Easy Gluten Free Mocha Cake Recipe

My Gluten Free Mocha Cake is fudgey, moist, and everything you want a chocolate-y cake to be, but totally free from wheat and grains. You will definitely find it hard to resist! 

I’ve been inspired to make more of my recipes gluten-free because so many of you are looking for gluten-free options these days, as well as by my good friend Sandi of Fearless Dining, a leading gluten-free blog with hundreds of easy, step by step, family friendly recipes. All the photos in this post were taken by Sandi Gaertner of Fearless Dining.

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Up until 2020, my husband and I travelled to California three or four times a year. I met Sandi on one of our trips and we became friends. Getting together was always fun, and on occasions we even baked together at Sandi’s home. I really miss our visits and I look forward to when we can travel again!

On one visit to Sandi’s kitchen, I adapted one of her delicious scone recipes to make Gluten Free Blackberry and Apple Scones and Sandi adapted my Raspberry Bakewell Tart Squares to make a Gluten Free Strawberry Lemon Bakewell Tart.

More recently, Sandi very kindly agreed to advise me on converting some more of my recipes to gluten-free, and where better to start than with my Mocha Cake with a Twist recipe! Rich chocolate, mellow coffee and a gentle hint of cinnamon make this a cake extra special.

A Huge Thank You

Sandi’s daughter is really creative and very talented at decorating cakes, and she frosted and decorated the cake for me. Isn’t it gorgeous? If you want to see more of her art please check out her Instagram account @Artbykaelag.

I’m also so grateful to Sandi, not just for inviting me to work in her kitchen, but also for taking all the photographs for this post.

Which Gluten Free Flour Should I Use?

I’m relatively new to gluten-free baking and Sandi has given me some great advice. To start with, Sandi recommends using a gluten-free flour blend for great results. For this recipe, I used:

Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend

Sandi also recommends:

King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour

Is All Baking Powder Gluten Free?

Most baking powders are gluten free, but some contain wheat starch. If you are baking for someone with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, be sure that the brand of baking powder you choose is completely gluten free.

Can This Recipe Be Made As A Bundt Cake?

Yes, it can! You will need to bake the cake for longer – about 45 to 55 minutes – or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. You can also make Gluten Free Mocha Cupcakes. The recipe will make about 24 and they should be baked for about 15 minutes, again until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Which Frosting Works Best for Gluten Free Mocha Cake?

You can frost this cake with coffee, chocolate or even vanilla frosting. Sandi’s daughter used this Mocha Buttercream Frosting to frost my Gluten Free Mocha Cake.

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Gluten Free Mocha Cake – Printable Recipe

Created by: April J Harris

Gluten Free Mocha Cake

Course Gluten Free Cakes

Cuisine North America

Servings 10

The rich taste of coffee and chocolate along with a hint of spice make my Gluten Free Mocha Cake Recipe seriously hard to resist!

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large free range or organic eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2¼ cups gluten free flour blend
• ½ cup cocoa powder Be sure to use cocoa powder, not drinking chocolate
• 3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in ⅓ cup boiling water, cooled
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C).
• Grease and flour two 8 inch layer cake pans.
• Cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix together well.
• Sift the gluten free flour blend, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside.
• Beat together the cooled coffee and the buttermilk.
• Add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the coffee/buttermilk mixture, beating after each addition. (Use two additions of the flour mixture and two of the liquid mixture.)
• Pour the mixture into the bundt pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in the pans for ten minutes before turning them out and cooling on a wire rack.
• Frost when completely cool.

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