Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe

By
Elizabeth Barbone
Elizabeth Barbone: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Elizabeth Barbone develops delicious and creative recipes for the food allergic and gluten-free communities through her site Gluten-Free Baking. Author of three cookbooks: Easy Gluten-Free Baking (2009), How to Cook Gluten-Free (2012), and The World's Easiest Paleo Baking (2016).
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Updated April 15, 2020
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Elizabeth Barbone

This chocolate bundt cake follows the inelegantly named "dump cake" method. You dump all the ingredients into one bowl, whisk, and you're done. Be sure to whisk the dry ingredients together before adding the coffee, oil, and eggs. This prevents clumping of the xanthan gum and tapioca starch. An optional chocolate or confectionary glaze finishes it off.

Why This Recipe Works:

  • Vegetable oil makes for a moist cake.
  • Coffee boosts the flavor of the chocolate without adding a mocha flavor.
  • The dry ingredients, white rice flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca starch, don't compete with the the chocolate and aren't gritty, a common problem in some gluten-free baked goods.

Note: The orange oil and lemon oil may be replaced with orange juiceor lemon juice. Omit the water and replace with an equal amount of fresh juice.

Recipe Details

Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe

Active 25 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 12 servings

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

  • 1 cup white rice flour

  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder

  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour

  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

  • 1 1/2 cups strong black coffee, cooled

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 large eggs, whisked

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Glaze:

  • 6 tablespoons heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk

  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

For the Confectionery Glaze:

  • 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons water

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon orange oil or lemon oil (see note)

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

  2. In large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, white rice flour, cocoa powder, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Add coffee, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

  3. Bake until a cake tester comes out with a few damp crumbs clinging to it, about 55 minutes (If you tap the top of the cake, it should feel firm.)

  4. Allow cake to cool in the pan for five minutes and then turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool. (The easiest way to do this is to place a small wire rack upside down on to the cake pan. Carefully invert the cake and the wire rack. Slowly lift the cake pan off the cake. Ice as desired with chocolate glaze or confectionary glaze.

  5. For Chocolate Glaze: Set cooled cake on a plate. On top of a double boiler, combine heavy cream and chocolate. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Allow to cool for two minutes. Pour chocolate glaze evenly over cake. Allow to set for 15 minutes before serving.

  6. For Confectionery Glaze: Set cooled cake on a plate. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, water, and vanilla extract. Stir with a fork until smooth. Icing should be thick but pourable; if the icing is too thick, add a little more water. Pour icing evenly over the cake and allow to set for 15 minutes before serving.

Special Equipment

12-Cup Bundt Cake Pan

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
316Calories
11gFat
52gCarbs
4gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories316
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g14%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 287mg12%
Total Carbohydrate 52g19%
Dietary Fiber 2g5%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 55mg4%
Iron 3mg15%
Potassium 48mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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