For those occasions when you just need a small chocolate cake, this is the recipe to use! This chocolate cake is rich, moist, and allergy friendly. This is the perfect recipe for those who are gluten free, vegan, and nut free.
If you’ve ever been to my house, you know that there are a bunch of chocoholics here, so why in the world am I sharing a small chocolate cake recipe with you?
When we do birthdays, we do big chocolate cakes! A nice frosted layer cake is the norm here for a birthday party.
But, there are some occasions when you might want a small cake. How about for a first birthday party? A cute little smash cake is just right for a photo opportunity. And this recipe is free of all the top allergens, so that’s a bonus!
Or maybe you’re having a date night at home, and you want a sweet treat for two – this is a quick and easy dessert to make and share.
I’m hoping you can see in the photos how nice the crumb is in this gluten free cake. Sometimes I hear from readers who are new to gluten free, egg free baking, and their number one complaint is the texture of their cakes. It can be tricky to get a nice, light texture when you’re making allergy friendly desserts.
This recipe is just right for anytime you need a small dessert! I think you’ll love this cute little cake.
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Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour – There are a lot of gluten free flour blends available, but my very favorite blend is my homemade gluten free all purpose flour. Even if you’ve never made your own flour blend, you should give it a try – it only requires four ingredients. If you’re going to buy a store bought gluten free blend, try to get one that does not contain xanthan gum or guar gum. I don’t find that xanthan gum is necessary to hold gluten free cakes together – in fact, it can create a gummy texture that’s unappealing.
- Cocoa Powder – I use Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, but you can use any brand that works for your dietary needs.
- Oil – I used organic coconut oil in this recipe, but if you can’t have coconut, you could substitute organic canola oil or melted vegan buttery spread.
- Powdered Sugar – Wholesome Sweeteners makes powdered sugar that is vegan and corn free, so that’s what we use. You can make this frosting with any powdered sugar that you like.
Step by Step Instructions
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. You can mix this batter by hand, no need for a mixer.
- Pour the batter into a small 5 inch or 6 inch cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 24 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the cake pan. Make the frosting, then pipe onto the cooled cake.
Special Equipment
To make a small cake, you will need a smaller than usual round cake pan. Either a 5 or 6 inch round pan will work well. You should be able to find this at any store that sells cake decorating supplies, like Michael’s or Jo Ann Fabrics.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can easily make this cake one day ahead of time. I recommend wrapping the cake in plastic wrap, then just frost it before you’re ready to serve the cake.
Making the frosting ahead of time could work, but you do need to refrigerate it, and then it will get very firm. If you choose to do that, just make sure you allow plenty of time for the frosting to come to room temperature before you pipe it on the cake.
FAQs
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t recommend it. Using coconut flour or almond flour may result in a heavy, dry cake. Grain free flours seem to work best in recipes that use eggs.
I haven’t made this with a sugar substitute, but I suspect if it is a cup for cup substitute, it should work just fine.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Small Chocolate Cake (Allergy Friendly, Egg Free).
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil
- â…“ cup organic cane sugar
- ½ cup gluten free flour If you're going to use a store bought gluten free flour blend, try to find a lighter blend that doesn't contain any gums, like Living Now All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour.
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- â…“ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- â…“ teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ cup water
For the frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon vegan buttery spread
- 1 ½ Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take a little bit of coconut oil and oil the bottom of the 5 or 6 inch cake pan. Cut a small circle from parchment paper and fit it into the bottom of the pan.
- Place the coconut oil in a medium sized mixing bowl, and microwave for about 30 seconds until melted. Add the sugar and stir.
- Add the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, vinegar, and water. Stir well with a spoon.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 24 minutes for a 5 inch pan, and about 22 minutes for a 6 inch pan.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, and overturn it onto a plate to release the cake.
Make the frosting:
- Place the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vegan buttery spread, and water in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium high speed until smooth. Add more water if the frosting is too thick.
- Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cake. I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the frosting on, but you can use any tip you like, or just spread the frosting on.
- Enjoy! You can also top this cake with drizzled melted chocolate or powdered sugar and fresh fruit.
Katie
Delicious recipe!