Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake

This Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake screams Summer! Okay so even when its 32° Celsius (that’s 90° Fahrenheit for my American friends) I still want to bake. And believe me when I say that this Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake is what Summer dreams are made of and well worth turning on your oven even when its hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk.

The cake itself is not too sweet and slightly fudgey. I paired the cake with my go-to classic Swiss Buttercream which is light, silky and flavoured with strawberry jam. If you have some extra sweet strawberries on hand then I highly recommend finely chopping those and adding them too. I also had some freeze-dried strawberries which I used to garnish my cake because honestly, I can’t get enough of strawberries this time of year.

Why you need this Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake recipe in your life:

• This cake is so chocolatey it kind of reminds me of a classic boxed chocolate cake. But in a good way!
• You could serve this cake by itself its so good or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It pairs well with so many other flavours. Try adding salted caramel or smooth peanut butter to the Swiss Meringue Buttercream for a different flavour combination.
• It has the most iconic flavour combo. Strawberries and Chocolate!

Ingredients

list of the ingredients needed to make this Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake:

1. Gluten Free Flour Blend. I used and often prefer the brand Cup4Cup when baking. If you are new to gluten free baking or are unfamiliar with the different variations of Gluten Free Flour Blends, check out this article I wrote for Food Bloggers of Canada, where I explain how to find the right Gluten Free Flour for you.
2. Cocoa Powder. We are making chocolate cake after all so choose your cocoa powder wisely.  This doesn’t mean you need the most expensive cocoa powder. It just means use one that YOU like the flavour of. If Hershey’s in your favourite. Use it! I like the flavour and depth of Green and Blacks Organic Cocoa Powder. 
3. Baking Powder & Baking Soda. We are combining both baking soda and baking powder because we want a little extra lift in our cake batter as it is on the heavier side.
4. Kosher Salt. If all you have is table salt you will need to use much less as table salt is much stronger than kosher salt due to the different granule size. Only use about ¼ tsp or a pinch of table salt to ½ tsp of kosher salt.
5. 3 Large whole Eggs, plus 1 egg yolk. The whole eggs contribute to the overall structure of our cake while the egg yolk adds to the richness. 
6. Buttermilk. If you have Buttermilk, great! If you don’t. Watch this video to see how you can quickly and easily make your own using just milk and either lemon juice or white vinegar. Link to TikTok
7. Vegetable Oil. Using a neutral flavoured oil keeps the cake light and moist. 
8. Brewed Coffee (cooled!). Coffee has this magical way of bringing out the best in chocolate while not actually making your cake taste of coffee. Using brewed coffee allows us to add the much needed liquid to the batter while also boosting the chocolate flavour. 
9. Light Brown and Granulated Sugar. You may notice that in most of my recipes I prefer a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar.  This is because it gives me the level of sweetness and slight caramel flavour I’m after. The combination of sugars also contributes to the level of moisture.

How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F degrees.
2. Line the bottoms of two 8″ round pans with parchment and grease with butter or baking spray. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the sugars, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and coffee until fully incorporated. Add the dry mixture and mix until there are no streaks of flour and the batter is smooth. The batter will be quite thick and almost gummy.
5. Pour the batter into prepared pans and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Firmly tap pan on a work surface to level the batter.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans. 

Pastry Chef Tips and Tricks:

• Room temperature ingredients are your friend for this recipe. It will make all the difference during the mixing process and ultimately affect the end texture of our cake. When ingredients like eggs and dairy are room temperature, they have a much easier time emulsifying and absorbing into dry ingredients and sugars. 
• For quick room temperature eggs, you can simply put the eggs (still in their shells) in a small bowl and run in under warm water for 2-3 minutes. 
• The batter for this gluten free cake is slightly thick and gummy. You will think that something isn’t quite right, but trust me, it will bake up with a lovely light crumb and texture. Before baking, simply smooth the tops of the cakes with an offset spatula. 

How to Store Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake:

Once cooled the cake will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days wrapped in cling film or stored in an airtight container. If freezing, I suggest double wrapping them in cling film and putting them in a x-large size Ziplock bag and squeeze all the air out. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

If you like this recipe then you should try these!

• Best Gluten Free Brownies
• Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Bread
• Baked Chocolate Pie
• Black Cocoa and Almond Butter Brownies

It is honestly a dream come true when you make my recipes! Make sure to leave a comment if you have tried this recipe. Also feel free to take picture and tag me on Instagram at @kiramcmullan

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Strawberry Chocolate Cake

Gluten free chocolate cake that is light, fudgey and perfectly balanced with a silky strawberry Swiss buttercream. Perfect for any occasion, this cakes screams summer.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 Servings

Author: Kira McMullan

Ingredients

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

• 290 g Gluten Free Flour Blend (with Xanthan Gum) *I used Bob's 1 to 1
• 80 g Cocoa Powder
• 1½ tsp Baking Powder
• 1⅓ tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 3 Large US Whole Eggs (room temp)
• 1 Large US Egg Yolk Only (room temp)
• 3/4 c Buttermilk (room temp)
• 160 ml Vegetable Oil *I prefer the mild taste of Canola Oil
• 1 c Brewed Coffee (cooled)
• 220 g Granulated Sugar
• 150 g Light Brown Sugar

Strawberry Swiss Buttercream

• 4 Large US Egg Whites Only
• 200 g Granulated Sugar
• Pinch Kosher Salt
• 450 g Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
• 4 tbsp Seedless Strawberry Jam
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract *sub 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice

Optional Extras

• 1 c Fresh Strawberries (sliced extra thin)
• 1/4 c Freeze-dried Strawberries (crushed)

Instructions

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F degrees.

  Line the bottoms of two 8" round pans with parchment and grease with butter or baking spray. Set aside.

  In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

  Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the sugars, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and coffee until fully incorporated. Add the dry mixture and mix until there are no streaks of flour and the batter is smooth. The batter will be quite thick and almost gummy.

  Pour the batter into prepared pans and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Firmly tap pan on a work surface to level the batter.

  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans. Once cooled the cake will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days wrapped in cling film or stored in an airtight container.

Strawberry Swiss Buttercream

• In a bain-marie set over low heat, warm the egg whites, sugar and salt, whisking continuously until they are warm to the touch or approx 71°C. You can test this by dipping your finger in the mixture and rubbing it against your thumb. It should feel smooth and you shouldn't feel any sugar granules.

  Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg white and sugar mixture on medum-high speed until firm peaks form and it has cooled completely. This will take approx. 10 min.

  Switching to the paddle attachment, begin beating in butter 2-3 tablespoons at a time. Once fully incorporated, add strawberry jam, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat on medium-low until combined and smooth.

  Buttercream will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature and re-beat until smooth.

Assembly

• Spread the top of each cake with the Strawberry Swiss Buttercream and sliced strawberries (if you have them) and layer the cake. Smooth the top of the cake with an offset spatula and sprinkle the edges with freeze-dried strawberries.

  Spread bottom cake with a thick layer of the Strawberry Swiss Buttercream and, if using, sliced strawberries. Place the other cake round on top and spread another thick layer of buttercream and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle freeze-dried strawberries around the edges of the cake.