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I made this egg-free gluten-free chocolate espresso buttermilk cake for Mac’s birthday. Both he and his dad thought it was good. It turned out moist, dense and chocolatey…
I’m definitely a newbie to egg-free gluten-free baking and am having fun experimenting with it. While Mac’s not celiac, he’s allergic to nuts and sensitive to lots of things, including gluten and eggs.
Recipe Notes
But to be honest, not everything I’ve made is something I would want to waste my points/calories on! (Being a bit of a food snob is an important part of my slim & healthy approach to eating.)
And since I don’t have lots of experience with gluten free baking, it’s much easier for me to start with a mix, like this Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix (affiliate link), than try to work from scratch.
I’m also a big fan of Anne Byrn, The Cake Mix Doctor. So, I looked for an option in her The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free (affiliate link) cookbook that I thought might work without eggs.
This is risky, since one of Anne’s “dont’s” is “don’t omit the eggs” because they provide structure in gluten-free cakes and help the cakes rise higher in the pan.
I also checked out a few gluten-free egg-free cake recipes online, including this one that uses applesauce on Ginger Lemon Girl and one that calls for baking soda and vinegar from Recipe Interrupted.
How Many Calories and WW Points in Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Buttermilk Cake?
According to my calculations, each serving has 284 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
10 SmartPoints (Green plan)
10 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
10 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Which is not too bad for a lightly frosted birthday cake.
I was afraid to decrease the oil, since I had already replaced the 3 eggs that were called for with 3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. Next time I’ll use 1/4 cup of oil and 1 cup applesauce and let you know what happens.
Since the cake is sweet and rich, I was satisfied with just 1/2 a piece at 5 WW Points!
Baking Tips and Substitutions
I baked my cake in a 9-inch stoneware pan and it was done in just 35 minutes. The type of pan you use may affect baking time.
To make this cake dairy-free, use coconut milk instead of the buttermilk.
If you’ve made this Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Cake, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Egg-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package (15 ounces) chocolate gluten-free cake mix
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Frosting (I opted for a thin layer of rich chocolate sugar-free frosting with no artificial colors, flavors of preservatives I found at Fresh & Easy.)
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Grease a 9-inch square pan and set it aside.
- Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, buttermilk, oil, applesauce and vanilla in a large mixing bowl (affiliate link). Beat with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on low speed until the ingredients are blended, about 30 seconds.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula (affiliate link). Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until its really smooth, about 2 more minutes. (If you think you need to, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl again.)
- Pour the batter into the greased pan.
- Bake on the center rack until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Spread a thin layer of your favorite frosting onto the cooled cake.
- Store the cake in the pan, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can freeze the unfrosted cake, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to one month. Let the cake thaw on the counter completely before frosting it.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 10 SmartPoints (Green plan) 10 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 10 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 8 PointsPlus (Old plan) I was afraid to decrease the oil, since I had already replaced the 3 eggs that were called for with 3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. Next time I’ll use 1/4 cup of oil and 1 cup applesauce and let you know what happens. I baked my cake in a 9-inch stoneware pan and it was done in just 35 minutes. The type of pan you use may affect baking time. To make this cake dairy-free, use coconut milk instead of the buttermilk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
