As long as I can remember, I’ve seen the well-known chocolate cake recipe on the side of the Hershey’s cocoa box and I’ve made it countless times. On a whim, I decided to try making a gluten-free version of the famous Hershey Cake a few years ago.

WOW. It turned out beautifully the very first time and I have made this cake many more times since then, both the original recipe and the gluten-free variation.

There is nothing quite like having a lightning-fast homemade cake recipe that turns out perfectly every single time. 

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake

The cake is sturdy enough to hold together in layers, as cupcakes or to slice as a bundt cake. I’ve made this recipe into cupcakes and topped them with Fresh Strawberry Frosting.

I’ve made a layer cake filled with strawberry frosting, and a layer of berries, and then topped the cake with chocolate frosting.

I’ve made bundt cakes and simply poured the warm frosting over the cake. Every way I’ve served this cake, it has disappeared in no time at all!

Hershey Chocolate Cake

Nothing sparks that warm fuzzy feeling like the aroma of chocolate cake baking in your home. Put something chocolatey in the oven and watch as all the members of your family suddenly flock to the kitchen like moths to an iridescent light.

Don’t get me wrong. I love an adventurous dessert ( hello, Flourless Hot Chocolate Cake) and sometimes you need an elegant showstopper like Chocolate Lava Cakes to wow a table.

But at the end of the day, it’s hard to beat the familiar pleasure of a simple Hershey’s chocolate bundt cake.

The original version of this recipe has been on the side of Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa box for decades so chances are you grew up eating this cake or something close to it.

There’s something fun and a little magical about recreating a familiar dessert from childhood! And if you didn’t get to experience this deliciously perfect Hershey cake recipe as a kid, now’s your time.

Is Hershey’s cocoa powder gluten free?

YES! Baking without gluten shouldn’t mean having to live without enjoying a classic Hershey’s chocolate cake, which is why I am sharing this gluten-free version of Hershey’s famous cake.

For another ultra-rich and unforgettable gluten-free chocolate cake, be sure to try this gluten-free chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting too. It’s a little bit fussier, but the payoff is worth it.

Cake Frosting Recipes

This Hershey’s Perfect One Bowl Chocolate Cake recipe includes directions for making a creamy chocolate icing that you pour over the cake once cooled. It’s an easy way to create a visually appealing cake without a ton of extra fuss.

That said, this cake is an amazing vehicle for all kinds of frostings. Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting would be a dream on top of this Hershey’s cake, as would Fresh Strawberry Frosting.

This recipe makes awesome cupcakes as well. Simply fill two cupcake pans evenly with batter and bake for slightly less time than you would a sheet or bundt cake.

Hershey’s Chocolate Cake Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan and lightly flour it with a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder. (Alternatively, grease (2) 9″ round pans or prepare (24) cupcake liners.)
2. Stir together the sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Slowly pour in the boiling water and continue stirring to combine. The batter should be very thin and watery. Pour into the prepared bundt pan or divide between two round pans or cupcake holders.
4. Bake the bundt cake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (2) 9″ rounds will bake in 30-35 minutes and cupcakes will bake in 22-24 minutes. Cool completely.

Hershey‘s Chocolate Frosting

1. Heat the cream on the stove-top over low heat until steaming, or in a medium size glass bowl in the microwave until simmering. (About 2 minutes at high heat was all it took in the microwave.)
2. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the hot cream. Let this sit for a few minutes. Stir or whisk to combine, until the chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy.
3. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk or stir until completely smooth. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Serve immediately or place the cake in the refrigerator to chill until the frosting is set. 

Make this one-bowl cake over and over again and have fun experimenting with different toppings.

Hershey’s Perfect One Bowl Chocolate Cake is:

• Rich and chocolatey
• Easy and quick to make from scratch
• Versatile
• Easily made gluten-free 

Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this site!

Hershey’s Cocoa Recipes

Want a few more recipes that use Hershey’s cocoa? Try a scoop of homemade chocolate ice cream over your cake for a chocolate lover’s dream dessert.

Flourless chocolate brownie cookies and this cold chocolate snacking cake are must-try recipes too. Grandma’s old-fashioned crazy cake is a recipe my kids always loved to make and so is this striped zebra cake.

It’s hard to go wrong with a Hershey cake recipe. They’re classics for a good reason.

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Hershey’s Perfect One Bowl Chocolate Cake

This cake is truly the most versatile and easiest perfect one-bowl chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. Traditional and gluten-free recipes are included.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings or 24 cupcakes

Calories 389kcal

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour*
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup light flavored olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1¼ cups brown rice flour
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 6 ounces worth
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan and lightly flour it with a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. (Alternatively, grease (2) 9" round pans or prepare (24) cupcake liners.)
• Stir together the sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Slowly pour in the boiling water and continue stirring to combine. The batter should be very thin and watery. Pour into prepared bundt pan or divide between two round pans or cupcake holders.
• Bake the bundt cake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (2) 9″ rounds will bake in 30-35 minutes and cupcakes will bake in 22-24 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting Instructions

• Heat the cream on the stove-top over low heat until steaming, or in a medium size glass bowl in the microwave until simmering. (About 2 minutes at high heat was all it took in the microwave.) Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the hot cream. Let this sit for a few minutes. Stir or whisk to combine, until the chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy.
• Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk or stir until completely smooth. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Serve immediately or place the cake in the refrigerator to chill until the frosting is set. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 281mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg

{originally published 4/30/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/30/23}

The post Hershey’s Chocolate Cake appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Pioneer Woman Carrot Cake

For the longest time, years actually, I was on a hunt for the best carrot cake recipe. Carrot cake is one of Sean’s favorite cakes and I tried several cakes that were good, but they just didn’t measure up to our expectations. We both have a hard time resisting carrot cake anytime it is served, so the idea of making the perfect carrot cake at home was irresistible.

Then I found Ree Drummond’s carrot cake recipe and let me tell you, this baby measures up. I haven’t tried another recipe since I made this one for the first time over ten years ago. I make it at least once a year, sometimes more often than that.

This carrot cake is moist and sweet and incredibly flavorful. Classic carrot cake often includes pecans in the frosting, so I’ve listed them below as optional. (I rarely include nuts in my cakes and frostings, so I often skip them when making a cake just for my family to enjoy.)

