This gluten-free vegan chocolate Texas sheet cake is hands down THE BEST chocolate cake I've ever had {and that says a lot coming from a person who eats chocolate treats at least twice a day and spends her whole life baking! ;) }. Seriously, though this chocolate cake came out really well and it's a recipe I've now made twice {in the span of a week} because I love it so! It's rich, moist, fudgey, cakey, and absolutely delicious.
My inspiration for this recipe came from a reader recipe request during a recent giveaway on the blog, where readers were asked to share a recipe they'd like made gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. for the holidays. I was really touched by this request from Connie {and I'm sure you would be too}, who wrote the following:
"My son found out he has Celiac disease 3 weeks before his wedding in June. I make a chocolate sheet cake that he'd asked me to make prior to finding out about needing to be gluten free and I never got around to making it for him due to being so busy planning for the wedding, a new grandbaby, etc. So if I could get a gluten free recipe for chocolate sheet cake to make him for the holidays, that would be wonderful!!"
She also shared that the traditional cake recipe she uses "has flour, sugar, butter, oil, cocoa, vanilla, baking soda, eggs and milk. Frosting - cocoa, butter, milk, powder sugar, vanilla, pecans" -- all typical ingredients of a Texas sheet cake. And while Connie's main concern is gluten, I also made this cake dairy and egg-free, and used maple syrup as a sweetener in place of sugar -- and I honestly don't think anybody in the world would know the difference between the cake I ended up with and the dairy, flour, and egg alternative! Indeed my non gluten-free critics have very much enjoyed this cake {and they can be a very tough bunch to please sometimes as they scatter at the sound of "gluten-free"... This cake absolutely passed the test on that front}. It turned out light and fluffy, but sturdy and springy, and very moist and rich. And as I mentioned, it's a recipe I absolutely love and will be making for myself quite often.
*** A special note for Connie: if you did want to just stick to your original traditional recipe {since it seems to be well loved by your son!} and only replace the gluten-filled flour part, feel free to just substitute the flour in the cake part with the following:
- Assuming your recipe calls for 2 cups regular flour: use ¾ cup brown rice flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ½ cup sweet rice flour, ½ teaspoon guar gum.
- If your recipe uses baking powder {I doubt it, but mentioning it just in case}, then make sure the baking powder is certified gluten-free.
- That's all :) -- all the other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
If you wanted to give my recipe a try for a change, however, then follow my lead :) . I'd love to hear how close I came with the cake part to your original recipe! Whether you use my recipe or your original with the gluten-free flour substitute, I'd absolutely love to hear how your son enjoyed it! :) Thanks for the wonderful recipe inspiration!
Vegan Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
Adapted from this recipe for classic chocolate Texas sheet cake from the food network.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9" x 13" Cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Dry Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour blend {I recommend Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend} {or make your own by combining: 1 cup brown rice flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ½ cup sweet rice flour, ¾ teaspoon guar gum}
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Liquid Cake:
- 2 cups maple syrup {or another liquid sweetener of your choice}
- ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce {I used my homemade applesauce}
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Butter Chocolate Mixture:
- 1 cup dairy-free butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup boiling water
Frosting:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk {should be refrigerated overnight}
- 6 oz non-dairy baker's chocolate
- ½ cup maple syrup {or liquid sweetener of your choice}
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional:
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter a 9" x 13" x 2" rectangular baking dish {or something of a similar size}. Set aside.
- Combine all dry cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add in wet cake ingredients, and mix everything together with a wooden spoon.
- Place butter in a small sauce pan and warm on medium-low heat. Boil 1 cup water separately in the meantime. Once butter is melted, add in cocoa powder and stir the mixture to combine. Pour boiling water into the mixture and mix everything together into a smooth chocolate mixture. Pour into the other cake ingredients and stir everything well with a wooden spoon to combine. Pour into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top to even everything out.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 27 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for the cake to fully cool.
- FROSTING: Remove chilled can of coconut milk from the fridge. Use a spoon to carefully extract the white cream layer at the top of the can, and discarding all the water that separated at the bottom of the can. {Important: try to really only scoop out the solid white part, leaving ALL water behind in the can}.
- Place the coconut cream into a medium sized mixing bowl and use a mixer to whip it into whipped cream. Add in maple syrup and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler {or microwave} and pour into the whipped mixture. Mix everything to combine, and place in the fridge to chill for at least half an hour {over which time the liquid mixture will solidify}. Once chilled, use a spatula to mix it a little. It will look like something like this when done:
- If using pecans {optional -- I skipped this part}, then spread the pecans over the cake, then frost the cooled cake and enjoy! {See further notes on frosting tips}.
Notes
Store any leftover cake in the fridge. It will keep fresh for days. It also freezes very well.
A few notes on the frosting: Traditional Texas sheet cake frosting is more solid and hard since it relies on the mixture of sugar and butter. I felt like going with a slightly more soft frosting {since the cake is in a pan that's very forgiving and I'll take a good gooey melted chocolate topping over a crunchy one any day ;) }.
