Effortless Gluten Free Chocolate Snack Cake

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

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8 inch by 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, arrowroot starch, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
3. Next, stir the sugar and boiling water into the dry cake ingredients. Mix until well combined
4. 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
5. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting it

HOW TO MAKE A QUICK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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

1. 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)
2. Can I use homemade oat flour? You can, but be sure that it is very finely ground and not rough at all.
3. 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.

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