Simple Carrot Cake

It shouldn’t come as news to any of you that I am not a cake decorator. Not even a little bit. My sister and I baked this cake one time when I was visiting her and while the word “rustic” covers a multitude of mistakes, it might be pushing it here.

When you’re spending time with your sister, laughing at your mistakes is way more fun than attempting to fix them.

As long as a cake is covered in frosting, I’m happy.

I’ve tried to force myself to care what a final cake looks like, but even for a pretty blog post, I’m just not that girl. (You can thank my sister Jenny for the fact that she added flowers to the cake the first time I photographed this cake and managed to make it presentable.)

My favorite cakes are almost always baked in sheet pans or flipped out of a bundt pan. Jenny and I doubled the recipe and made two generously sized cakes–a layered round cake and a bundt cake–to serve a ton of people.

The recipe as written below makes a cake that’s large enough to provide dessert for an average family a few times over. I don’t recommend doubling it unless you want to have a LOT of cake left over or you’re making a cake for a big party. (Not that anyone complains about extra cake!)

Can You Freeze Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting?

That’s an emphatic YES, my friend. So, if you’re as big a fan of carrot cake as my husband is, go for it and double the recipe.

Refrigerate the cake overnight to make sure the frosting is set and then wrap either the whole cake or individual slices airtight in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, a zip-close bag, or an alternate container.

Best Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake

I can think of few cake and frosting combinations more perfect than carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The carrot and cinnamon flavor in the cake is enhanced and heightened by the addition of creamy, sweet cream cheese frosting.

There are a couple of ways to enjoy this cream cheese frosting. The first method is to just spread the thick frosting over the top of the cooled cake in whatever method you desire.

When you frost your cake this way, each bite will include a layer of moist carrot cake and another layer of frosting.

When I make this cake in a bundt pan, I usually turn the frosting into a pourable glaze. By stirring heavy cream or whole milk into the cream cheese mixture, you’ll create a thinner icing that is perfect for pouring over an inverted bundt cake.

I like this method for topping my cakes as it requires very few decorating skills and any imperfections are easily hidden.

The frosting in this incredible carrot cake recipe is truly one of the best frostings I’ve tasted.

It has just the right amount of vanilla flavor and powdered sugar mixed in with the butter and cream cheese. I make this frosting even when I’m not making carrot cake; that’s how good it is!

This cream cheese frosting is also delicious on cinnamon rolls, spice cakes, pumpkin cupcakes, and gingerbread recipes.

If you end up with any leftover frosting after you make this carrot cake, it keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. (Or go ahead and dig in with a spoon, I won’t tell.)

Classic Carrot Cake Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your pan thoroughly with butter. (A sheet pan, a 9×13, a bundt pan or (2) 8″ rounds will all work well.) Combine the sugar, oil, and eggs and beat until smooth.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add to the wet and mix to combine. Add the carrots and mix again.
3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. A sheet cake should be done in about 25 minutes, a bundt cake will take closer to 45 minutes. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake

1. Beat the cream cheese and the butter together until well combined. Add the sugar and the vanilla and beat again until smooth. Stir in the pecans, if desired.
2. When the cake is completely cool, frost as desired. If you prefer a glaze over a spreadable frosting, gradually add cream or milk while stirring constantly until the frosting is the desired consistency. Invert the bundt cake over a large plate and pour the glaze over the top.

Classic Carrot Cake

Dessert is a hit every time I make this recipe. While other carrot cakes I made in the past turned out dense, dry, or too crumbly, this one turns out moist and tender with every bite.

I’ve had some very good carrot cakes from bakeries too but I have to say this homemade carrot cake recipe is the best I’ve tasted. It makes a great birthday dessert or after-dinner treat. A slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is just perfect to share with a friend over a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

I love a good old-fashioned carrot cake with cream cheese frosting but I also get a kick out of other homemade treats inspired by carrot cake. You might also enjoy these Carrot Cake Pancakes with Maple Cream Cheese Syrup and these Ginger Spice Carrot Cake Cookies.

To enjoy the richness of carrot cake flavor in a nourishing hearty breakfast form, you must try my Carrot Cake Oatmeal. It’s almost as good as having cake for breakfast but even better since you get to skip the inevitable sugar crash.

Another great carrot cake for breakfast idea is this recipe for Carrot Cake Muffin Tops with Cream Cheese Frosting by Shugary Sweets.

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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, sweet, and lightly spiced, this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is the food of which dessert dreams are made. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 18 -24 servings

Calories 347kcal

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light flavored olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 4⅓ cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans OPTIONAL
• ¼-½ cup heavy cream, half and half, or milk OPTIONAL

Instructions

Cake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your pan thoroughly with butter. (A sheet pan, a 9×13, a bundt pan or (2) 8" rounds will all work well.) Combine the sugar, oil, and eggs and beat until smooth.
• Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add to the wet and mix to combine. Add the carrots and mix again.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. A sheet cake should be done in about 25 minutes, a bundt cake will take closer to 45 minutes. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

Frosting Instructions

• Beat the cream cheese and the butter together until well combined. Add the sugar and the vanilla and beat again until smooth. Stir in the pecans, if desired.
• When the cake is completely cool, frost as desired. If you prefer a glaze over a spreadable frosting, gradually add cream or milk while stirring constantly until the frosting is the desired consistency. Invert the bundt cake over a large plate and pour the glaze over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 213mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 2677IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

{originally published 9/23/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/24/23}

recipe slightly adapted from and with thanks to The Pioneer Woman

The post Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

I have a huge grin on my face today and I am positively giddy to tell you that this cake, this fantastically moist, perfectly sweet blueberry coffee cake with a hint of lemon, is the best blueberry coffee cake I have ever tasted.

I am so happy with this cake, I practically danced across the kitchen after I tasted it. I ate a slice of this cake right after I finished photographing it this afternoon and I ate another slice after dinner.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

Coffee cake, in my opinion, doesn’t get nearly the amount of hype it deserves. A good coffee cake has a tender moist interior with a crisp, crumbly topping. This one is also stuffed to the brim with fresh juicy blueberries.

