Gluten Dairy Free Cake | Chocolate + Vanilla

Sink your fork into this festive and fabulous Gluten Dairy Free Cake layered with chocolate and vanilla dressed to impress with a sweet cloud of chocolate and vanilla buttercream.

Stacked to the sky with layers of tender and moist cake, this is a confection that’s an instant celebration. If you would prefer a vanilla cake try this one.

Sometimes you just can’t decide if you want vanilla or chocolate, am I right?! Well with this fluffy chocolate cake sandwiched between two fluffy vanilla layers, you don’t have to decide. This gluten free, dairy free layered cake is the best of both worlds and a sure crowd-pleaser. 

There is nothing like the comfort of a classic cake, such as Old Fashioned Carrot Cake. This pretty stacked cake combines two favorites, a perfectly sweet vanilla cake, and a rich, decadent, and sumptuous chocolate cake into a dessert everyone will love.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Gluten Dairy Free Cake Video
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Storage
• Equipment
• Top tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Texture - Cake should be as much about the texture as the combination of flavors. This cake is extremely tender and moist. Using ingredients like dairy-free Greek yogurt ensures it will be loved at first bite as soon as you slice into this layer cake.
• Balance of Flavors - This cake is sweet, but not overly sweet. It has something for everyone, the perfect deep chocolate flavor combined with the delicate sweetness of the vanilla cake.
• Accessible Ingredients - Skip the boxed mix and turn it into your pantry! This cake uses baking staples you probably already have on hand. This puts you in full control of the quality of ingredients.

Gluten Dairy Free Cake Video

Ingredients

• Greek Yogurt - This adds a tang that balances the sweetness of the vanilla cake while also ensuring that it remains moist.
• Vegetable Oil - This is a neutral flavor that ensures the cake stays tender and moist.
• Plant Butter - Adds richness to the cake while making sure it remains moist.
• Oat Milk
• Vanilla Extract - The higher the quality of the vanilla, the more pronounced the sweet and slightly floral flavor. It gives depth to the cake.
• Eggs - Eggs add richness to the cake while also helping give it structure and rise.
• Gluten-Free Flour - Use a quality 1.1 baking flour. Make sure to check your labels as not all are created equal. Some contain milk powder.
• Corn Starch - A small amount of cornstarch helps ensure that gluten-free baked goods remain tender and moist. Be careful because a little goes a long way.
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Adding apple cider vinegar to chocolate cake helps intensify the chocolate flavor while also tenderizing the cake and making it more light and fluffy.
• Boiling Water - When you add boiling water to a chocolate cake it helps evenly distribute the cocoa powder intensifying the chocolate flavor while also giving the cake a soft, fluffy texture.
• Cocoa Powder - Pick a high-quality cocoa powder for the most intense chocolate flavor.
• Baking Soda
• Singing Dog Vanilla Frosting and Cocoa Vanilla Frosting - These frosting mixes are made with all-natural ingredients including organic vanilla bean extract and organic vanilla bean specks. It’s free of preservatives and only requires a couple of easy ingredients to bring it together.

Instructions

Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease three 8” cake pans and line their bottoms with parchment paper. You can bake all three cakes at the same time if desired.

Vanilla cake

• Add all of your ingredients to a bowl and mix to thoroughly combine.
• Add the butter and half of the sugar to the bowl of your mixer and mix on high for a minute and a half. It will become light and fluffy. Add in the remaining sugar and oil and mix for about a minute until fluffy. Add your eggs one by one, mixing every two. Next, add your vanilla and mix until just combined.
• Carefully add half of your dry ingredients and mix, followed by the milk and yogurt. Once that has been incorporated add your remaining dry ingredients and mix until completely combined. The batter will be wet and pudding-like.
• Divide the vanilla cake batter between two prepared cake pans.

Chocolate cake

• Add all of your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine them.
• Pour your oil into the dry ingredients followed by the eggs and mix on medium speed until completely incorporated.
• Add the sugar, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and boiling water and mix on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until completely combined. Pour the batter into the third cake pan and spread it out evenly.
• Allow your three cakes to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let your cakes cool for an hour before frosting.
• Follow the directions on the package for the frosting and prepare them accordingly.

Assemble

• To assemble your cake, flip over a vanilla cake, making the flat bottom the top.
• Evenly spread some of the vanilla frosting over the top of it.
• Top the cake with the chocolate cake, making the bottom the top.
• Frost with more vanilla frosting.
• Stack the final vanilla cake on top.
• Spread the chocolate frosting over the top and down the sides, smoothing it out.
• You can garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.

Storage

• The cakes themselves can be made ahead of time. Allow them to cool completely and then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap. Make sure the cakes are completely covered and the plastic wrap is hugging the cakes so no air can get them.
• Place the all-wrapped-up cake in an airtight container or cake carrier and keep it refrigerated until ready to frost.
• Once your cake is frosted you will want to keep it stored in an airtight container or cake keeper in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, allow it to sit out for an hour before cutting.

Equipment

• Mixing bowls and mixer
• 3 8” cake pans
• Parchment paper
• Measuring cups

Top tips

• For the Singing Dog Vanilla frosting, I use dairy-free butter and almond milk to make it dairy free. You can adjust the amount of almond milk to achieve your desired consistency. Typically, I use 3-4 tablespoons of almond milk. 
• Make sure that all of your ingredients like the eggs, yogurt, and milk are at room temperature. This helps keep the cake tender and allows all of the ingredients to mix together smoothly without over-mixing.
• Don’t over-mix the batter! This will give you that tender crumb you crave. Over-mixing can result in a heavy and dense cake.
• Let this triple chocolate layer cake cool completely before adding your frosting. Not only do you not want to melt your frosting, but gluten-free cakes are more fragile in texture than wheat-based caked. No one wants their frosting sliding off.

FAQ

How long does this cake last?

How long this chocolate and vanilla layer cake lasts depends on several factors including how it is stored. If kept properly refrigerated it will last up to 4-5 days.

Can I freeze chocolate and vanilla layer cake?

Yes! You can freeze the unfrosted individual cakes. Allow them to completely cool after baking. Tightly wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in freezer-safe bags making sure all of the air is out of them. They will last in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to use, allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

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📖 Recipe