Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake

If you thought my Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes are the best chocolate cake you have ever had, just wait until you try this Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake. It's moist, tender and ultra-chocolatey. And it stays like that for days.... if you can even hold on to it for that long.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this Gluten Free Bundt Cake Recipe successfully with my gluten-free flour blend, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Each flour produces a beautiful, light crumb. I am not saying other gluten free flour blends won't work in this application, I just didn't try them to make this recipe. These gluten-free flour blends are considered multi-purpose blends and do contain xanthan gum.

Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder:  I highly recommend using dutch processed cocoa in this recipe. Dutch-processed cocoa produces richer, fudgier flavors. Since this recipe is baking soda based, it will work perfectly fine with natural cocoa powder. But don't be surprised if the color of the cake is lighter.

Buttermilk: I highly recommend using real buttermilk (or kefir) to make this bundt cake. It adds moisture to the cake and gives it a tender crumb. It also reacts with the baking soda to give the cake its beautiful rise. Homemade Buttermilk (Whole Milk and vinegar) will work in a pinch.

Chocolate: Use good quality chocolate or chocolate chips to make the chocolate glaze. Cheap chocolate will produce a chalky glaze and no one wants a chalky glaze.

Blooming Cocoa Powder

Blooming Cocoa Powder will ensure this Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt has an intense chocolate flavor.

This is done by mixing cocoa powder with hot liquid, stirring to break up any lumps, then letting it sit for a few minutes. During the process of dissolving cocoa powder, the liquid thickens and the flavor particles are released. With this technique, cocoa powder is brought to life and its ultra-chocolatey potential is unleashed.

My Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe calls for hot coffee to bloom the cocoa powder. Hot water or hot cocoa is also an option as long as the hot cocoa is the kind prepared with water.

How to make a Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake

One can make this delicious gluten free cake with a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. You can make it with just a whisk but it can get tricky to get a smooth batter that way.

While most recipes add the cocoa powder with the dry ingredients, I prefer to bloom it in hot coffee while I prepare the batter and add it last.

As for the bundt pan, I recommend using a pan that holds 10-12 cups. I use a 9" Bundt Pan for this cake. If you do not have a bundt pan, you may also bake it in a 9x13" pan (Do not overfill it!) or two 9" round cake pans.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F.

Step 2: In a small bowl whisk or sift together the gluten-free flour blend, cornstarch, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.

Step 3: Add the cocoa powder and the hot coffee to a medium bowl and whisk together. Allow it to sit while you prepare the rest of the gluten-free cake batter.

Step 4: Mix together the white sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and oil (such as grapeseed oil) in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Step 5: Add the room temperature eggs and buttermilk to the sugar mixture and whisk together until smooth. Using a flexible spatula, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottoms to ensure everything is fully combined.

Step 6: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients one half at a time. Adding all the dry ingredients at once can cause the flour to clump which leads to overmixing to remove the lumps (and too much mixing can cause a dense gluten-free chocolate bundt cake)

Step 7: Add the bloomed cocoa mixture to the cake batter and stir it together. Using a flexible spatula, give the batter a few good stirs which ensures there are no hidden pockets of cocoa mixture.

Step 8: Spray the inside of the Bundt pan with nonstick spray or grease thoroughly with butter. Make sure to get all the crannies and nooks if you use a fancy bundt pan. Pour the bundt cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and with a small offset knife or flexible spatula spread it out evenly. Tap the cake pan against the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. There will be some but this removes LARGE air pockets which could leave ugly holes in the finished cake.

Step 9: Place the bundt cake pan in the preheated oven and bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes. The chocolate cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are okay). If using a digital thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 200F.

Step 10: Carefully remove the bundt pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the bundt cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes which allows the cake to set up enough to hold its shape when you remove it from the pan.

Step 11: Invert the slightly cooled bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a sheet tray. If you have sprayed your bundt pan generously, it should slide out of the pan without any issues. Allow for it to cool completely before glazing! This can take an estimate of 2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Glaze for Chocolate Bundt Cake

While most chocolate glazes call for heavy cream, I like to make my chocolate glaze with butter and just a bit of corn syrup. Both ingredients give the finished glaze a smooth, fudgy texture and mouthfeel. The corn syrup will also ensure the glaze will stay soft and not crack when you cut the cake. Just like when you make the chocolate ganache for my Dark Chocolate Truffles.

To make the dark chocolate glaze, combine the dark chocolate chips, unsalted butter, kosher salt, and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl. Place it on top of a small saucepan with hot (not boiling) water. Allow the heat of the water to melt the ingredients together. If you like, add some instant espresso powder to bring out the chocolate flavor. Make sure the instant espresso is like a powder or the glaze will have a grainy texture.

Once the gluten free chocolate bundt cake is cool, place the wire rack with the cake on top of a sheet tray lined with a piece of parchment paper. Slowly pour the chocolate glaze over the top of the cake. Try to pour as evenly as possible. Garnish with chocolate curls or a few tablespoons of candied cocoa nibs. Allow the glaze to set up at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing the gluten-free chocolate cake.

Storage & Freezing

Since this gluten free chocolate cake is made with oil, it will stay moist and soft for days if stored properly. You can either store it in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.

To freeze the entire cake or pieces, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap. Then place the cake (or cake pieces) into a freezer bag. The gluten-free bundt will keep in the freezer for about 2 months. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the fridge or thaw at room temperature

FAQ - Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.

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