I was surprised to learn recently that in some parts of the world a “coffee cake” is a cake with actual coffee in it. While I’ve been known to bake a cake with coffee in it from time to time, like this Chocolate Mocha Cake, a true coffee cake is one designed to be eaten alongside a cup of coffee.

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Sour Cream

This blueberry coffee cake with sour cream is ideal for sipping with a Spanish Cafe con Leche or for sharing with friends alongside a pot of coffee. The blueberries in it make me think of summer afternoons, gathered with friends for an afternoon chat on the porch.

Coffee cake is also the kind of cake you can happily eat for breakfast. It’s basically a muffin in cake form, right?

Do I even need to tell you what I’ll be eating for breakfast tomorrow? This is a dangerous kind of awesome, my friends.

Easy Blueberry Coffee Cake

Another thing to love about this easy blueberry coffee cake is that there’s no icing required. It’s sweet and moist all on its own. While I love the taste of icing, I’m not the world’s best cake decorator. So, any easy cake recipe that lets me just bake and go is a winner.

This coffee cake smelled so good while it was baking that I could hardly wait for it to cool to grab myself a slice. After realizing how good it was, I had to put the rest of the cake out of sight.

I cannot wait to enjoy this blueberry coffee cake for breakfast tomorrow with my first cup of coffee.

Gluten Free Blueberry Coffee Cake

Once I discovered how good this blueberry coffee cake recipe is, I decided to see if I could make it gluten free. As it turns out, substituting gluten free flours and starches was super easy and resulted in a cake that we all liked just as much as the traditional version.

I’m always excited when I can share a new favorite recipe with my family members and friends who avoid gluten. Check out more of my Gluten Free Dessert Recipes too.

Moist Blueberry Coffee Cake

Nothing disappoints me more than digging into a slice of coffee cake to find that the inside is dry and crumbly. That is not a problem with this wonderfully moist blueberry coffee cake.

What’s the secret? Sour cream keeps this blueberry coffee cake moist, even a few days later. 

If you love this blueberry coffee cake as much as I do, chances are you’ll hardly have any leftovers after a couple of days. It doesn’t last long when it’s great for dessert and then again the next morning for breakfast.

But, if you DO end up with a few extra slices, rest easy knowing that this cake will taste delicious each and every time you come back for more. And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, this pan with a lid is fantastic for both baking and storing cake.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

Cake Ingredients

• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• lemon juice and zest
• vanilla extract
• flour
• baking powder
• sour cream
• blueberries

Coffee Cake Topping

• flour
• brown sugar
• butter

Recipe for Blueberry Coffee Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8″ baking pan with butter. You’ll want a big mixing bowl for the batter. Start by beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Then, stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the eggs one at a time, just until combined. Combine the flour and baking powder in another bowl and lightly coat your blueberries with the dry ingredients.

Then mix the dry ingredients into your batter, one half at a time. Gently stir in the blueberries and pour it all into your greased pan.

For the topping, mix the flour and sugar together before adding the melted butter. Stir it together lightly with a fork, then sprinkle the sugary crumbs on top of the batter in the pan.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe

Making this blueberry coffee cake recipe is as simple as mixing together the batter, pouring it into a pan, and adding a crumb topping. Fresh blueberries in the batter add a sweet, tart flavor and beautiful color to this coffee cake.

The crumb topping comes together with just a little flour, sugar, and melted butter. I mix it up in the same bowl I used for the cake batter so that I’m only getting one bowl dirty.

I love baking, but hate cleaning up! Can I get an amen?

Easy Coffee Cake Recipes

I’m definitely a coffee cake enthusiast, and this one has already been added to my list of favorite easy coffee cake recipes. I love Layered Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Lemon Coffee Cake, and straight-up Cinnamon Coffee Cake. The satisfaction of sticking your fork into the crisp crumb topping and tasting the moist, sweet interior is unbeatable.

If you like this coffee cake recipe, you should also give this  Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze a try. I’ve also got my eye on these Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins.

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

Blueberries and lemon come together perfectly in a Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake that is truly worthy of any occasion.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 315kcal

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• ½ cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest or the zest of (1) large lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour*
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• ⅔ cup brown rice flour
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• ¼ cup potato starch
• ½ teaspoon xantham gum

Coffee Cake Topping

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour**
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter melted

**Gluten-Free Topping Alternative

• ⅔ cup brown rice flour

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and the sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
• Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the dry ingredients, stir gently to coat the berries.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and mix again. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix just until combined.
• Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the batter into a greased 8" square pan. Place the flour and sugar for the topping in the same small bowl that was holding the berries and add the melted butter. Stir lightly with a fork to combine. Sprinkle the sugary crumbs over the batter in the pan.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 461IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

{recipe originally published 8/14/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/25/23}

The post Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

Several years ago, a sweet friend of mine requested a Flourless Chocolate Cake for her birthday. I’d never heard of it before, but she told me that she had fallen in love with it at a restaurant once and wondered if I could make her one.

I found a number of different recipes and I tried a couple of them. Then I made this one and it took my breath away. This cake delivers the most intense chocolate flavor you can possibly imagine.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I’ve made this cake many times over the past 10+ years and every time this is served, the room goes silent. There isn’t a better compliment than knowing that your guests are reveling so happily in what you’ve served them that no one is talking while they eat it.

And when the plates are empty? Oh my, the raves over this cake are always over the top. It’s a timeless recipe for a good reason.

This flourless cake is creamy and smooth, not at all dry. The serving size truly is the tiniest sliver. The slice pictured here served two people.

This recipe for flourless chocolate cake uses dark bittersweet chocolate instead of the traditional combination of chocolate and cocoa powder. The dark chocolate here intensifies the chocolate flavor in the cake and the result is a creamy, almost truffle-like cake with a creamy velvet smooth interior.

If you’re already a fan of this easy flourless chocolate cake and want to try something a little different, this version is sweet, cold, creamy, chocolate cake combined with a hint of unexpected heat as you finish each bite; it is unforgettable.

The heat will increase marginally, after a night or two in the refrigerator, but the cream balances it out nicely. I made the flourless “hot” chocolate cake for my family and then sliced the remaining cake into slivers and sent it to work with my husband.

The reviews from everyone who tried it were fantastic. (Even my non-spice-loving children went a bit crazy for it.)

