Name: Decadent Triple Layer Chocolate Cake (Dairy & Gluten Free!)
Ingredients: 3 cups gluten-free flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 in the blue bag – NOT the red bag, trust me on this); 2 cups granulated sugar (regular sugar, nothing fancy); 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (go for the good stuff here, it makes a difference); 2 tsp baking soda (not baking powder!); 1 tsp salt (fine sea salt if you’ve got it); 2 tsp xanthan gum (SKIP THIS if your GF flour blend already has it); 2/3 cup neutral oil (I use avocado, but vegetable or canola work too); 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (white vinegar works too, but don’t freak out about the vinegar – you won’t taste it); 2 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff, not the fake junk); 2 cups cold coffee or water (coffee makes it more chocolatey but water works fine); Optional but awesome: 1 tsp espresso powder mixed into the liquid; 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life brand); 1/4 cup coconut cream (the thick part from the top of a can of coconut milk); 2 tbsp coconut oil; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; Pinch of salt; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup dairy-free butter (Earth Balance sticks work great); 1 cup vegetable shortening (helps it stay stable at room temp); 5-6 cups powdered sugar (depending how sweet you like it); 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/4 cup dairy-free milk (almond, oat, whatever you’ve got); 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp salt; Optional: 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in the milk (deepens the chocolate flavor); Dairy-free chocolate shavings (just take a bar and use a vegetable peeler); Fresh berries (raspberries look amazing on chocolate); Edible flowers if you’re feeling fancy; Chocolate curls (melt chocolate, spread thin, cool, then scrape with a spatula)

Description

Let me tell you about the time I brought this cake to my sister-in-law’s birthday. She’s got both dairy and gluten allergies and usually gets stuck with those sad, dry “allergy cakes” that taste like sweetened cardboard. When I set this beast of a chocolate cake down, people literally LAUGHED because they thought I forgot about her allergies. Then she took a bite and almost cried. No joke – this cake is so rich and moist that nobody believes me when I tell them it’s free from dairy and gluten. It’s become my secret weapon at family gatherings, and I’ve had several people beg me for the recipe. So here it is – my ultimate “No way that’s allergy-friendly” chocolate cake that’ll make you question everything you thought you knew about gluten-free baking.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake:

3 cups gluten-free flour blend (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 in the blue bag – NOT the red bag, trust me on this)
2 cups granulated sugar (regular sugar, nothing fancy)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (go for the good stuff here, it makes a difference)
2 tsp baking soda (not baking powder!)
1 tsp salt (fine sea salt if you’ve got it)
2 tsp xanthan gum (SKIP THIS if your GF flour blend already has it)
2/3 cup neutral oil (I use avocado, but vegetable or canola work too)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (white vinegar works too, but don’t freak out about the vinegar – you won’t taste it)
2 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff, not the fake junk)
2 cups cold coffee or water (coffee makes it more chocolatey but water works fine)
Optional but awesome: 1 tsp espresso powder mixed into the liquid

For the Fudge Filling:

1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life brand)
1/4 cup coconut cream (the thick part from the top of a can of coconut milk)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

1 cup dairy-free butter (Earth Balance sticks work great)
1 cup vegetable shortening (helps it stay stable at room temp)
5–6 cups powdered sugar (depending how sweet you like it)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup dairy-free milk (almond, oat, whatever you’ve got)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Optional: 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in the milk (deepens the chocolate flavor)

Optional Decorations:

Dairy-free chocolate shavings (just take a bar and use a vegetable peeler)
Fresh berries (raspberries look amazing on chocolate)
Edible flowers if you’re feeling fancy
Chocolate curls (melt chocolate, spread thin, cool, then scrape with a spatula)