and
* Remove the cake from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool
completely in the pan. To make it easier to slice, you can chill the cake,
still in the pan, in the refrigerator.
* Place the chopped dark chocolate in a small, heat-safe bowl.
* Place the coconut cream in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan and melt over a low
flame. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate.
* Allow the chocolate and hot cream to sit, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes
before whisking until completely smooth.
* Pour the glaze directly over the cooled cake, and allow it to set at room
* To whip the chocolate ganache into frosting, allow it to cool at room
temperature, then cover and refrigerate it until beginning to set (about 20
* Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment,
whip the frosting until lighter in color and relatively fluffy (about 3
* Frost the cakes as desired, then slice into 9 equal pieces and serve.
My favorite gluten free flour blends are made with superfinely ground rice-flour
that’s well-balanced with other ingredients. I recommend Better Batter’s
original blend, Nicole’s Best multipurpose blend with 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
added, or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 (in the blue bag). Bob’s isn’t my absolute
favorite because it has an aftertaste and can make crumbly baked goods, but it’s
inexpensive and readily available and has improved a lot recently.
If you’d like to make your own blend, please see my all purpose gluten free
For the brewed coffee.
You can use decaffeinated coffee. You can replace the brewed coffee with more
For the coconut cream in the topping.
If you don’t have to be dairy-free, use heavy whipping cream in the same amount.
If you do use the coconut milk, do not use “light” coconut milk, which is just
thick coconut milk with water added.
Cake recipe adapted heavily from The New York Times
chocolate snack cake. Originally published on the blog in 2021. In 2022, more
text and resources added to the post; recipe unchanged.
Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber:
7g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
This cake is moist enough that it will stay fresh on the counter, covered well,
for a couple of days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing it.
You can make this cake and cool it, wrap it tightly (unfrosted!) in cling wrap,
and store it at room temperature for at least 2 days. Once you frost the cake,
it’s really hard to wrap it tightly, so it’s best to serve it the same day after
For longer storage, wrap this cake tightly in freezer-safe wrap like Glad Press
‘n’ Seal. You can freeze it frosted or unfrosted, but it’s easiest to store the
uncut cake unfrosted.
If you have leftover cake that’s already been frosted, slice it into squares and
wrap each frosted square tightly on its own, then freeze. Defrost at room
temperature, or even in the refrigerator, for a dairy free, gluten free treat
How is this cake dairy free when it has mayonnaise?
Mayonnaise is, indeed, dairy free. There is sometimes confusion about whether
mayonnaise is dairy free, presumably since it’s so creamy and looks like dairy.
No, this cake is not Paleo, since it’s made with a classic rice-based all
purpose gluten free flour blend. Rice is not Paleo.
It isn’t made with almond flour, either, which has a much shorter shelf life,
and is typically very expensive (but worth it, usually!). The best Paleo
indeed, made with almond flour.
Why did my cake crack on top?
A cake that cracks on the top is usually baked in an oven that’s too hot, which
caused too much of a quick rise at the start. Many ovens run hot, including
mine, so I rely on a freestanding oven thermometer that I replace frequently, to
ensure proper baking temperatures.
Can I make cupcakes with the same cake batter?
I haven’t tried making cupcakes with this batter, but I think it would work.
Fill the muffin tins 2/3 of the way full and check for doneness at about 20
MORE GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE DESSERTS
Since I have a section in every post like our “ingredients and substitutions”
section above, almost all of my gluten free desserts recipes can be made into gf
df desserts. Here are a few other gluten free dairy free dessert recipes you
might also want to try:
* Vegan gluten free chocolate chip cookies
(they’re made without an egg substitute, so they’re naturally vegan, and of
* Dairy free gluten free fudge
with just 3 incredibly simple ingredients: sugar, coconut milk, and
unsweetened chocolate)
* Dairy free gluten free white chocolate
smooth, creamy cacao butter)
* Dairy free gluten free no churn ice cream
(a favorite cold, sweet treat, without any fuss—and never icy!)
* Gluten free dairy free cake
free vanilla cake with a super-moist crumb and no “vegan butter” needed!)