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Gluten Free Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

You may already know that sour cream makes better cakes, but this cake is over-the-top perfection! The cake is tender and perfectly balanced in flavor. It’s chocolatey and sweet.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Ingredient Keyword Carla's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, Rice-Free Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

For Three 9-Inch Cake Layers:

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (Rodelle Organic)
  • 1 cup butter at room temperature (or dairy-free margarine or refined coconut oil*)
  • 2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs** at room temperature
  • 3 cups Rice-Free Gluten-Free Flour Blend (or Carla’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend, plus more for dusting)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (Rumford)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup gluten-free sour cream
  • Simple syrup for basting (optional)

For Four 6-Inch Cake Layers (using 2 pans):

  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (Rodelle Organic)
  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (or dairy-free margarine or refined coconut oil*)
  • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs** at room temperature
  • 1-1/4 cups Rice-Free Gluten-Free Flour Blend 133 g (or Carla’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend), plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Rumford)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free sour cream
  • Simple syrup for basting (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Oil three 9-inch cake pans (or two deep 6-inch pans if making half the recipe for a 4-layer cake); line the bottoms with parchment paper if you’re using a springform or other high pan. Oil the top of the parchment paper. No matter what pan you are using, dust the sides and bottom with flour; set aside. If you prefer moist, soft edges on your cake, read the above link about How to Make Better Cakes. Then, wrap your cake pans.
  2. In a glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the boiling water and Dutch-processed cocoa powder; set aside to cool.
  3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla for at least 3 minutes. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until thoroughly combined and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add one third of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until thoroughly combined. Alternate with half of the sour cream and beat after each addition. Remember to begin with and end with the flour mixture: flour -> sour cream -> flour -> sour cream -> flour.
  6. Distribute the thick batter among the pans and shake to even out the tops.
  7. Whether you’re using 6 or 9-inch cake pans, bake 35 – 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Then, insert a cake tester or toothpick near the center of the cake and make sure it comes out clean. If not, bake an additional 5 minutes and retest.
  8. Remove the cake layers from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 5 - 10 minutes.
  9. If you’re making the 9-inch cake and did not wrap the sides of the pan with a moist cloth or alternative method, baste any hard or dry edges with simple syrup.
  10. If you are making the 4-layer 6-inch cake, wrap the cool cake layers in plastic wrap for at least 2 hours. Slice each layer in half. Then, unwrap and baste with simple syrup if you did not wrap the sides of the pan during baking.
  11. Frost as desired. You can easily freeze the layers, or even a frosted cake if you don’t have different colored frostings or fondant that may bleed into each other. Defrost at room temperature beginning the morning of your afternoon or evening event.
    6-Inch Frosted Gluten Free Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

Tips

*Dairy-Free:

Besides dairy-free margarine, you can use refined coconut oil, which does not have that strong coconut flavor like organic coconut oil. The more refined the oil, the less coconut flavor. Some have no coconut flavor if you mix it with ingredients like chocolate.

**For Egg-Free:

Replace each egg with 2 tablespoons liquid from a can of cannellini beans + 1 additional tablespoon of butter or margarine.