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!
This recipe comes from my grandmother-in-law and mother-in-law – they both have made it in the past and I’ve simply improved the recipe over time by making it even more moist, more decadent and more chocolatey!
I loved making – and eating – this cake often, but when I found out I had celiac disease, I didn’t think I’d be able to enjoy it ever again. This would be the dessert I would miss most, I thought to myself.
Then, a friend told me about Cup4Cup flour and suggested I make it with this gluten-free flour blend. She said all I had to do was swap regular flour for Cup4Cup gluten-free flour and it would work in my recipe.
Low and behold it worked! I had a gluten-free chocolate chip applesauce cake recipe worthy of serving to even the most skeptical-about-gluten humans!
With Cup4Cup, the cake had a spongy feeling to it, and it sank in the middle. I didn’t mind this, at first, because it still tasted great.
But then I found out about Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend and used it instead. The cake didn’t sink in the middle and it was less spongy and more cake-like! I was so excited to see it worked even better with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend!
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.
- It’s so easy – all you have to do is mix the batter and place in a large cake pan. It’s super hard to mess up.
- Everyone raves about it. I’ve served this cake time and time again and everyone raves about it! I think most people who have had this cake have asked me for the recipe.
As you can see, there are SO MANY REASONS to love this cake. 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!
- 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)
- 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.
- Use unsweetened applesauce when possible.
- You can also use cinnamon applesauce, simply omit cinnamon.
- Cake will be moist. It tastes better when you allow it to sit for a few hours before serving.
- Store extra cake in a storage container.
- Cake freezes well. I often eat half, then save the other half for a rainy day.