Gluten Free Mocha Cake – A ‘Free From’ Celebration Recipe

Utterly delicious, super-fudgy Gluten Free Mocha Cake, layered with mocha buttercream. The perfect balance of chocolate and coffee to make an incredible celebration cake or tea-time treat. Rice-free; Nut-free; Optional dairy free.

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Who fancies a slice of super-fudgy Gluten Free Mocha Cake?

This Gluten Free Mocha Cake is irresistible. A double layer of super-fudgy, rich and decadent mocha sponge (with a hint of coffee-bitterness), layered with sumptuous sweet and creamy mocha buttercream… All decorated with simple piping, mocha beans and chocolate. What’s not to love?!

And there’s always room for cake in life… right? So, whether you dress it down as a simpler tea time treat, or bling it with bells and whistles for a celebration, my Gluten Free Mocha Cake is one recipe you definitely need to have up your sleeve, ready and waiting.

And if you aren’t sure about cake-making, no worries. It’s really not difficult to make.

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What is Mocha?

You will have probably come across the term ‘Mocha’ when visiting a coffee shop (in amongst the often-overwhelming list of coffee options available). But what exactly is a Mocha?

Mocha or ‘Caffe Mocha’ is generally associated with a mug of coffee. However, the word is in fact linked to a location… the city of al-Makha (or Al Mokka (Mocha)) in Yeman. Apparently, the port city of Al Mokka was a major coffee exporter in the 15^th to 18^th Centuries. At that time, arabica coffee (grown on the Yemen mountains) was known as ‘Mocha Coffee’ (or Arabian Mocha). And it just happened to be loved for its naturally chocolatey notes.

‘Mocha’ coffee today, is not made specifically with Mocha beans. However, the happy marriage of chocolate notes with deep, rich coffee has been adopted and meddled over time to secure its place in our coffee-filled lives.

At its heart, today’s Mocha is a shot of strong espresso coffee, combined with chocolate, chocolate powder or syrup, blended with milk or cream. (Head over to Perfect Daily Grind if you want to find out more). And in keeping with tradition, my Gluten Free Mocha Cake pairs these two characteristic flavours side by side and together, creating a divine and sumptuous treat.

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Making this recipe as a Mocha Celebration Cake

This recipe has been on the blog since 2017 and was originally made as a celebration cake for one of Miss GF’s birthdays. Despite having a reasonable hit of coffee, it (fortunately) didn’t have any ‘hyper’ after-effects, despite being wolfed down by a bunch of kids. But if you are worried, just use instant decaf.

Whatever coffee you choose, the sponge makes an amazing canvass for a celebration cake, because it is fudgy and a little dense (although still moist and tender). It stacks well and will take any manner of decorative additions as a layer cake.

Although I coated my Mocha Cake in a full layer of buttercream, it would work equally well as a ‘naked cake’, slathered in ganache, or simply top decorated. If you want to add a fruity kick, coffee and chocolate work incredibly well alongside blueberries or raspberries.

Is this Gluten Free Mocha Cake safe for Coeliacs?

Absolutely yes! This Mocha cake is made with gluten free flour. Thus, it is safe for Coeliacs and (if you live in the States or other places where the spelling is different), Celiacs… Just make sure you check all ingredient labels for any hidden gluten or ‘may contain’ warnings, to avoid any risk of cross-contamination.

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Can I also make this gluten free cake recipe dairy free?

Oh yes! If you want to make a dairy free, gluten free Mocha Cake, the sponge works really well with simple subs of dairy free butter (I recommend a good block alternative such as Stork Baking Block) and dairy free milk (to make the ‘buttermilk’). Also make sure the dark chocolate and cocoa used in the sponge are additionally certified dairy free-gluten free.

When it comes to decoration, it’s easy to make the same subs for the mocha buttercream and other additions, or go ‘rogue’ and make variations your own…

What gluten free flour can I use to make Gluten Free Mocha Cake?