This particular frosting has a solid soft spreadable consistency after chilling. If however you frost your cake while it's still warm/hot, then the frosting will turn slightly more gooey {as you can see in the pictures of the finished cake, which I frosted while still warm}. I love it that way, but if you prefer a more solid frosting, then make sure your cake is chilled first.
Either way, the frosting will solidify once the cake has chilled in the fridge.
For a more traditional frosting, have a look at the frosting in this recipe {but use non-dairy butter and milk}.
Jane A Sprague says
Can this recipe be made in a jelly roll pan like a traditional Texas Sheet Cake or does it need to be in a 9" by 13" pan?
Audrey says
Hi Jane. The pan I used is 9 x 13 x 2 inches (12 cup volume). It wasn't filled all the way up though. So if you use a sheet pan with a similar volume you should be good to go, though I have yet to try and bake it that thin myself. I think you'll need a 12 x 17 inch jelly roll pan as it has a comparable volume.
Julie says
I have made this several times as written, and it turns out great every time. I would like to try a grain free version - have you tried this with almond or cassava flour?
Audrey says
Hi Julie, I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe! :) I haven't tried it with either of those flours. I think the flour mix I use / recommend gives the cake a nice springiness that you couldn't achieve with cassava or almond flour alone (almond flour is also not absorbent, so I definitely wouldn't recommend using it on its own here -- without reconfiguring remaining ingredients, that is, which would require some playing around with the recipe). You can probably use some cassava instead of some of the rice flour in the mix though. And you can also work in a bit of almond flour into the mix for added flavor, etc. Those are my thoughts, but that's not to say it can't be done, of course :) When there's a will, there's a way...
Melissa says
Amazing!!!!! Best refined sugar free cake I have tasted!! I used coconut oil because I was out of my butter substitute and I used a flour blend from sarahbakesgf.com and it turned out great!!! Thank you!
Audrey says
That's awesome -- so glad the recipe worked for you. Thanks for the lovely feedback, Melissa, and for sharing your substitutions. Sarah's mix is great :)
carrie says
is the 2 cups maple syrup in the cake correct? or should that be smaller measurement?
Audrey says
Hi Carrie. Yes, that is the correct amount. It's a large cake. You can make half a cake instead if you prefer :)
kat says
Thanks for sharing your GF flour mixture recipe! I have xanthan gum at home, do you think I could use it instead of guar?
Audrey says
Hi Kat, yes, definitely. Enjoy the cake :)
Jess says
Can't wait to try this! Curious...Can I use grapeseed oil instead of vegan butter?
Audrey says
Hi Jess,
Yes, it will work, but the cake will loose a bit of its buttery-smooth flavor... Also, I'd add a tiny pinch more salt, just because vegan butter usually it a bit saltier. But otherwise, you're good to go :)
Brenda says
kind of a reverse-substitution question here, but-- is there something i can substitute for the applesauce? apples make me sick, unfortunately. i know usually applesauce is a 1:1 oil replacement, but since this already has butter, i don't know if i add more oil or if the applesauce is doing something else for the cake. so i guess my real question is-- what is the applesauce doing in this recipe? that might help me figure out how to replace it.
KT says
Applesauce can be used as a binder, in place of eggs, so you’ll need something else to serve that purpose. You might experiment with bananas.
Laura says
Hi Audrey,
Is it possible to replace the cup of dairy-free butter by a cup of melted coconut oil?
Kind regards,
Laura
Audrey says
Hi Laura, yes, definitely. The butter adds a "velvety" touch to the cake, but coconut oil will work find as a close alternative.
C. J. says
I am not allergic to gluten or have Celiac disease, but have avoided gluten because gluten causes an increase of pain from my Rheumatoid arthritis and other problems.
Your recipe is great and no different in taste to the conventional recipe. Thank you for your dilligence in helping people who need to bake with a tweek.
Audrey says
Thanks very much for taking the time to leave your lovely feedback -- so happy you liked the cake! :) It's one of our favorites too.
I don't have celiac either by the way, but gluten aggravates other autoimmune symptoms for me and causes digestive upset, so I avoid it entirely.
Tonya says
I'm currently making this cake as I type.
The majority of my students are vegan, so I hope they enjoy this tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Audrey says
So happy to hear that, Tonya! So long as all goes well, I KNOW they'll love it :) I've never had a chocolate lover turn this down -- regardless of their diet.
Tonya says
I cut out a baker's piece for me to taste test, and my students are going to love this cake. I had a hard time stopping myself from eating more.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Tonya -- you must have made it right then, because that's exactly how I feel about this cake whenever I make it :) I hope the students enjoyed it!
EJ Taylor says
This cake...I must start off by saying I did make one change to the recipe. I am not vegan but I do have egg allergies and my diet is gluten-free. With that being said, I used BUTTER in this recipe. My cake didn't turn out cakey and fudgey. It came out light, fluffy and moist. I used King Arthur multi-purpose flour. This cake is gluten-free perfection. Thank you so much for sharing. Just when I thought all hope was lost for yummy gluten-free baked goods...
