Easter 2021 we did not have a fruity, pastel dessert but a very chocolate-y cake. This ultimate triple chocolate cake features 3 special cake layers. The top layer is white chocolate cake, the middle layer is the usual cocoa powder chocolate cake, and the bottom layer is dark chocolate cake! These three chocolate cake layers are all wrapped up in a silky chocolate buttercream frosting with chocolate chips on the sides, dripped with white chocolate ganache on top, and topped with adorable Easter chocolates for decoration! Sounds incredible right?
Every Easter we get TONS of chocolate, specifically from this one very sweet and generous couple, and because of that when I think of Easter desserts, I only think of chocolate. Making an average chocolate cake sounded yummy, but not special enough for Easter. So I decided to make this spectacular cake to bring to my family gathering. It was a HIT!! My uncle couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was, my grandma said “We will be eating this in heaven,” and my little cousin said “You better try it, I’m warning you!” You can make this cake anytime (not only for Easter) because chocolate should never be restricted to only certain times of the year. Since there are 3 different layers of cake, it takes a little more time to make, but it’s definitely worth it and I hope you try this delicious show-stopping cake!
This post contains affiliate links to some of my very favorite ingredients. This way it is easy for you to find the ingredients I used at the best price I’ve found. If you click on any of them and purchase anything from Amazon, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale, to support what I do here. Thank you!
Link to my favorite gluten-free flour blend is here.
Espresso powder I use for baking is linked here.
The 6 inch cake pans I use are linked here!
The 8 inch cake pans I use are linked here!
Ultimate Triple Chocolate Cake (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (slightly heaped) white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup (slightly heaped) dark chocolate chips
- ¾ cup neutral flavor liquid oil divided
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsps sugar divided
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tsps vanilla extract divided
- 1 ½ tsps salt divided
- 2 ½ tsps baking powder divided
- ½ tsp baking soda divided
- 6 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder (or 3 tbsps normal cocoa and 3 tbsps dutch/dark cocoa powder) divided
- ¼ tsp instant espresso powder optional
- 2 ¼ cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour spooned and leveled, not scooped (divided)
- ½ cup plus ⅓ cup milk of choice divided
- ⅔ cup boiling water divided
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 2 cups (4 sticks) soft unsalted butter
- 1 tsp fine grain salt I used powdered sea salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 4 tbsps heavy cream plus more as needed
White Chocolate Ganache Drip:
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Extras:
- (preferably mini) semisweet/dark chocolate chips for the sides I recommend mini but I only had regular on hand
- Easter chocolate bunnies and eggs
Instructions
- Grease three 8 inch/6 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 C).
For the White Chocolate Layer:
- In a large glass bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Add ¼ cup oil and ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp sugar to the melted white chocolate and mix together using a hand mixer. Crack in one egg and beat well until light and slightly fluffy. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt and mix until combined. Add the GF flour and mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Pour in ⅓ cup milk of choice and mix very well until everything is smooth and well combined. Pour the batter into one of the prepared cake pans. If you have 3 separate timers and can keep track of which one is timing which cake layer, bake this layer for 24-30 minutes (30-40 minutes if you’re making a 6 inch cake) as you are making the other layers. If you DON'T have 3 separate timers/can't keep track of which one is timing which layer, set the pan aside as you make the other cake layers.
For the Chocolate Layer:
- Start heating a little more than a cup of water so that it will be boiling in a couple minutes. In the same large bowl that you used for the white chocolate layer, beat ¼ cup oil and ½ cup sugar together using a hand mixer. Crack in one egg and mix very well. Add 1 tsp vanilla, ½ salt, ¾ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and 3 tbsps cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add ¾ cup GF flour and mix until combined. Pour in ¼ cup milk of choice and mix well. Scrape the sides of the bowl. While the mixer is running on medium-low speed, carefully pour in ⅓ cup boiling water (save the rest for the next layer) then turn up the speed to high and mix very well. Pour the batter into the second prepared cake pan. Bake for 24-30 minutes (30-40 minutes if you’re making a 6 inch cake) only if you have 3 separate timers and can keep track of which one is timing which cake layer. If you don't/can't set the pan aside as you make the final cake layer.
For the Dark Chocolate Layer:
- Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Add the melted chocolate to the same large mixing bowl used for the other layers. Add ¼ cup oil and ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp sugar and mix well. Crack in one egg and beat very well. Add 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp salt, ¾ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, 3 tbsps cocoa powder/dutch (dark) cocoa powder, and ¼ tsp espresso powder (optional) and mix until combined. Add ¾ cup GF flour and mix until combined. Pour in ¼ cup milk of choice and mix well. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula. While the mixer is running on medium-low speed, carefully pour in ⅓ cup boiling water then turn the speed up to high and mix very well. Pour the batter into the last prepared cake pan. Bake for 23-28 minutes (30-40 minutes if you’re making a 6 inch cake) if the other layers are already baking.
If you DIDN'T bake all the layers separately…
- Place all three cake pans in the preheated oven and bake for 24-30 minutes (30-40 minutes if you’re making a 6 inch cake) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the layers cool completely. Remove the cooled layers from their pans and remove the circle of parchment paper from each one. If your cake layers happen to be domed at the top, trim off the tops using a bread knife.
Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) beat the butter and salt on high until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar little by little, mixing well in between each addition. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula. Add the vanilla and heavy cream and mix very well. Add more heavy cream (1 tbsp at a time) as needed until a smooth, spreadable consistency forms.
Assembly pt. 1:
- Smear a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board, plate, or anything you want to serve the cake on. Place the dark chocolate cake layer on top. Spread a layer of frosting on top using a cake frosting spatula/utensil. Place the chocolate layer on top. Spread frosting on top of the second layer and place the white chocolate layer on top. Spread and smooth a as much of the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake, saving enough frosting for piping if you wish. Chill the cake in the fridge (about an hour)/freezer (15-25 minutes) until you can touch the frosting without smudging it (it should be firm and kind of cool).
White Chocolate Ganache:
- Once the cake is chilled, add the white chocolate chips to a heat-proof bowl. In a small glass bowl/cup heat the heavy cream in the microwave or on the stove until hot (careful using the microwave! When I heated mine, it bubbled up over the sides. Take it slow and heat it 15 seconds at a time). Pour the heavy cream over the white chocolate chips and let it sit for 3 minutes. After sitting, whisk until smooth.
Assembly pt. 2:
- Spoon ganache around the very edges of the cake to create drips. Pour the rest of the ganache in the center of the cake and spread it to the drip edges. Carefully (yet firmly) press the chocolate chips all around the bottom portion of the cake if you wish. At this point you can decorate the top of the cake however you wish! I used chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies, leftover frosting for piping little leaves, and mini colorful cadbury chocolate eggs. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
This is worth the effort. Gluten free CAN be soooo delicious. Lucky us to have this amazing baker, who lives to bake amazing desserts for our family gatherings. Thank you, Sabrina!n
Aww thank you so much!! I truly enjoy baking cakes for our gatherings and I’m so glad that even though I’m the only gluten-free person, everyone enjoys it!