Flourless Cake

I call this an “accidentally gluten-free” recipe, as it requires no special ingredients and zero fuss. Because this type of gluten-free recipes are always appreciated, I’ve gathered up a whole collection of the best gluten free recipes that require no special ingredients. And don’t miss the rest of our Gluten Free Dessert Recipes if that’s something that is a fit for you.

Speaking of that dark bittersweet chocolate, even if you aren’t usually a fan of dark chocolate, trust me when I say it is a requirement here.

I made this once with regular semi-sweet chocolate chips that I had on hand and most of us were barely able to eat it. It was crazy levels of sweetness. My youngest boys (who both have a pretty strong sweet tooth) enjoyed it, but we all agree that the dark chocolate version is much better.

Chocolate Flourless Cake

You’ll need just six ingredients to make this recipe:

• sugar
• salt
• water
• bittersweet dark chocolate
• butter
• eggs

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, salt, and water.

Simmer, stirring frequently, until completely clear and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave at 50% power for 1 minute intervals), melt the chocolate.

Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. 

Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and slowly beat the butter into the melted chocolate one piece at a time. (It’s okay to have some tiny unmelted butter pieces in the chocolate mixture.)

Pour the hot sugar and water mixture into the chocolate. Beat to combine.

Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg is added to the mixture.

Pour the batter into the well-greased springform pan.

Prepare a pan larger than the springform pan and set the springform inside it.

In the past, I’ve used the broiler pan from my oven. This is the easiest option, but unfortunately, I no longer have an oven with a broiler pan like that.

Now I use a large foil catering pan with a baking sheet underneath. As you can see in the photo below, it isn’t the prettiest option, but it works well.

Pour about 4 cups of boiling water into the bigger pan, or enough water to fill the pan about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Carefully set the pans in the oven and bake the cake in the water bath for 45-48 minutes. The center of the cake will still look wet when it is finished baking.

Chill the cake overnight in the pan. Carefully slide a knife around the edges of the pan and remove the springform ring prior to serving.

Slice into very thin pieces and serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or topped with freshly whipped cream and berries.

How to Use a Springform Pan

If you’re new to using a springform pan, I have a tip for you. Some springform pans will allow water to pass through to the bottom of the cake.

If you are concerned about that happening or aren’t certain how tight your pan will seal, you can wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan very tightly with foil.

The foil ensures that water will not be able to enter the pan. I’ve done that in the past with water-bath recipes and different springform pans and it works well.

I almost always wrap my springform pans in this way, just in case. It only takes a minute and your dessert will have no risk of turning out less than perfect.

Easy Chocolate Cake

Texas Sheet Cake is a fabulously moist and decadent chocolate cake smothered in a pourable chocolate frosting. There is a copious amount of butter here and it is 100% worth every ounce of it.

Chocolate Lava Cake is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. With a gooey center and a crackling cake-like crust, there is no other dessert that compares.

The classic recipe for Hershey’s Chocolate Cake (straight off the side of the box) is truly the most versatile and easiest perfect one-bowl chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. I’ve adapted it for gluten-free baking as well, so both variations are included.

Chocolate Quinoa Cake (I kid you not) has the texture of a traditional cake, yet no special flours are required. This is pure, sweet chocolate cake. This cake has blown my mind. Just writing about it here makes me grin as I think about how perfectly moist, rich, and chocolatey it is.

Designed to be served cold from the refrigerator, this Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake is a rich dark chocolate cake topped with an absolutely amazing chocolate frosting. It’s wonderfully unique and completely unforgettable.

Old-fashioned Chocolate Crazy Cake is one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. This cake is both egg and dairy free, making it the perfect dessert to make on a whim with little more than a handful of things from the pantry.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Have you tasted a Flourless Chocolate Cake? If so, you'll likely never forget that first bite. Unassuming in appearance and almost ridiculously easy to make, this cake is a fantastic decadent treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 48 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 8 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories 222kcal

Ingredients

• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup water
• 18 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate I use Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Bittersweet baking chips
• 1 cup butter
• 6 eggs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Generously grease a 10” round springform pan and set aside *. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, salt, and water. Simmer, stirring frequently, until completely clear and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave at 50% power for 1 minute intervals), melt the chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. 
• Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and slowly beat the butter into the melted chocolate one piece at a time. (It's okay to have some tiny unmelted butter pieces in the chocolate mixture.)
• Pour the hot sugar and water mixture into the chocolate. Beat to combine. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg is added to the mixture. Pour the batter into the well-greased springform pan.
• Prepare a pan larger than the springform pan and set the springform inside it. Pour about 4 cups of boiling water into the bigger pan, or enough water to fill the pan about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Carefully set the pans in the oven and bake the cake in the water bath for 45-48 minutes. The center of the cake will still look wet when it is finished baking.
• Chill the cake overnight in the pan. Carefully slide a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the springform ring prior to serving. Slice into very thin pieces and serve topped with freshly whipped cream or fresh berries.

Notes

* Some springform pans will allow water to pass through to the bottom of the cake. If you are concerned about that happening or aren’t certain how tight your pan will seal, you can wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan very tightly with foil to make sure water can not enter the pan. I’ve done that in the past with different water-bath recipes and it works well.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 0.5mg

{originally published 2/13/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/11/23}

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Apple Spice Cake

There are a few different ways to serve this cake. I like it best when topped with warm salted caramel sauce, and my husband prefers his topped with whipped cream. (Naturally, my kids voted for both toppings.)

If we’re lucky enough to have a slice of cake left the next morning, I usually snack on it with my morning coffee.

With fragrant cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom complementing the chunks of soft sweet baked apples, this apple spice cake is a popular fall and winter dessert.

It’s a common misconception that a moist cake is created by the amount of liquid used in a recipe. The truth is that moistness is actually created by the fats in ingredients like eggs, butter, oil, sour cream, and milk.

A generous helping of sour cream in this apple cake helps creates a dense, super-moist crumb. Full-fat Greek yogurt may be substituted for the sour cream here if you happen to have it on hand and do not have sour cream. Both options will work nicely.

Apple Cake with Cinnamon

As with most cake recipes, there are only a couple of steps. To make this apple spice cake, you’ll begin by stirring together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, and butter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined.

