Ultimate Decadent Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Choose one complete batter option below. Do not combine the ingredient lists.

Option 1: Ultimate Homemade Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake

1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 cup glutinous rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup unsweetened Black Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and diced, or 1 cup neutral oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces sour cream
3 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 package mini chocolate chips

Option 2: Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 cup Black Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2/3 cup oil
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Option 3: Measure for Measure Chocolate Bundt Cake

2 1/4 cups Measure for Measure gluten-free flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Black Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water

Option 4: Cake Mix Shortcut

1 box gluten-free chocolate cake mix
8 ounces sour cream
3 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 large package chocolate chips
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
4 large eggs

For Preparing the Pan

Grease for the Bundt pan
Gluten-free flour or cocoa powder, for dusting

Optional Finishing Ingredients

Powdered sugar
Chocolate glaze, chocolate ganache, or buttercream frosting
Fresh berries
Whipped cream

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Bundt Pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, reaching into the grooves and around the center tube. Lightly dust with gluten-free flour or cocoa powder, then tap out the excess. 

Careful pan preparation helps the cake release while preserving its decorative shape.

Step 2: Choose and Mix One Batter

Select one complete ingredient option. Place the ingredients for that option into a large mixing bowl, leaving out the chocolate chips when included.

For Option 1, use either the softened butter or the 1 cup neutral oil alternative, along with the separately listed 1/2 cup oil. Reserve the mini chocolate chips.

For Option 2, combine all the ingredients in that option, including the listed xanthan gum.

For Option 3, combine only the ingredients listed for the Measure for Measure version.

For Option 4, combine the dry cake mix with the sour cream, pudding mix, oil, water, and eggs. Reserve the chocolate chips. Follow this ingredient list rather than adding the ingredients requested on the cake mix package.

Beat your selected batter until smooth and fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed so no pockets of dry ingredients remain.

Step 3: Fold in the Chocolate Chips

For Options 1 and 4, gently fold the reserved chocolate chips into the batter with a rubber spatula. Mix just until evenly distributed.

Skip this step for Options 2 and 3, which do not include chocolate chips.

Step 4: Fill the Bundt Pan

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface with a spatula, distributing the batter around the center tube.

As an optional overflow precaution, leave room for the cake to rise and avoid filling the pan more than about three-quarters full. If your selected batter makes more than the pan can comfortably hold, bake the excess separately.

Step 5: Bake the Cake

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.

For versions containing chocolate chips, melted chocolate may cling to the toothpick. Test another spot if needed to distinguish melted chocolate from wet batter.

If your oven tends to bake unevenly, rotate the pan halfway through baking.

Step 6: Cool and Remove from the Pan

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a wire rack and lift away the pan.

Let the cake cool completely before adding powdered sugar, glaze, ganache, or frosting. The cooling time is additional to the listed preparation and baking time.

Step 7: Decorate and Serve

Serve the cake plain to highlight its chocolate flavor, or finish it with one of the optional toppings. A dusting of powdered sugar emphasizes the Bundt pattern, while chocolate glaze or ganache adds another layer of richness.

Slice the cooled cake and serve with fresh berries or whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

Black Dutch-process cocoa gives the scratch-made versions their dark color and distinctive chocolate character. Use the cocoa specified in your chosen option for consistency.

Room-temperature eggs, softened butter, sour cream, and buttermilk blend more readily into the batter. This applies only to the ingredients included in your selected version.

Glutinous rice flour is also called sweet rice flour. The word “glutinous” describes its sticky texture; it does not mean that the flour contains wheat gluten.

Option 1 includes a butter-or-oil choice plus an additional 1/2 cup oil. If you choose the oil alternative, the total oil for that option is 1 1/2 cups.

The supplied recipe does not specify the chocolate chip package weights or cake mix box size. Those quantities remain as provided, but package sizes vary and can affect the amount of batter and the finished cake.

Instant chocolate pudding mix adds moisture and richness to Options 1 and 4. Use the dry instant mix, without preparing it separately.

Store the plain cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

Cakes finished with whipped cream or other perishable toppings should be refrigerated.

For longer storage, wrap the plain cake or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Check packaged ingredients, especially oat flour, pudding mix, cake mix, and decorations, for gluten-free labeling. Use clean utensils and preparation surfaces to avoid cross-contact.