Description

This rich and moist gluten-free chocolate coffee cake is a delightful treat featuring a velvety cocoa sponge layered with a luscious chocolate buttercream icing infused with a hint of coffee. Perfect for special occasions or an indulgent everyday dessert, this cake combines the deep flavors of cocoa and coffee with a smooth, fluffy frosting, all made without gluten to accommodate dietary needs.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

150ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tins
175g gluten-free flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
50g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g dark brown soft sugar
75g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
100g Greek yogurt
100ml milk
2 tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water

Icing Ingredients

300g icing sugar
25g cocoa powder
150g soft salted butter
3 tbsp milk
65g dark chocolate, melted

Instructions

Preheat the Oven and Prepare Tins: Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4). Lightly oil the base of two 18cm sandwich tins and line them with baking parchment to prevent sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, a large pinch of salt, dark brown soft sugar, and caster sugar. Whisk them together to evenly distribute all the ingredients.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a jug, whisk together golden syrup, eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, milk, and dissolved instant coffee until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until the batter is smooth and uniform with no lumps.
Fill Tins and Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and are firm to the touch.
Cool the Cakes: Remove the tins from the oven and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the tins. Then carefully turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely before icing.
Prepare the Icing: While the cakes cool, beat together icing sugar, cocoa powder, soft salted butter, and milk for 5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
Add Melted Chocolate to Icing: Gradually pour the melted dark chocolate into the icing while continuing to beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure an even mix.
Assemble the Cake: Using a small palette knife, spread half the icing over the middle of one cake sponge. Sandwich the other sponge on top with its flat bottom side facing up.
Ice the Cake: Spread the remaining icing evenly around the top and sides of the assembled cake, smoothing with the palette knife. If there is any leftover icing, use it to pipe decorative rosettes on top of the cake.

Notes

This cake is naturally gluten-free thanks to the gluten-free flour and xanthan gum which help replicate the texture of traditional flour.
Dissolving the instant coffee in hot water enhances the coffee flavor, complementing the chocolate taste.
You can substitute Greek yogurt with plain yogurt if desired, but this adds richness and moisture.
Ensure the melted chocolate in the icing is cooled slightly before mixing to avoid curdling the buttercream.
For best texture, allow cakes to cool completely before applying icing to prevent melting.
This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
To keep the cake moist, bring it to room temperature before serving if refrigerated.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: gluten-free chocolate cake, coffee chocolate cake, gluten-free dessert, chocolate buttercream cake, gluten-free baking, coffee infused cake, chocolate sponge cake