Most of the time whether or not you choose to peel the fruit in a given recipe boils down to personal preference. This cake is the exception.

The apples in this spice cake become soft and almost melt into the cake while it is baking. You won’t want to have any peels left behind when the apples soften so beautifully.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Are you familiar with raw sugar or turbinado sugar? The crystals are larger and coarser than regular granulated sugar, giving it a crunchy texture and a slight caramel taste.

The sugar topping will not melt into the batter while baking. It will remain on top of the cake, creating a crunchy sugary layer with that hint of caramel flavor.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• all-purpose flour (see below for gluten-free alternative)
• baking powder
• ground cinnamon
• ground ginger
• ground cardamom
• kosher salt
• light brown sugar
• eggs
• sour cream
• milk
• butter
• apples
• raw sugar

This cake can be stored at room temperature for a day or two. If you would like it to last longer, cover it tightly and tuck it into the refrigerator for up to a week.

I’m a big fan of stashing desserts in the freezer too, both to preserve them at their best and to ensure that I’ll have a sweet bite available whenever I want one. To freeze this cake, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

You can freeze the cake whole, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. When making a 9×13 dessert for just our family, I often cut the cake in half and wrap a portion tightly before sliding it into a gallon-size freezer bag.

Frozen cake can be thawed in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Feel free to warm a frozen slice in the microwave if you’re impatient and want it for an afternoon snack – not that I would know anything about that.

Caramel Apple Cake

Apples and caramel is a classic food pairing that simply doesn’t get old. That’s part of the reason why this apple spice cake topped with caramel sauce is a guaranteed win. The other reason? It’s just plain irresistible.

Crisp apples are caramelized and then layered in between a buttery brown sugar crust in these Apple Pie Bars with Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Strudel topping before baking turns into chewy sweet bars.

Chewy edges, crazy moist blondies, and a crackling crust add up to these mouthwatering, slightly sweet Apple Brownies.

With little more than fresh apples, cream, sugar, and spices, this German Apple Pie is loaded with so much flavor you’ll hardly believe how easy it is to make.

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Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

This lightly sweetened and spiced cake is filled with chunks of apple, then drizzled with warm caramel sauce just before serving. A sprinkling of raw sugar over the top of the cake adds a bit of crunch and sweetness as well.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 322kcal

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour*
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1½ cups sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 6 tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled
• 3 large apples peeled and diced into 1/4" pieces, about 3½ cups
• ¼ cup raw sugar

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 2 cups brown rice flour
• ¾ cup tapioca starch
• ½ cup potato starch

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13 pan with butter or line with parchment. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt, and brown sugar. Set aside.
• Whisk the eggs lightly and then whisk in the sour cream. Add the milk and butter and whisk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the apples.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle generously with the raw sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
• Serve with warm salted caramel sauce poured over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg

{Originally published 10/16/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/15/23}

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Berry Cake

If you’ve fallen in love with the Cranberry Christmas Cake and then been sad to find that cranberries are out of season the next time you want to make it, this cake is the answer to your cake-loving dreams.

The biggest comment I get when cranberry season ends is – I can’t find cranberries. Can I use blueberries? Will raspberries work? Can I make this cake with other berries? Lucky for you the answer to all of those questions is a resounding “YES”.

But in all seriousness, make a note and pick up extra bags of cranberries to freeze after Christmas. Sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to find them marked down after a holiday, but either way, pick up as many as you think you’ll want and then grab a few more.

No special treatment or preparation is required when freezing cranberries. Just toss the bags into your freezer for safekeeping.

There is no other cake on this site that gets the rave reviews the Cranberry Christmas Cake does and I am giddy to tell you that this berry cake. It has already gotten some of the same raving reviews.

A friend who shall not be named <cough> 365 Days of Baking <cough> may have helped me consume a ridiculous amount of this cake when I made it again to photograph it a while back.

While I love making this to share with my family, friends, and neighbors, I also enjoy savoring a slice with some quiet time, and a cup of coffee mid-morning.

The texture and crumb are just delightful. The sugary crust is so buttery crisp. I could talk nonstop about this cake – it is that good!

Triple Berry Cake

A cake with only six ingredients is a bit unique, I know. I highly suggest reading the FAQs on the original recipe I adapted this one from.

Click here to learn the secret to how just six ingredients make such a delicious cake.

You’ll need to beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size.

The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.

This is KEY to this cake. Don’t skip this step. Trust the process.

Berry Cake Recipe

To make this recipe, you will need these six ingredients:

• eggs
• sugar
• butter
• vanilla
• all-purpose flour
• frozen mixed berries

You’ll want to avoid using frozen mixed berries that have huge chunks of strawberries. The larger berries won’t bake up as nicely. My favorite blend of frozen berries for this recipe has blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Mid-devouring the berry cake, the first time I made it, I realized lemon zest would be a tasty addition. So, I added a bit of lemon zest the next time. Oddly enough, I preferred it without the hint of lemon as did both of my friends who tried it as well.

Turns out that the berry combination contributes plenty of tangy flavor on its own. However, if you love lemon (and can’t imagine not adding it) the cake made with lemon zest was excellent as well.

Snack Cakes

Quick and easy snack cake recipes have become something I reach for on a regular basis. With minimal effort, you can have a treat on hand or in the freezer ready to share with friends or enjoy with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee.

Tender buttery Peach Coffee Cake is filled with sweet bites of peach and topped with an irresistible brown sugar crumb topping – what is not to love??

Fresh cranberries and a hint of lemon combine in this incredibly moist brown sugar streusel Cranberry Coffee Cake.

Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing is a super moist banana cake filled with pecans and then drizzled with cinnamon cream cheese icing.

Fresh blackberry frosting and citrusy lemon combine in a delicious way in this ultra-moist Lemon Blackberry Cake. Every bite of this cake reminds me of summer.

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Berry Cake

Sweet berries and buttery cake are perfectly combined in this very easy six-ingredient recipe.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 18 servings

Calories 224kcal

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour*
• 2 cups frozen mixed berries see note below

*Gluten-Free Alternative

• 1¼ cups brown rice flour
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
• Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. This will be a very thick batter. Add the berries and stir to mix throughout.
• Transfer the batter to a buttered or parchment lined 9×13 pan. (This pan is my favorite!) Use your hands to press it into an even layer.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (Mine is typically done in around 42 minutes.)
• Let cool completely before cutting into pieces.

