Gluten-free chocolate mud cake
Just because you’re gluten-free doesn’t mean you should miss out on life’s most delicious treats. I just won’t have it! This amazing mudcake is fudgey, silky and gloriously rich (it uses a whole block of real chocolate – a very good start). It’s perfect eaten just as it is with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, or you could add a dollop of cream or Greek yoghurt. As a dessert option, serve warm with ice cream. You don’t have to be gluten intolerant to enjoy this cake, either.
ALLERGY NOTE: If you need a nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free chocolate cake (that can also be made gluten-free), click here.
Ingredients
250g butter, cubed
250g good quality dark chocolate (I used 62% cocoa )
5 free-range eggs
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
½ cup strong black coffee, cooled (or use milk)
1 tsp vanilla paste or essence
2 cups ground almonds (almond meal)
3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (without raising agent) (or use coconut flour)
1/4 cup dark baking cocoa
2 1/2 tsp baking powder (gluten-free if needed)
1/2 tsp salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 160c conventional bake. Line the base and sides of a 23-25cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Set a rack just below the centre of the oven.
Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave again for another 30-60 seconds and stir again until smooth. (Or, add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and fit a heatproof bowl on top – not touching the water. Add the broken up chocolate and butter, bring the water to a simmer and stir until melted.) Set aside.
Add the ground almonds, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into another medium mixing bowl, and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Add the eggs, sugar, coffee and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk to combine evenly (or use an electric beater on a medium speed for 30 seconds or so). Add to the melted chocolate mixture, and whisk again to combine to a smooth batter. Add the almond/flour mixture and stir/fold gently until evenly combined with no lumps. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out and cool on a cake rack. Dust with icing sugar before slicing and serving warm or cold.
Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Can you confirm the Tin is 27 cm please I have a 23 cm tin but if this will not work I will buy the larger size.
Thanks
I think the 23 might be a bit small – try it and see :)
If you don’t need it to be gluten free can you use normal flour if that is all you have ? PS love your recipes x
Yes.
Can you taste the coffee and is it essential? I don’t drink coffee because I don’t like the taste or smell.
You can’t taste it at all :)
What is caster sugar?
It’s finer grains of sugar – plain sugar can be whizzed in a food processor.
I love that you are making gluten free recipes my son is coeliac and feels he really misses out sometimes, however he is also allergic to all nuts too so some nice recipes without either would be fantastic. Many thanks x
where do you get Vanilla paste from & can it be any 72%coca dark chocolate?
You can use essence instead, and yes it can.
Hi.
What is vanilla paste please? X
Just use vanilla essence if you can’t find it x
Just put this in the oven! Can I freeze it? Thanks
Yes.
What a fab cake!!! I adapted it to be dairy free too as I have an allergy and it was the best chocolate cake I’ve had!
I cant drink coffee, what could I substitute instead? I really wanna make this recipe :) Thanks for creating and sharing it.
Milk!
Shame it includes sugar – root of most chronic ill-health..
It’s a treat, and I believe everything in moderation.
Hi, my son is also allergic to coffee. What could I replace this with? I so want to try this for my lil one. Xx
Milk!
I am most disturbed at the amount of non-coffee lovers in this post!! Sorry that you have to answer milk 10 million times :)
Hi, can you omit the coffee from this receipe, and if so, do you need to replace it with something else? Thanks
Milk :)
Love it! I was looking for a Gluten free chocolate mud cake recipe for a long time!
This cake looks delicious. If you don’t like coffee what can I substitute for the 1/2 cup instead? Thanks. Teri
Milk!
Do you think this cake would be suitable for covering in fondant/sugar paste?
Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks
x
Yes!
Hi, can I replace the coffee with something- not a coffee fan :( looks delicious!
Milk!
Can you substitute the coffee for something else? Cannot handle the taste of coffee sorry.
Milk.
What is Almond meal please? I’m in the UK and I don’t know that I’ve seen it? Is it ground Almonds? Thanks
Yes.
