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I love a gluten free traybake (or sheet cake for my American readers!) and this gluten free Nutella cake might just be one of my new favourites.
This a super light and fluffy gluten free chocolate Nutella sponge, topped with THE lightest, fluffiest, dreamiest Nutella frosting ever.
I’m honestly so so proud of this cake and I know you’re going to love it – particularly if you’ve made my gluten free chocolate cake recipe before!
And yes, Nutella is gluten free!
I absolutely love Nutella – if you haven’t already, check out my Banana and Nutella Muffins for another quick and easy bake!
Nutella is gluten free but you can pick up some other similar dairy free chocolate and hazelnut spreads which will work just as well, if you prefer.
I decided to use Nutella in both the cake and the frosting for this cake, and I’m so glad I did!
As well as adding flavour, the Nutella gives the cake extra moisture and combined with the buttermilk and oil, creates the most beautifully light and fluffy cake.
The icing is also super light – making what you would think is a super indulgent cake into something which you actually eat a tonne of in one sitting.*
(*Perhaps don’t to that – but you get my gist!)
An easy gluten free traybake
Traybakes are definitely one of my favourite way to bake a gluten free cake – they’re easy to portion up and you always get more frosting than with a loaf cake!
I made this gluten free Nutella cake in a 24cm square tin, but you could easily adapt this to fit a rectangular tin with a similar area – or a round tin if you prefer.
The idea is that this bake is completely adaptable, but you may just need to keep an eye on the cooking times if you change the shape (and depth) of the cake. A thicker cake will need longer!
Once your cake is baked, just slather it with frosting, decorate and cut into squares to share with your friends and family!
Making my gluten free Nutella cake
There’s a printable version of the recipe below with full instructions, but for the shopping list you’ll just need a few basics to make my gluten free Nutella cake.
For the Nutella sponge, you’ll need:
- 175g caster sugar
- 130ml vegetable/rapeseed oil
- 100ml buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 175 g self-raising gluten free flour (I use FREEE by Dove’s Farm)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 30g cocoa powder
- 100g Nutella
You’ll also need to get hold of these ingredients for the Nutella frosting:
- 150g butter (at room temperature)
- 150g Nutella
- 250g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
A few notes on this recipe
I always use FREEE by Dove’s Farm in my bakes and you may find that using a different gluten free flour will produce a different end result.
I’d always recommend using a gluten free flour blend, such as FREEE, Sainsbury’s own, Lidl’s own, etc, instead of a specific flour such as almond flour or coconut flour.
The only specific flour I’m confident will work in this recipe is rice flour – if you’re using this then follow the instructions for plain gluten free flour (not self-raising) in the recipe notes on the recipe card below.
You’ll also need to add an extra 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum if you’re using rice flour – or any gluten free flour blend which doesn’t already contain it.
In terms of dairy free, you probably could adapt this cake but I haven’t tried this myself yet. You could potentially use a dairy free Nutella substitute, and make your own dairy free buttermilk using dairy free milk and lemon juice.
However until I have tried this I don’t want to give you concrete reassurances – so if anyone does try it then please do let me know how it turns out!
Making perfect buttercream frosting
It’s taken me many years to perfect the art of buttercream and I’m so happy with the recipe I use now!
There are a few secrets to getting the perfect buttercream frosting and the first is ALWAYS make sure your butter is at room temperature before making it.
To be more specific, get the butter out of the fridge a few hours before you even start making this cake. It will make all the difference when beating it together!
I also like to add milk to my buttercream as I find it makes it so light and fluffy. I also add it over the top of the icing sugar to stop it puffing up in my face when I set the mixer lose on it.
If you want to avoid a dust cloud, I can recommend ‘mushing’ the ingredients together roughly with a fork before you get in there with the mixer, so there’s less loose icing sugar.
My gluten free Nutella cake recipe
Ok, you’ve waited long enough – here is the recipe for my gluten free Nutella cake with the most incredible Nutella frosting ever!
This cake bakes in a 24cm square tin and makes enough for 16 cute little squares.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And if you loved it, please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten free Nutella cake
This gluten free Nutella cake is a chocolate lover's dream! A light and airy gluten free Nutella sponge with the fluffiest Nutella frosting ever. This recipe makes 16 squares in a 24cm square tin and can be kept for 3-5 days in a sealed container.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 175g caster sugar
- 130ml vegetable/rapeseed oil
- 100ml buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 175 g self-raising gluten free flour (I use FREEE by Dove's Farm)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 30g cocoa powder
- 100g Nutella
For the frosting:
- 150g butter (at room temperature)
- 150g Nutella
- 250g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
To decorate:
- 40g melted chocolate
- 2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180'C / Gas 160'C / Gas Mark 4. Line a 24cm square tin with baking paper and set to one side.
- Add the caster sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk and eggs to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until they combine to form a very thin batter. Don't worry about any curdling at this stage - the flour will fix this!
- Mix the gluten free self-raising flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and then sift into the wet mixture. Add the Nutella to the mixture and then beat again with the electric whisk until fully combined. This should form a thick, chocolatey cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the lined cake tin, smooth out and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops bounce back when gently pushed (or a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean). Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely before decorating.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter, Nutella, icing sugar and milk with an electric whisk until it is thick and fluffy. Spread in a thick layer over the cake and then decorate with the melted chocolate and chopped nuts. Cut into 16 squares and serve.
Notes
- I always use FREEE by Dove's Farm flour - using a different brand may produce slightly different results and different gluten free flours absorb moisture at different rates.
- If you don't have self-raising flour, use 175g of plain gluten free flour plus 3 tsp of baking powder instead of the quantities given above.
- This cake will keep in a sealed container for around 3-5 days. It can also be frozen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g
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Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog, why not give some of these a try? They’re perfect for baking away all of your troubles.
- Gluten free banana, date and walnut loaf cake recipe
- Gluten free 2-ingredient bagels
- Banana and Nutella muffins
- Gluten free Mini Cheddars recipe
- Gluten Free Tiffin
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
Like this recipe? Pin these recipe cards below for later!
Is there an alternate. For the buttermilk, our supermarket dewing stock it? Thank you
Yep you can mix 100ml milk with a tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) to make your own 🙂 xx