Notes

Avoid using frozen mixed berries that have huge chunks of strawberries. The larger berries won’t bake up as nicely. My favorite blend of frozen berries for this recipe has blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Mixed Berry Cake appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

I’ve been making Fresh Strawberry Frosting for several years now and it’s easily the most requested frosting I make. However, blueberries were on sale a couple weeks ago and I couldn’t resist playing with my recipe and switching it up to make a blueberry buttercream frosting.

I’m a blueberry lover for life and I suspected we’d love this new frosting as much or maybe even more than the strawberry version. As it turned out, I was right. I topped this Gluten Free White Cake (baked into cupcakes this time) with the blueberry frosting.

My helper had a lot of fun swirling the topping onto each cupcake. If you haven’t watched his little hands help with the frosting, it’s a fun watch. (Says the mama who knows that he’ll be a teenager in a couple of weeks.)

I probably don’t even need to mention it, but this frosting is also lovely spread on graham crackers. This is a taste test requirement every time we have frosting in the house.

It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that I have made this frosting more than a few times without a cake to put it on. There’s no shame in my frosting game.

Kitchen Tip: I use this mixer, these cheap piping bags, and this tip to make this recipe.

Blueberry Frosting Recipe

1. Place about 1 ½ cups worth of the blueberries in a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth, stop to scrape the sides as needed. This should only take a minute or two.
2. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat again. Add 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat to combine. Add ½ cup of blueberry puree and beat again until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add more berry puree as desired, for a creamier or pourable icing or add additional powdered sugar, for a thicker and more pipe-able frosting for decorating.
4. Use the remaining berries to decorate the cake as desired. Store the decorated cake or cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

If you’re looking for more great homemade frosting recipes to try, Fluffy Chocolate Frosting is always a hit. This Cookie Dough Frosting and this Toasted Coconut Frosting both look incredible as well.

PLEASE NOTE: The directions for this recipe will make more berry puree than you will need in order to make this frosting. I haven’t found any way around this, simply because it requires a minimum amount of berries in order for the blender to puree them. Do NOT dump all of the puree into the butter/sugar mixture or you will have a soupy mixture on your hands.

I save the leftover berry puree and add it to smoothies or stir it into oatmeal. You can also freeze the pureed berries in an ice cube tray and toss the cubes in a ziploc bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

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Fresh Blueberry Frosting

Fresh Blueberry Frosting is a light and creamy frosting, whipped into fluffy blueberry loveliness.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings (about 2 cups)

Calories 198kcal

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh blueberries
• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Place about 1 ½ cups worth of the blueberries in a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth, stop to scrape the sides as needed. This should only take a minute or two.
• Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat again. Add 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat to combine. Add ½ cup of blueberry puree and beat again until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy.
• Add more berry puree as desired, for a creamier or pourable icing or add additional powdered sugar, for a thicker and more pipe-able frosting for decorating.
• Use the remaining berries to decorate the cake as desired. Store the decorated cake or cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

PLEASE NOTE: The directions for this recipe will make more berry puree than you will need in order to make this frosting. I haven’t found any way around this, simply because it requires a minimum amount of berries in order for the blender to puree them. Do NOT dump all of the puree into the butter/sugar mixture or you will have a soupy mixture on your hands. 

I save the leftover berry puree and add it to smoothies or stir it into oatmeal. You can also freeze the pureed berries in an ice cube tray and toss the cubes in a ziploc bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them. 

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 14mg | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 1.4mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

{originally published 4/26/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/27/23}

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Almost as exciting as the delicious richness of the cake is the fact that this is a very simple, one-bowl cake that comes together in just a few minutes time.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

This gluten free chocolate cake recipe works beautifully as cupcakes as well for birthday parties and other get togethers. Paired with Salted Caramel Frosting, this cake was a massive hit at my son’s birthday party the first time I made it.

However, if you’d like to avoid chocolate crumbs tracked through the house, or if you’re looking for a white cake, (live and learn through my mistakes, mamas to young kids) I’m beyond thrilled to tell you that this recipe is truly The Best Gluten Free White Cake you’ll ever make. Truth told, it’s the best white cake I’ve ever tasted, gluten-free or not.

The sour cream and olive oil in this Gluten Free Chocolate Cake keeps it incredibly moist. I’ve successfully used light flavored olive oil in almost all of my baked goods for the past few years.

There isn’t a hint of olive oil flavor in the finished products. Be sure to use a light oil and NOT an extra virgin oil.

Picture me jumping up and down with glee over how perfectly this cake turned out. I tried a few different variations before this one turned out perfectly. I’ve made this cake over a dozen times now.

Best Chocolate Gluten Free Cake Recipe

Kitchen Tip: I use this sheet pan, this cake pan, or this cupcake pan to make this recipe.

• potato starch
• sorghum flour
• brown rice flour
• sugar
• cocoa powder, preferably dutch process
• baking soda
• kosher salt
• sour cream
• light flavored olive oil
• water room temperature
• plain white vinegar
• vanilla
• egg

I was thrilled that the recipe works beautifully without any xanthan gum at all. I’ve made this cake as cupcakes, a sheet cake, and a 9×13 cake pan. I’ve layered it as well, but be warned it is a fairly light crumb (which I LOVE) but it doesn’t make for the sturdiest layers. You’ll want to be very gentle when handling the layers.

I adapted this recipe from my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake recipe. If you are not in need of a gluten-free dessert, like this one, the original recipes makes one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted.

If you’re wanting to try a paleo version, these Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes look pretty awesome. For coffee lovers, this Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake sounds like heaven. Check out the rest of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website.

