{"id":166143,"title":"Gluten-Free Chocolate G\u00e9noise","modified":"2026-08-25T19:14:27+02:00","plain":"Looking for a chocolate sponge that works just as well in thick layers as it does in thin sheets for a layer cake? This vegan, gluten-free chocolate g\u00e9noise does exactly that, with a soft crumb and enough cocoa flavor to support the rest of the dessert.\n\n\n\nOnce cooled, it slices cleanly, bakes beautifully as a large round or a sheet, and works just as well for an entremets as for opera-style layers. The batter is simple, precisely measured, and made without eggs or dairy. You'll find the rest of my gluten-free pastries in the same category.\n\n\n\nWant an even richer dessert? Try the vegan chocolate mousse cake.\n\n\n\nWhat Is Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate G\u00e9noise?\n\n\n\nThis is a gluten-free, lactose-free, egg-free chocolate cake base designed to stay moist even without the usual ingredients. Here, a plant-based mock buttermilk takes the place of egg replacers: oat or rice milk acidified with 35 g of lemon juice or white vinegar, which thickens slightly just like traditional buttermilk.\n\n\n\nThe batter is flexible enough to bake as a thick sponge or as thinner sheets for layer cakes. Use it as a base for chocolate layer cakes, cupcakes, vegan entremets, or opera-style cakes.\n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients\n\n\n\nThe plant milk matters here. Use barista-style oat or rice milk that is certified gluten-free. It has a little more fat, which gives the g\u00e9noise a richer texture. Lemon juice is used to make the mock buttermilk with the oat milk, but 35 g of white vinegar works just as well to acidify the mixture.\n\n\n\nOlive oil replaces vegan butter or margarine. In this recipe, its flavor stays in the background behind the cocoa, so you get the richness without a pronounced olive taste. For the cocoa, choose a good-quality natural cocoa powder meant for baking.\n\n\n\nFor the flour, use an all-purpose gluten-free blend with at least 2 or 3 different flours and starches. Demerara sugar adds a light caramel note that pairs beautifully with chocolate, but you can also use 270 g of brown sugar if that's what you have. Weigh everything to the gram and stick to the written quantities rather than converting by eye.\n\n\n\nFor a fruitier version, try the vegan chocolate cake with mango.\n\n\n\nTechnical Tips and Common Pitfalls\n\n\n\nThe rise depends on a precise balance between baking soda and baking powder. This duo is what lifts the cake without eggs, so the quantities need to be exact. Weigh them to the gram to avoid mistakes.\n\n\n\nStart by mixing the plant milk with the lemon juice, then let it sit for 10 minutes. The mixture should curdle, or at least thicken slightly: that mock buttermilk is what replaces egg substitutes here. If you use white vinegar instead of lemon juice, the principle is exactly the same.\n\n\n\nSift all the dry ingredients except the sugar before you start mixing. Then add the mock buttermilk and olive oil to the dry ingredients, add the sugar, and mix with a hand mixer until the batter is smooth and lump-free. This step matters, especially with gluten-free flour blends, which can quickly form clumps.\n\n\n\nBaking\n\n\n\nPreheat the oven to 170\u00b0C. Pour the batter into a 20 cm springform pan lined with baking paper, then bake for 55 to 60 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center: the g\u00e9noise is ready if it comes out clean.\n\n\n\nThis batter adapts well to several formats. Bake it as a thick layer for a cake you plan to slice, or as thinner sponge sheets for a layered cake. That versatility is part of what makes the recipe so useful, as long as you handle the mixing and baking with the same care.\n\n\n\nAfter Baking\n\n\n\nLet it cool completely before slicing. While still warm, the crumb is fragile, and you risk crushing it instead of cutting clean layers.\n\n\n\nFill it with a silky chocolate pastry cream.\n\n\n\nYou'll find more vegan recipes in the same category.\n\n\n\nRecipe developed by chef Rommel Reyes. Find more of his work on Instagram, his Substack newsletter, and his YouTube channel.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tGluten-Free Chocolate Sponge Cake\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t420 g gluten-free all-purpose flour75 g organic cocoa powder (preferably Navitas cocoa powder)270 g demerara sugar or brown sugar22 g baking powder12 g baking soda140 g olive oil600 g barista-style oat or rice milk (gluten-free)35 g lemon juice or white vinegar\t\n\t\n\t\tMethodMake the vegan buttermilk by mixing the oat milk and lemon juice.Let it stand for 10 minutes, until slightly curdled and thickened.Sift all the dry ingredients except the sugar into a mixing bowl, then stir to combine.Add the vegan buttermilk and olive oil to the dry ingredients.Add the sugar.Beat with a hand mixer until the batter is smooth and lump-free.Preheat the oven to 170\u00b0C.Pour the batter into a 20 cm springform pan lined with parchment paper.Bake for 55-60 minutes.Insert a toothpick into the center.Check for doneness: if it comes out clean, the sponge cake is ready.Let the sponge cake cool before slicing.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}