Okay… So, when I make my Gluten Free Mocha Cake, I use my own Gluten Free, Rice Free, Blend B flour mix. But this cake honestly isn’t precious! While my rice-free blend makes an amazing sponge with no trace of ‘grittiness’ or rice-based arsenic, the cake can also be made with other gluten free flour blends too. Just make sure you use a flour blend, as these are formulated for general gluten free baking. Singular gluten free flours will not do the same job.

Whichever blend you choose, make sure to add the xanthan gum (UNLESS the blend already contains it – check the ingredients); and raising agents as stated in the recipe. With this in mind, I strongly advise use of a plain flour blend (not self-raising).

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What do I need to make Gluten Free Mocha Cake?

Key Ingredients…

In addition to the flour discussed above, when making Gluten Free Mocha Cake, it is worth thinking about some of the other key ingredients listed in the recipe…

• Dark Chocolate – Chocolate comes in various states of quality and when baking I would always recommend using a good-quality brand. It is also essential (for those with either Coeliac Disease or a gluten-linked health diagnosis) that the dark chocolate is confirmed gluten free. I recommend using Callebaut chocolate calettes for quality and meltability (although it is NOT suitable if you are dairy-allergic). Price for price, they are almost identical to a standard bar of ‘Bourneville’ dark chocolate, especially when bought in a larger-size bag.
• Coffee Powder – When baking (and unless a recipe states otherwise), always use an INSTANT powdered coffee that will dissolve and combine easily with the other ingredients. Purely for its strength of flavour, I always use Nescafe Azera Espresso instant powder.
• Eggs – The recipe shared for Gluten Free Mocha Cake uses UK LARGE eggs. For consistency, it’s what I always use in baking. However, bear in mind that egg sizing varies around the world, so if you don’t live in the UK, make sure your eggs are the right (equivalent) size. If unsure, check out my International Egg Size and Weight Comparison Chart.
• Decoration – How you choose to decorate your Gluten Free Mocha Cake is up to you… But if you like what I have done, you’ll need some chocolate cigarillos and some mocha beans. I get my cigarillos from the Chocolate Trading Company (as they are a superior quality and are packaged for transportation exceptionally well to avoid crushing). The mocha beans can be found on-line, or sometimes, in Waitrose.

Equipment…

To make my Gluten Free Mocha Cake, you’ll need:

• Two deep 8 inch cake tins (I always use the Masterclass tins).
• Good quality baking paper to line the tins or baking paper circles.
• Small non-stick saucepan.
• A good set of Kitchen Measuring Scales. I’ve linked the ones I use.
• Measuring Spoons.
• An Electric Whisk and a flexible Spoon/Spatula.
• Mixing Bowls.
• Oven and hob.
• A Wire Rack.

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Ready to make Gluten Free Mocha Cake?

Below, you’ll find my recipe for Gluten Free Mocha Cake. I hope you love it. If you make it, please let me know how you found it. You can either leave a comment or tag me on social media with your delicious cake pics. (Find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter). And if you aren’t already, why not subscribe to our weekly update, so that you never miss a recipe? Just fill out the subscription box on the Home Page or at the end of this post.

And if it’s big cakes you’re after, have you visited our dedicated Celebration and Big Cake Index yet? There’s loads to choose from, including my epic (and very popular) Gluten Free Coffee and Walnut Cake; Super-citrussy Orange Celebration Cake; Perfectly-balance Banoffee Layer Cake; Reader-requested Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake; and even a traditional fruit Simnel Cake.

Enjoy

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4.80 from 5 votes

Gluten Free Mocha Cake

Utterly delicious, super-fudgy Mocha Cake, layered with mocha buttercream. The perfect balance of chocolate and coffee to make an incredible celebration cake or tea-time treat. Rice-free; Nut-free; Optional dairy free.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Cake, frostings & icings, Sweet Treats

Cuisine: British, Gluten Free, optional dairy free

Keyword: buttercream, chocolate, Coffee, mocha, sponge

Servings: 14

Calories per serving: 630.3kcal

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse

Key equipment

• Kitchen scales
• measuring spoons
• Oven
• 2 x deep 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tins
• baking paper
• Small saucepan
• wooden/silicone spoon
• Mixing bowls
• electric whisk
• mixing spoon/spatula
• wire rack
• microwave or hob and saucepan
• cake spatula
• piping bag and nozzle – optional