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The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

The best ever gluten free chocolate cake is a rich chocolate cake that is fluffy and light with a perfect crumb; this cake almost melts in your mouth. You would NEVER guess that this is a gluten-free cake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 18 cupcakes (doubled recipe fills a half-size sheet cake pan or (3) 8-inch round pans)

Calories 163kcal

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup potato starch
• ⅓ cup sorghum flour
• ⅓ cup brown rice flour
• 1¼ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup, plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably dutch process
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup light flavored olive oil
• ¾ cup water room temperature
• 1 tablespoon plain white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• Salted Caramel Frosting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake pans with paper liners or grease the sheet cake pan with butter. (If you will be making a layered cake, see further directions below.)
• Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the sour cream and olive oil and beat to combine. Slowly add the water and continue beating. Add the vanilla and the vinegar, beat again. Add the egg and beat to combine.
• Pour into the prepared cake pans or fill the cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes for 18 minutes and the cakes until an inserted toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, 28-30 minutes for a half-sheet pan. Let the cakes cool (in their pans) COMPLETELY before frosting them.

Directions For A Layered Cake

• Generously butter the bottom and sides of two 8" round cake pans. Trace the bottom of the pans onto wax paper or parchment with a pencil and then cut out the circles. Place the paper in the bottom of each pan and butter the paper.
• Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pans for 20 minutes or so. Very carefully, invert the cakes onto wire racks and let them cool COMPLETELY. These are very soft cakes. Once they are completely cool, wrap in saran wrap and freeze for a couple hours before assembling the cake.
• To frost the cake, place one layer of the very cold cake flat side up on a serving plate or stand. Spread about ½ of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides with all but about ½ a cup of the remaining frosting.
• With this cake, it is a good idea to make a crumb coat with the first layer of frosting. Basically, just make sure the cake is covered in frosting, even if a few stray crumbs show through. Chill the assembled cake again (place it back in the freezer for half an hour or so) before you add the last bit of frosting. Use the remaining bit of frosting to create a smooth final coating.

Notes

If you make the frosting in advance and store it in the refrigerator, allow several hours for the frosting to return fully to room temperature again before frosting the cupcakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

{originally published 3/10/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/27/23} 

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Salted Caramel Frosting

I knew before I made this frosting that {Salted + Caramel = Frosting} it was going to be a good thing. However, I had no clue that it was going to be a great thing: an almost indescribably awesome frosting.

I’m not usually a big fan of frosting, but I am a huge fan of homemade caramel sauce. So, pouring caramel sauce into a whipped cream cheese frosting sounded too delicious not to try.

I am a big fan of real flavors. It can take a bit longer to develop those flavors sometimes – but it is truly just minutes in many cases. Caramel is one of those.

Water and sugar simmer slowly in a simple syrup. No need for a candy thermometer, just keep cooking until the sugar dissolves. Once that happens turn up the heat and keep cooking until it turns an amber color.

Caramel can be tricky because you want to keep it moving to prevent burning but not really get any of the sugar crystals that might form on the sides of the pan back into the caramel. Those pieces will make little crunch bits in the caramel sauce.

Once it achieves that rich amber color, add the butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. Stir them in gently and let the sauce cool before refrigerating.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

To turn that amazing caramel sauce into frosting first make sure it has cooled completely. I can not emphasize that enough. It must be room temperature to make smooth and creamy frosting.

Beat the butter and cream cheese until combined and smooth and creamy. Then add your powdered sugar. Once that has been incorporated add just one cup of the salted caramel sauce.

I paired this frosting with the best gluten free chocolate cake that you can imagine. The combination of caramel and chocolate was everything I wanted it to be.

I have to admit that one of my favorite things about this frosting is that it requires nothing fancier than a knife to decorate the cupcakes. No piping tools were required and the frosting stayed soft enough to look pretty without any effort or skill on my part.

Recipe for Salted Caramel Frosting

Caramel Sauce Instructions

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir to combine and then cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; about 4-5 minutes. There is no need to stir, simply swirl the pan over the burner occasionally as the sugar dissolves.
2. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the sauce, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is amber-colored; about 7-8 minutes. Add the butter, be prepared for it to bubble and sputter, lightly stir with a wooden spatula, do not scrape the sides of the pan or splash sauce up the sides of the pan. (This will cause crystallization if you scrape the uncooked sugars back into the sauce.)
3. Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and add the vanilla, heavy cream, and salt. It will bubble again but will calm quickly. Stir to combine (again, not scraping sides of the pan) and then let cool before transferring to a jar and refrigerating for storage.

Frosting Instructions

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat to combine.
2. Add 1 cup of room-temperature caramel sauce and beat again to combine. Spread the frosting on top of anything and everything you’d like.

Recipe inspired by Eats Well With Others and adapted from Life on Blackberry Farm

Frosting Recipes

Condiments are one of my favorite ways to add new flavors and change recipes up. Frosting and icing fall into that category, delicious on cake, and cookies, or just dipping cookies or pretzels in it for a sweet snack.

Fresh Blueberry Frosting is a light and creamy frosting, whipped into fluffy blueberry loveliness. A dollop of this frosting is sweet heaven on a cupcake. On a spoon, on a cracker, or on an actual cake this blueberry buttercream frosting is irresistible.

Given the chance, I could do some serious damage to a bowl of this fluffy chocolate frosting without even slathering it on the cake. This is everything I wanted in chocolate buttercream frosting.

Grab a spoon, you are going to want to eat this Whipped Cream Frosting straight from the bowl, or go ahead and dive in with fresh strawberries.

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Salted Caramel Frosting

Buttery sweet with just a hint of salt combined with cream cheese for silky smooth salted caramel frosting perfection.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup salted caramel sauce recipe below

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Caramel Sauce Instructions

• In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir to combine and then cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; about 4-5 minutes. There is no need to stir, simply swirl the pan over the burner occasionally as the sugar dissolves.
• Raise the heat to medium high and cook the sauce, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is amber colored; about 7-8 minutes. Add the butter, be prepared for it to bubble and sputter, lightly stir with a wooden spatula, do not scrape the sides of the pan or splash sauce up the sides of the pan. (This will cause crystallization, if you scrape the uncooked sugars back into the sauce.)
• Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and add the vanilla, heavy cream and salt. It will bubble again, but will calm quickly. Stir to combine (again, not scraping sides of the pan) and then let cool before transferring to a jar and refrigerating for storage.

Frosting Instructions

• Beat the butter and cream cheese together at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat to combine.
• Add 1 cup of room-temperature caramel sauce and beat again to combine. Spread the frosting on top of anything and everything you'd like.

