Start February off on the right foot by making this insanely delicious Gluten Free Chocolate Snack Cake! It's a super simple gluten free chocolate cake that's fudgy, rich, decadent, and actually healthy(ish) so you can feel good about enjoying a slice as a snack.

Man oh man. You are missing out if you don't make this gluten free chocolate snack cake. Chocolate cake has never been my favorite, or what I reach for, but let me tell you- if someone served me a slice of this I would GLADLY accept it. Much like my lemon and blackberry cake, this easy cake recipe is just so, so good. It's a rich, fudgy chocolate cake that just happens to be naturally gluten free, oil free, and the cake itself is vegan too! It's a super simple cake batter that you can make in one bowl, with one spoon, so there's no need to drag out a big stand mixer. Finish it off with your favorite frosting, and enjoy a piece as a snack, dessert, or simply because you feel like it.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR A GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE SNACK CAKE

- Oat Flour: I recommend Bob's Red Mill because their's is certified gluten free
- Arrowroot Starch: This is to help add starch to the batter because it's gluten free. It helps the texture of the cake, and also helps keep it from being too crumbly
- Cocoa Powder: I prefer Dutch processed cocoa powder, but any kind will work
- Sugar: The recipe calls for regular white sugar, but I've tested it with coconut sugar and it also works
- Applesauce: Make sure it's unsweetened applesauce
- Boiling Water: This blooms the cocoa powder, which helps keep the batter free of lumps
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both of these act as leaveners. Just be sure they're not expired!
- Salt
- Butter: You can substitute this with vegan butter to make the entire cake both vegan and gluten free
- Powdered Sugar
HOW TO MAKE A FUDGY GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE SNACK CAKE




- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8 inch by 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, arrowroot starch, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Next, stir the sugar and boiling water into the dry cake ingredients. Mix until well combined
- Use a spatula to scrape the gluten free snack cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting it
HOW TO MAKE A QUICK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM


- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of non-dairy milk, and a pinch of salt on low until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the butter
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed in, turn the speed of the hand mixer up to high and beat the chocolate buttercream for 2-3 minutes.
- In the frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk, beat it in, and repeat as necessary until you get your frosting to the consistency you like
- Use an off set spatula to spread it over the fully cooled gluten free chocolate snack cake and enjoy!
MORE GLUTEN FREE DESSERTS YOU'LL WANT TO TRY
EXPERT TIPS
- Read the entire recipe before beginning
- If you use homemade oat flour be sure it's very finely ground
- You can substitute the arrowroot starch for cornstarch
- Try and use unsweetened applesauce if you can find it
- You can swap out the white sugar for coconut sugar
- It's COMPLETELY FINE if your cake cracks on top
- Don't overbake this cake
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it
- If you don't want chocolate buttercream, you could top this with a ganache or a simple powdered sugar dusting
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days

FAQs
- What is a snack cake? Snack cakes typically are just a single layer cake, it may or may not have a frosting or glaze, and it's made more often to just enjoy whenever, not on a special event. (IMO- any cake can be a snack cake if you just believe)
- Can I use homemade oat flour? You can, but be sure that it is very finely ground and not rough at all.
- How do I store snack cake? You can store this cake in an air-tight container on the counter for 3-4 days.

Did you make this gluten free chocolate snack cake? If you did, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and rating down below. In addition, you can also follow me on Instagram @coleinthekitchen and tag me so I can see you cake.
PrintEffortless Gluten Free Chocolate Snack Cake
This is the best gluten free chocolate snack cake around. It's a rich, fudgy, decadent chocolate cake, that's made in one bowl and bakes in 20 minutes. Finish it off with your favorite frosting and enjoy whenever!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30+ Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 9 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups of Oat flour
- 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch
- ⅔ cup Cocoa Powder
- ⅔ cup Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¾ Teaspoon Salt
- ⅔ cup Applesauce
- 1 cup Boiling Water
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Tablespoons Softened butter
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
MAKING THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8 inch by 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, arrowroot starch, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Next, stir the applesauce and boiling water into the dry cake ingredients. Mix until well combined
- Use a spatula to scrape the gluten free snack cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting it
TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of non-dairy milk, and a pinch of salt on low until all the dry ingredients are incorporated into the butter
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed in, turn the speed of the hand mixer up to high and beat the chocolate buttercream for 2-3 minutes.
- In the frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk, beat it in, and repeat as necessary until you get your frosting to the consistency you like
- Use an off set spatula to spread it over the fully cooled gluten free chocolate snack cake and enjoy!
Notes
- Calories calculated are an estimate
- Read the entire recipe before beginning
- If you use homemade oat flour be sure it's very finely ground
- You can substitute the arrowroot starch for cornstarch
- Try and use unsweetened applesauce if you can find it
- You can swap out the white sugar for coconut sugar
- It's COMPLETELY FINE if your cake cracks on top
- Don't overbake this cake
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it
- If you don't want chocolate buttercream, you could top this with a ganache or a simple powdered sugar dusting
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 270
Keywords: gluten free chocolate cake, fudgy gluten free cake, chocolate cake made with oat flour, vegan and gluten free chocolate cake, chocolate cake with no oil
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