That was nom nom nom. Not no not not lol
There’s no saying no to this ha ha! I appreciate a yummy healthy gluten free cake. Do you have self saucing pudding recipes to share by any chance? ♡♡
Gooey little chocolate puddings is on my website :)
Gooey puddings are yummy cold the next day
OMG! My besty posted this for me! No not not. I WILL be testing this out!
Thank you kindly
Love your food, I wish I could eat it everyday
I’ve been bursting to try this recipe all week. And finally I’ve given it a go. I made a few changes- no coffee, brown sugar and substituted some of the almond meal for some LSA to ramp up the goodies intake for small people. Turned out utterly wonderful.
Hi Chelsea,
Would you mind posting more GF options?
GF pies would be fantastic!
David
Oo I agree!! GF pies! Would be amazing please! :)
This looks so decadent and rich. Can’t wait to try it out.
Hi Chelsea , would this be suitable to cover in fondant, or is it more of a delicate mud
Yes.
What could you use in replace of coffee not a fan of coffee but love the recipe. …
Milk.
Hi, do you think it would be ok to replace the milk with soya or coconut milk? As I can’t eat gluten or dairy.
Thank you
Fiona
Yep!
Hi
I have to bake this for my sil as it looks amazing. I’m not sure where it states 1/2 cup etc what weight that would be? Sorry I’ve only just started baking :-) thank you
I was wondering if I could use lactose free milk as well? Some of my family suffer with that quite a bit.
Yes.
Hi Chelsea :) Just wondering – I am taking a plate to a friend’s place (she is gluten-free), I have self-raising gluten free flour can I use that ? or is it better to use gluten free (standard) flour plus baking powder ? Thank you :) xx
Sounds amazing, will be trying. But just a heads up, if you NEED to be gluten free dont forget to use a GF baking powder :)
Sounds delicious, can’t wait to try it. Just a small addendum please specify that the baking powder is gluten free because most aren’t
Don’t worry will have to use coffee after all lol
Thank you so much for this, I have a friend who eats gluten free. So now I can try and make this for her. Thank you again for sharing.
I have just made this and its still in the oven . I replaced the caster sugar with brown rice malt syrup, as I am on a low carb diet. Fingers crossed it works! The mixture tasted amazing
Hi there, how did you find it after not adding the sugar?
Thank you for creating Gluten Free (GF) options.
I love Caramel, do you have a GF caramel mud cake recipe?
Cheers
Eve
Hi would you be able to freeze this cake.
Hi, is gluten free flour mix just plain gluten free flour?
Yes, you will see the store bought GF flour is a mix of different types of flour x
Can you please tell me the difference between almond meal and ground almonds. Will either work with this recipe? T I A
No difference!
Thanks for the recipe now I can have a mud cake as well
This cake looks awesome . I am in the process of making it now. Looks delicious , thank you.
What can I substitute in place of the coffee? Thank you!
Milk!
Just wondring does that amount of coffee leave a strong taste, Im not a coffee drinker, could I use something different instead
No, you can’t taste it.
Sounds yum, would it work as cupcakes? Thanks!
This would be great dairy free aswell with margarine and almond milk :-) (whittakers dark choc is dairy free)
Hi Chelsea, I’ve just ordered your cookbooks, figure that my Australian friends need a bit of kiwi food loving! Do you routinely use the fan or convential bake function when baking?
this looks lovely! Can’t wait to try it, but I have to go out and get almond meal, I don’t have 2 cups here.
Just wondering if you think this could be cut up and frozen? Would love to have a wee stash of cake in the freezer for my daughter to give her when others get treats but not sure how this would cope with freezing? Thanks!
Is it too rich to ice with buttercream or ganache? if I wanted to use it for a birthday cake?
No, that’s fine!
Oh most wondrous one is the ground almonds almond meal or just crushed?
I have a gluten free child who is drooling at this.
Loving your work.
Almond meal :)