Ingredients 

0.33x0.5x0.66x1x1.5x2x

MetricUS Customary

Sponge Cake

• ▢ 2 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder
• ▢ 125 ml cold water
• ▢ 200 g good quality dark chocolate cut into pieces
• ▢ 200 g unsalted butter or dairy free alternative cubed
• ▢ 170 g plain gluten free flour blend I used the GFA rice-free blend B – See NOTES for link
• ▢ 1½ tsp baking powder gluten free
• ▢ 1 tsp xanthan gum
• ▢ ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ▢ 400 g golden caster sugar superfine sugar
• ▢ 25 g cocoa powder
• ▢ 75 ml milk/dairy free alternative
• ▢ ½ tbsp lemon juice
• ▢ 3 large eggs UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)

Mocha Buttercream

• ▢ 200 g good quality dark chocolate chopped
• ▢ 240 g unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 tsp instant espresso coffee powder mixed to a smooth paste with 1 teaspoon boiling water
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 180 g icing sugar confectioners sugar
• ▢ 1 to 2 tbsp milk/dairy-free alternative as needed

Decoration – optional

• ▢ 17 chocolate Mocha Beans
• ▢ 8 dark chocolate cigarillos
• ▢ a dusting of finely grated chocolate

Instructions

Sponge

• Base-line two deep 8 inch (20 cm) round loose-bottomed non-stick cake tins with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas 3.
• Mix the coffee powder with the water in a small saucepan and add the chocolate and butter.
• Place on the hob and (stirring frequently), heat over a medium setting until just melted. Set aside.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl (or shake vigorously in a sealed airtight container), making sure the mixture is well blended and all lumps are completely broken down. Set aside.
• Heat the milk either in a microwave or in a small saucepan over a low heat until almost simmering and then take off the heat and add the lemon juice.
• Stir until the milk thickens and looks curdled.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended and light.
• Add the milk mixture to the eggs and beat again.
• Pour the milk-egg mixture and the chocolate mix into the bowl of flour and stir with a large spoon or spatula until you have a well blended and smooth batter.
• Pour the mixture into the two tins and bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes, before loosening the sides with a spatula and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mocha Buttercream

• Place the chocolate in a small glass bowl and melt in the microwave on a medium setting, 30 second bursts, stirring well between each until smooth (or in a heatproof bowl set above a saucepan of lightly simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth). Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and pale.
• Add a little icing sugar and the vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.
• Gradually add the rest of the icing sugar, the coffee, the melted chocolate and (if necessary) a drop of milk, to ensure a thick, creamy, spreading consistency, beating between each addition. (if it seems a little too loose, keep beating until thick and/or add a little extra icing sugar).

Putting the cake together

• When the sponges are cold, place one of them on a decorating board and spread some of the buttercream in a thick, even layer across it, before placing the second sponge on top.
• Using a spatula, spread a further layer of buttercream across the top and down the sides (making sure you leave some icing to pipe decorations) and smooth to the look that you want.
• Arrange the cigarillos across the top in an even ‘spoke’ pattern.
• Using a wide, star-tipped nozzle and piping bag, pipe flower decorations on the sides and top of the cake.
• Finally, add the Mocha Beans and a light, fine grating of dark chocolate.
• Chill in the fridge for about 40 minutes (to firm up the icing), before transferring to a serving plate.
• The cake is best stored at ambient temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend B can be found on the GFA Flours & Flour Blending Page. If using an alternative flour blend, the texture may vary. 

Nutrition

Calories: 630.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 65.8g | Protein: 5.7g | Fat: 40.1g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109.2mg | Sodium: 200.9mg | Potassium: 298.9mg | Fiber: 5.1g | Sugar: 49.5g | Vitamin A: 864.8IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 79.9mg | Iron: 4.4mg

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© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

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