★★★★
Audrey says
Aw, thank you so much for the sweet feedback EJ! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cake and I'm glad to hear of your substitutions -- always good to hear what worked for people, especially when it comes to flour mixes, etc. Your comment made my weekend! :)
Jennifer says
This looks so very delicious...my girls love to bake. Can I substitute regular butter?
Audrey says
Thanks Jennifer! Yes, real butter will work wonderfully well here {in fact, it's traditional to use real butter}. Feel free to use dairy equivalents to any non-dairy butter in any of my recipes -- just substitute measure for measure. I avoid it in my recipes due to a dairy intolerance and use non-dairy alternatives instead. Hope your girls will like this -- happy baking! :)
Kara says
Hi Audrey,
This cake sounds delicious. Is there a substitute I can use for guar gum.
Thanks!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Kara! It really was a delicious cake and I'd love for you to be able to make it, guar gum notwithstanding :)
I haven't tried this particular recipe without the gum {yet}, but I think it should work well with 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder OR 1 tbsp extra arrowroot, cornstarch, or tapioca flour. The guar gum definitely adds to the texture, but I bet it would even work without it altogether {without any substitute}. I'd love to hear how it goes for you if you give it a try with a replacement!
Jill says
Hello, can this cake be removed from the pan before serving? I am looking for a recipe I can cut into the shape of a crown for my daughters princess birthday party. This one looks awesome so was hoping it would work for that.
Audrey says
Hi Jill -- yes, it can totally be removed! Since I shared the recipe I had also tried it out as a layer cake in 3 6" round pans that were well greased and I lined the bottom of each with a circle of parchment paper -- they all flipped out very cleanly so you shouldn't have any problems if you do that with your pan(s).
It is a moister cake, so you want to be careful when you flip it over. With mine, I made sure first of all that the cake was totally cooled off. Then I made sure all the edges were loose first and also covered the top with a plate and then flipped the pan & plate over quickly but carefully -- they didn't break or crack one bit. {Sorry if this is too much info by the way if you already know what you're doing -- just wanted to make sure it's all clear :) }.
I think if done carefully this will work beautifully for a princess crown cake ;) . As you can see in the photos, it slices very cleanly, so it should work well for cutting into a shape.
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
Audrey this looks amazing! I'm a die hard chocolate lover and I'd love to try this. I've never baked GF, dairy free and only once made a vegan cake. One of my goals on my blog this year is to bake GF, dairy free and vegan so I'll definitely be using your wonderful blog as a resource. These have been featured as one of my favourites on Sweet and Savoury Sundays. I'm opening Sweet and Savoury Sundays early this week to make up for missing last weeks, so be sure to stop by and link up at the earlier time of Saturday 8am UK time. Happy New Year!
Audrey says
Sweet -- thanks so much, Laura! :) Look forward to seeing your other features! If you like chocolate, I think you'll most definitely love this cake ;)
Connie says
Just had to let you know I made the chocolate sheet cake for my son using my recipe and substituting the flour blend you recommended. I made it for him for Christmas and it turned out great and he loved it. Thanks so much for your suggestion.
Audrey says
So glad to hear that, Connie! Oddly enough just this morning for some reason I was thinking about you and your son and whether the cake worked out, and then came online to see your comment -- made my day! :) So glad you were able to use your recipe with this flour blend. I'm planning on putting up a blog post with flour blend substitution suggestions for scenarios like this, so that it's easier for people to go with their traditional recipes but swap out the gluten when needed. Hopefully that will be up some time this week. Wishing you and your son and family a very happy new year and thanks again for the wonderful suggestion that led me to discover my favorite chocolate cake :)
vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I can't wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Christy says
This looks amazing and is on my list of must have things to make. Have you tried this with any other flours with success? I do not have a gluten sensitivity so curious since you said it was the best.
Audrey says
Hi Christy -- thanks so much. To say the truth, this cake was really as delicious as it looks :) It's my favorite chocolate cake to date -- gluten-free or not.
I have only tried it with the two flour mixtures I mentioned in the recipe ingredients -- once with a store-bought baking mix {Pamela's} and once with my own mix, and came up with a really delicious cake both times. I found the flavor and texture were the same with both flour blends. One thing I can say is that the flour mix I use creates a texture and flavor very similar to regular flour in most recipes, so if you're not trying to avoid gluten, I feel pretty confident you can just use regular flour in this recipe and that it will work just fine. I can't taste test it for you, of course ;) but just going based on my other baking experiences with my gluten-free mix vs. regular flour {which I sometimes bake with for my husband, who is not gluten-sensitive} I'm certain it will work.
I'd love to hear how you like it when you make it! :)
Kristina says
Wow, this looks divine! Will have to try ASAP!!!
Audrey says
Thanks so much Kristina. I'm sure if you make it you'll love it. Happy baking!