This chocolate gluten free bundt cake blends melted chocolate and cocoa powder for intense chocolate flavor and a moist, tender crumb. Don’t skip the glossy chocolate ganache — it finishes the cake beautifully.
Why I love this recipe
This bundt cake uses both cocoa powder and melted chocolate in the batter for a deep, authentic chocolate profile. Baked in a bundt pan, it looks elegant without needing layers and frosting. A simple two-ingredient chocolate glaze adds shine and extra richness, creating an impressive dessert with minimal effort.
If you’ve wondered whether other gluten-free cake recipes on the blog can be adapted to a bundt pan, this one is designed specifically for that format and will give reliable results. Read the expert tips below for consistent release from the pan and a clean presentation every time.
What’s in it
Recipe Ingredients
- Gluten free flour: Use a balanced all-purpose gluten-free blend with finely ground rice flours. If your blend lacks xanthan gum, add it separately to help the cake hold together.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Provide lift and help the cake brown.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavors.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness and tenderness; using unsalted allows you to control salt.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens and tenderizes the cake.
- Eggs: Provide structure and a tender crumb from the yolks.
- Vanilla: Adds depth of flavor.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch-processed is best for color and flavor; it’s mixed with hot water to make a smooth chocolate base.
- Chocolate: Use baking chocolate (bars or disks) rather than chips for best melting and flavor. Semi‑sweet or dark works well.
- Milk: Whole or 2% milk adds fat and yields a more tender crumb; avoid skim.
How to make a gluten free bundt cake
Make the cake batter base
- Whisk the dry ingredients together: gluten-free flour (with xanthan gum if needed), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Whisk cocoa powder with hot water until smooth, then stir in melted chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter-and-egg base in three additions, alternating with milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined; the batter should be smooth.
Finish the batter and bake
- Fold the chocolate mixture into the prepared batter until no white streaks remain. The batter will be thick.
- Grease a standard 12-cup light-colored metal bundt pan thoroughly.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake at 325°F (163°C) for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate the pan once during baking for even browning.
Cool and glaze the cake
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
- Gently pull the cake away from the pan sides and run a silicone spatula around the center tube to release it.
- Invert the pan onto a wire rack, tap the outside of the pan lightly with a wooden spoon, and allow the cake to cool another 30 minutes or until the pan is only barely warm.
- Remove the pan and let the cake cool completely. Trim the bottom dome with a large knife if you want a flat base for serving.
- Pour the chocolate glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Slice after the glaze sets.
substitutions
Ingredient Substitutions
Dairy free
Replace butter with a solid-stick nondairy butter (brands that hold shape work best). Use unsweetened almond milk or another neutral nondairy milk in place of cow’s milk; avoid fat-free or flavored options. For the glaze, use nondairy whipping cream or canned coconut cream and ensure your baking chocolate is dairy free.
Egg free
Eggs provide structure in this cake; if you need an egg-free version, try flax “eggs” (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water per egg) for added structure. The strong chocolate flavor helps mask any flax taste.
My Pro Tips
Expert tips
Prepare your pan well for easy release
Even nonstick bundt pans need a good coating of softened or melted butter or neutral oil. Paint the fat into every crevice with a pastry brush or cloth. If the pan is scratched or aged, coat it with an extra tablespoon or two of cocoa powder after greasing to help prevent sticking.
Cool the cake in stages, for perfect release
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then gently free the edges and release the center tube. Invert the pan onto the rack, tap the pan all around with a wooden spoon, and let it cool until the pan is barely warm before lifting it off.
Not every cake can be a bundt cake
Bundt cakes usually have a denser, tighter crumb so they hold their shape and release cleanly. Very light, airy cakes often won’t adapt well to a bundt pan.
Level your cake
Because bundt cakes bake upside down, trim any dome after the cake is completely cool for a level base. Alternatively, make a shallow trench in the raw batter to help reduce doming.
Melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler
To melt chocolate safely: microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, or use a double boiler (a heat-safe bowl over simmering water without touching it) for gentle, even melting.
If you enjoy gluten-free chocolate baking, try the dairy-free chocolate cake recipe on the same site for a different take.
FAQs
Yes. Halve all ingredient quantities to fit a 6-cup pan. Baking time will be shorter — start checking at about 27 minutes; it will likely finish around 35 minutes.
Yes. A standard 8-inch round pan holds about 6 cups of batter, so split the batter between two pans and bake for roughly 30 minutes. For a layered round cake, you may prefer a dedicated layer-cake recipe.
To make a vanilla bundt, omit the cocoa powder and chocolate and follow a vanilla bundt or marble recipe instead.
Chocolate chips often contain stabilizers that help them retain shape, so they don’t melt as smoothly as baking chocolate. Use baking chocolate (bars or disks) for the best texture and flavor.
You can substitute a granulated monk fruit product for up to half the sugar, but you may need to add a little more milk because sugar substitutes can dry the batter. Coconut sugar is heavier and not an ideal straight swap; pure erythritol can give a cooling aftertaste.
make ahead/leftovers
Storage Instructions
The cake stays fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days if covered with a cake dome or tightly wrapped. For longer storage, wrap the cooled, unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze.
Freezing the cake
Freeze individual glazed slices wrapped tightly for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature; to speed thawing, microwave a slice for about 15 seconds at 70% power — the glaze should hold up fine.
Chocolate Gluten Free Bundt Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Classic 12-cup cast aluminum bundt pan (a 10-cup pan is okay, too)
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (see notes on appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend contains it)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (150 g weighed out of shell), at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed preferred)
- ⅔ cup (5 ⅓ fl oz) hot water
- 4 ounces semisweet or dark baking chocolate, coarsely chopped, melted
- 1 cup (8 fl oz) milk, at room temperature
For the chocolate glaze
- 4 ounces semisweet or dark baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup (4 fl oz) heavy whipping cream, plus more if needed
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a light-colored 12-cup cast aluminum bundt pan thoroughly. If the pan is scratched or older, dust 1–2 tablespoons cocoa powder over the greased surface and tap out the excess.
- Whisk together flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and beat until smooth.
- In a heat-safe bowl, whisk cocoa powder with hot water until smooth. Add melted chocolate and whisk until combined; set aside to cool slightly.
- To the butter-and-egg mixture, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Fold the chocolate mixture into the batter until no white streaks remain; the batter will be thick but soft.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan, spreading it into all corners. Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes, rotating once halfway through.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Gently free the sides and the center tube, invert onto the rack, tap the pan, and cool another 30 minutes until the pan is barely warm. Remove the pan and cool completely. Trim the bottom if needed for a level base before glazing.
Make the glaze
- Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-safe bowl.
- Heat cream to a simmer, remove from heat, and pour over the chocolate. Let sit 3–5 minutes.
- Stir gently until smooth. Let cool 15 minutes or until thickly pourable; if too thick, add room-temperature cream a few drops at a time.
- Pour the glaze evenly over the cooled cake and allow it to set at room temperature or chill for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Tips for melting chocolate: Microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until smooth, or melt over a double boiler (a heat-safe bowl set over simmering water without touching it).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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