Notes

You will have some extra caramel sauce. You can use it in anything you’d like. It is amazing over ice cream or drizzled on warm apple crisp. So many options for this sweet and salty caramel sauce. 

{originally published 3/8/12 – recipes updated 1/26/23}

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Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake

I make this cheesecake only once or twice a year and it is always by request. Just the smallest sliver really is a serving.

Decadent, rich, and worthy of any special occasion, this is a masterpiece of a cheesecake. It steals the spotlight at any dessert table and has been known to cause more than one person to sigh with joy.

Turtle Cheesecake

The cheesecake starts with an Oreo cookie crust that is covered in caramel sauce, then a layer of creamy cheesecake. Once cooled, it is sprinkled with toasted pecans and drizzled with both caramel and chocolate.

This Turtle Cheesecake beats just about any cheesecake I’ve had from a bakery. No exaggeration at all, my friends.

The crisscrossed swirls of caramel and chocolate drizzle make this cake look especially stunning. And it tastes even better than it looks!

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Served for dessert with a strong cup of coffee, this is pure chocolate caramel cheesecake bliss. This is the dessert to bring when you want to wow a crowd!

While this cheesecake looks gorgeous and tastes even better, it’s not a fussy recipe at all. I’m happy to tell you that this dessert is much MUCH easier to make than you might expect.

Can’t get enough of that chocolate and caramel “turtle” flavor? Flourless Chocolate Turtle Cookies happen to be naturally gluten free yet still decadently tasty.

I make at least a couple batches of Shortbread Turtle Cookies and Chewy Caramel Turtle Bark to include in my holiday cookie trays every year. Pecans, chocolate, and caramel go so well together!

Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

It’s an easy swap to make this a gluten-free cheesecake. Simply substitute your favorite gluten-free cookie for the Oreo cookies in the crust.

Gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies are easy to find at most grocery stores these days and work just as well as traditional sandwich cookies.

I’ve made this recipe for turtle cheesecake with both gluten-free cookies in the crust and regular Oreos. My family couldn’t tell the difference between the two; they’re both delicious!

Turtle Cheesecake Recipe

The buttery caramel combines with the rich chocolate crust and silky cheesecake center to make this one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had.

I’ve said it once already and I’ll continue saying it. This cheesecake is so much more than the sum of its parts. It tastes like a much fancier dessert than it actually is!

Every time I bring a Turtle Cheesecake somewhere it gets a ton of compliments and requests for the recipe. Everyone’s always amazed when I tell them how simple the recipe is to make.

This is the same basic nine-ingredient recipe that I made for the first time straight off the back of the Philadelphia cream cheese package over 20 years ago.

Kitchen Tip: I use a reliable springform pan when making this recipe. Both 9-inch and 10-inch pans work well for this cheesecake recipe.

You can also use a smaller-sized cheesecake pan but will need to adjust the baking time accordingly. When I make this cheesecake in an 8-inch pan it requires an additional 10 – 15 minutes of baking time.

To make this recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Crush the cookies in a large freezer-weight zipclose bag. You can use a rolling pin or mallet to crush them. Alternatively, you can quickly pulse them in a food processor.
2. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-10″ springform pan. Pour ½ cup of the caramel sauce over this crust and spread it out lightly with a spatula. Refrigerate the caramel-coated crust for 10 minutes.
3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until each one is blended. Pour this mixture over the refrigerated crust. Place the spring-form pan on a large baking sheet prior to placing it in the oven. (If you line the baking sheet with foil first, clean up will be a breeze.) Some of the caramel in the crust will drip through the pan onto your oven if you forget the baking sheet.
4. Bake 65 – 70 minutes, until the center is almost set. Run a knife around the edges of the pan while it is still warm. Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before removing the sides of the pan.
5. Once the sides of the pan have been removed, sprinkle the pecans across the top of the cheesecake and then drizzle with the remaining caramel and the melted chocolate. Store the remaining cheesecake in the refrigerator.

Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website and for another decadent cheesecake to try, this Coffee Cookies and Cream Cheesecake is creamy chocolate perfection!

For a cheesecake outside of the chocolate family, this Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie never fails to impress. It’s a fabulous addition to any Thanksgiving menu but we’ve been known to enjoy it all year long.

In the summer time when I’m craving light, tart citrusy desserts, a No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake from 365 Days of Baking fits the bill nicely.

Light and fluffy No Bake Caramel Cheesecake Mousse and Berry Cheesecake Mousse Cups pack rich cheesecake flavor into easy-to-make treats.

Print

Turtle Cheesecake

Turtle Cheesecake with Caramel, Chocolate, Pecans, and an Oreo crust is a dessert that gets talked about long after the plates are cleaned.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 373kcal

Ingredients

• 24 chocolate sandwich cookies about 2 cups finely crushed, gluten free cookies work fine
• 6 tablespoons butter melted
• ¾ cup homemade caramel sauce (store-bought sauce is fine too)
• 3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
• ¼ cup chopped pecans toasted if desired

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Crush the oreo cookies in a large freezer-weight zipclose bag. (You can use a rolling pin or mallet to crush them. Alternatively, you can quickly pulse them in a food processor.)
• Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-10" springform pan. Pour ½ cup of the caramel sauce over this crust and spread it out lightly with a spatula. Refrigerate the caramel-coated crust for 10 minutes.
• Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until each one is blended. Pour this mixture over the refrigerated crust. Place the spring-form pan on a large baking sheet prior to placing it in the oven. (If you line the baking sheet with foil first, clean up will be a breeze.) Some of the caramel in the crust will drip through the pan onto your oven if you forget the baking sheet.
• Bake 65-70 minutes, until the center is almost set. Run a knife around the edges of the pan while it is still warm. Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before removing the sides of the pan.
• Once the sides of the pan have been removed, sprinkle the pecans across the top of the cheesecake and then drizzle with the remaining caramel and the melted chocolate. Store remaining cheesecake in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Notes

I typically use a 9″ springform pan and I have used a 10″ pan for this cake as well in the past. It simply makes for a shorter height cheesecake. An 8″ pan will work too, simply adjust the cooking time accordingly. The smaller pan may take as much as 10-15 minutes longer to cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 756IU | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

{originally posted 12/14/12 – photos and recipe notes updated 12/16/22}

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