The post featuring my gluten-free chocolate chip applesauce cake recipe contains affiliate links. While I do partner with Bob’s Red Mill from time to time, this post is not sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Please read my disclosures for more information.
The blog post features the BEST, MOST decadent and MOST moist chocolate cake recipe you’ll ever make. I promise you, it’s that GOOD!
The recipe started with my grandmother-in-law and then my mother-in-law. Both have made it in the past and I’ve loved it.
However, when I went gluten-free, I was nervous if I’d ever be able to eat this recipe again. This would have been the dessert I missed most – hands down. But, thank goodness I’ve figured out how to make it gluten-free. And I’ve improved the original recipe over time to make my cake even more decadent and chocolatey than before.
This recipe truly has been perfected and will be the one recipe your friends ask you make time and time again. It is my go-to dessert – no doubt!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake Gluten-Free
Remember when I told you I thought I’d never get to eat this cake again after I started eating gluten-free? Well, I was wrong. Dead wrong.
When I first went gluten-free, a friend told me about Cup4Cup flour and suggested I make the exact recipe and just simply swap regular flour with the Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend. I did it and the recipe worked well. It caved in a little in the middle, but the taste was spot on.
But then, years later, I found out about Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend and decided to use it instead. The cake didn’t sink in the middle and it was less spongy and more cake-like! The recipe worked even better with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend!
I have also tested this recipe with Pamela’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend and it worked beautifully as well. I highly recommend this Pamela’s flour blend as as well.
Why I Love this Cake
I’m being serious when I tell you this is hands down my favorite dessert of all time. I love this recipe so much for so many reasons:
- It’s chocolate cake! If you like chocolate cake, you will love this cake.
- It’s super moist. You can thank the applesauce for that!
- The topping is to die for. The top is sprinkled with chocolate chips and brown sugar before it bakes, giving it a crunchy crust topping that is the BEST part of the entire cake. Be generous when sprinkling all the goodies atop the batter.
- It’s so easy – all you have to do is mix the batter and place it in a large cake pan. It’s hard to mess up.
- Everyone raves about it. I’ve served this cake time and time again and everyone raves about it! Most people who have tried this cake have asked me for the recipe.
As you can see, there are SO MANY REASONS to love this cake.
However, on top of it all, NO ONE will know it’s gluten-free. I can pretty much guarantee this fact. I’ve had this cake long before I went gluten-free, and I might even venture to say the cake is better with my Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend than it was before with regular wheat flour.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake Recipe
OK, so without further ado, I’m going to share my most favorite dessert recipe with you. I know I could keep this recipe a secret and keep all the accolades to myself, but I wouldn’t do that. I’d rather share this awesome recipe with all my favorite gluten-free people – YOU!
Between the moist chocolate cake and the crunch brown sugar topping, you will have to pace yourself. This cake is so addictive it’s sinful!
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend 280 grams
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa
- 2-3 cups chocolate chips (for topping)
- 3-5 Tbsp. brown sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray
- In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add to mixture eggs, vanilla, applesauce and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa.
- Add flour mixture slowly to wet mixture, mixing on low and scraping sides to ensure all ingredients are combined.
- Transfer mixture to greased baking pan.
- Generously cover mixture with chocolate chips and brown sugar.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until center comes out clean with a toothpick.
Notes
- Use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened applesauce makes the cake too sweet.
- You can also use cinnamon applesauce, simply omit cinnamon in the recipe if you do.
- The cake will be moist. It tastes better when you allow it to sit for a few hours before serving. It tastes even better the next day!
- Store extra cake in a sealed storage container. It'll keep for several days - even a week!
- The cake freezes well. I often serve half, then save the other half for a rainy day.
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