This gluten free chocolate cake (aka Texas sheet cake) is moist, delicious, and a total crowd pleaser.
It’s made in a sheet pan so it feeds a crowd too! Depending on how you cut it, you can get 20-25 slices out of this gluten free Texas sheet cake. And I’m preeettty sure it’s the best gluten free chocolate cake recipe there ever was. Mmm hmm, I went there.
I like to call this cake the “special occasion cake” because it’s really not healthy – at all. As you can see by some of my other recipes, like my banana bread cookies, and chocolate almond pomegranate clusters, if I choose to make a treat, I typically like to keep it healthier – gluten free, dairy free, no refined sugars – but ya know what? Sometimes it’s okay to indulge a little and this gluten free chocolate cake is so worth it.
We make this cake for birthdays, family get togethers, holidays – any type of special event really. It’s our go-to special occasion chocolate cake recipe. And I bet it will become your favorite in no time too.
This easy gluten free cake recipe (which I can’t take the credit for, my mom has been making this chocolate cake recipe since I was a little girl) uses Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour blend. It’s definitely my favorite 1:1 baking flour. I’ve been completely satisfied with how my recipes have turned out using this flour. It’s wonderful for baking gluten free cakes and gluten free desserts.
The ingredients in this gluten free baking flour are: sweet white rice flour, whole grain brown rice flour, potato starch, whole grain sorghum flour, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum. 100% free of gluten! So great!
Go ahead and leave your round cake pans in the cupboard for this recipe. For this gluten free chocolate cake, we’re using our handy dandy sheet pan!
Ingredients in Gluten Free Chocolate Cake (AKA Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake)
Gluten free flour
Sugar
Salt
Butter
Cocoa powder (I used raw cacao powder)
Eggs
Sour cream
Water
Baking soda (not baking powder)
Ingredients in Texas Sheet Cake Icing
Cocoa or cacao powder
Butter
Canned evaporated milk
Vanilla
Powdered sugar
Salt
I think this gluten free chocolate cake would also be good with a chocolate buttercream frosting if you wanted to swap the icing out for your favorite buttercream recipe.
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
1. Combine butter, water and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until a batter is formed. Add the sour cream, eggs, and baking soda and stir until combined.
3. Spread the batter onto a greased sheet pan and bake at 375℉ for 20-25 minutes.
How to Make Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake Icing
1. Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into the stand mixer bowl.
2. Heat the butter and evaporated milk in a saucepan until it comes to a gentle boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pinch of salt.
3. Fit the whisk attachment onto the stand mixer and carefully poor the heated butter mixture into the powdered sugar mixture while on low speed.
4. Increase the speed to medium high and mix the icing until it’s well combined, scraping the sides down occasionally to make sure it’s well mixed.
5. Ice the cake while still warm. I find that if I start the icing right when the cake comes out of the oven, it’s ready to be frosted as soon as the icing comes together.
6. Let the cake cool before cutting – enjoy!
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Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- 2 sticks butter 16 tablespoons
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder I used raw cacao powder
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the Icing
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder I used raw cacao powder
- 1 stick butter 8 tablespoons
- 6 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound powdered sugar about 4 cups before sifting
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
For the Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Combine butter, water and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until a batter is formed. Add the sour cream, eggs, and baking soda and stir until combined.
- Spread the batter onto a greased sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.
For the Icing
- Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into the stand mixer bowl.
- Heat the butter and evaporated milk in a saucepan just until it comes to a gentle boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pinch of salt.
- Fit the whisk attachment onto the stand mixer and carefully poor the heated butter mixture into the powdered sugar mixture while on low speed.
- Increase the speed to medium high and mix the icing until it's well combined, scraping the sides down occasionally to make sure it's well mixed.
- Ice the cake while still warm. I find that if I start the icing right when the cake comes out of the oven, it's ready to be frosted as soon as the icing comes together.
Notes
Hungry for more? Check out some of my favorite dessert recipes!
Chocolate Pomegranate Almond Clusters
Paleo Whoopie Pies
Fudgy Paleo Brownies
Gluten Free and Paleo Crinkle Cookies
Almond Flour chocolate chip cookies
Strawberry Banana Coconut Milk Smoothie
Hello! How many Tbsp is one stick of butter? And how many eggs did you use?
Oh my goodness I forgot the eggs! Thank you so much for letting me know! The recipe calls for 2 eggs. Each stick of butter is 8 tablespoons. Thanks Sarah! Enjoy!
When do you remove it from the heat? Am I missing something?
Hi Diane! I’m not quite sure which step you’re referring to…if you’re asking about the first step where you boil the butter, water, and cocoa, just take it off the heat as soon as it comes to a boil. If you’re referring to a later step, please let me know so I can help!
This looks amazing! I’m going to try it this weekend. Would you mind sharing the dimensions of the sheet pan you used? Thank you!
Hi Susy! It’s about 13×18. Enjoy the cake!
Hi, this looks good! Now we need a gluten free Dr. Pepper cake!
Is that a thing? I’ve never heard of it haha!
Yes it’s a “thing”, I guess you’re not from Texas!
Nope! 🙂
What size is the sheet pan?
It’s about 13×18. Hope you enjoy it, Di!
This was fun and simple enough to make! Cannot tell it’s gluten-free. Definitely a once in a while recipe given the amount of butter and sugar called for and the amount of cake it makes. It would be good to have at a family bbq. I’ll be adding this to our recipe collection!
Thanks Angelina! I’m so glad it was a hit!