Brownie Birthday Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free)

If you are looking for a deeply chocolaty, rich, fudgy cake filled with delicious tender cream this gluten free brownie cake recipe is for you! Moist brownie layers, coconut cream with mascarpone cheese, and peanuts create a wonderful birthday cake idea you can make within an hour.

Why This Recipe Works

– Rice flour contributes to the fudginess of your brownies making them less cakey.

– Coconut cream adds a fresh flavor to your cake.

– Mascarpone is a great choice for a creamy and light filling that doesn’t feel heavy.

– Since this cake is so rich, it will definitely go a long way! You only need a small slice to be full.

Substitutes and Swaps

– You can substitute rice flour for almond flour, but if you will use corn or tapioca flour, the texture might be significantly affected.

– You can substitute butter for coconut oil and mascarpone for plant based cream cheese to make this brownie cake dairy free.

– Coconut whipped cream can be swapped for regular whipped cream, but it will affect the flavor and the heaviness of the cake.

– If you are not a fan of dark chocolate, then substitute the dark chocolate for semi-sweet or white.

– Feel free to swap peanuts for any other nuts like walnuts or roasted almonds.

– Use coconut sugar to make a sugar free brownie cake!

– You can totally use regular cocoa powder, but dutch processed powder allows for a deeper chocolaty flavor.

Ingredients

For the Brownies

• 200 grams dark chocolate – you can use semi-sweet and/or white chocolate.
• 140 grams of butter – substitute for coconut oil for dairy-free brownie cake.
• 4 eggs.
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar – break it up with your fingers to avoid clumps in the batter.
• ½ cup white sugar.
• 2 tsp vanilla.
• 1 1/3 cup rice flour – check substitutes section for swap ideas.
• 4 tbsp of dutch processed cocoa powder.
• 1 tsp baking powder.
• ½ tsp salt.
• ½ tsp xanthan gum.
• 60 grams of peanuts.

For the Filling

• 380 grams of good quality coconut milk, chilled.
• 500 grams of mascarpone cheese.
• 60 grams of powdered sugar (I take regular sugar and grind it in the spice or coffee grinder).

For the Topping

– Peanuts and shredded coconut to taste.

Watch How to Make Brownie Birthday Cake!

Making the Brownies

Step 1 – melt the chocolate and the butter

Preheat your oven to 350F/170C. Line two medium cake pans with baking paper. Chop the chocolate (unless you are using chocolate chips) and the butter into small pieces. Boil some water and pour it into a medium-size saucepan. Place the chocolate and the butter into another similar size sauce pan and place over the other one (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan with the chocolate). Stir continuously to prevent burning until all chocolate and butter are melted.

Step 2 – mix the wet ingredients

Beat 4 eggs with a hand mixer until fluffy and foamy, then add the sugars and beat until the sugar dissolves. Add vanilla and stir to incorporate. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled down a bit, pour the chocolate into the egg mixture and fold carefully to not let out too many bubbles. You don’t have to incorporate completely at this stage.

Step 3 – mix the dry ingredients

In a medium-sized bowl, mix rice flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Make sure all dry ingredients are well incorporated, then add dry and wet ingredients together and mix well. Add peanuts to the mix.

Step 4 – bake the brownies

Pour the batter into the cake pans, spread evenly with a spatula, and place into the preheated oven at 350F/170C for 25-30 minutes or until the top and the edges are set and become dry. The middle will still be wet, that is alright!

Making the Filling

Step 1 – whip the coconut milk

Make sure your coconut milk has a high-fat percentage as it will be stiffer when whipped. You want your coconut milk to be in the refrigerator prior to using it as it will not get stiff if used warm. Open the can and separate the watery substance from the stiffer white part of the coconut milk. My coconut milk was high in fat, so I used the entire can without separating, however, if you see a clear distinction between the thin and the thick part, then it will be better to separate.

Beat the coconut milk with a hand mixer until you see peaks form and the consistency is similar to that of whipped cream.

Step 2 – prep the sugar

If you are using regular sugar, grind it in a coffee or a spice grinder to get powdered sugar. It is a cheaper option, so I rather grind my sugar myself, but if you prefer, you can buy powdered sugar ready for use. Pour the powdered sugar into the coconut whipped cream and beat to incorporate.

Step 3 – add mascarpone

Add mascarpone cheese to the mix and beat until the mixture is smooth. You can chill the filling in the fridge while the brownies are cooling down so that you have a sturdier cream to work with.

Assembling

Step 1 – Choose the assembling spot

When the brownies have cooled down (using hot cake will melt your cream and create an unnecessary mess!), place them onto the platter you will keep it on (it is hard to move the entire cake later!). So, don’t assemble your cake on the countertop or the table, make sure it has something under it that can be transported.

Step 2 – assemble the cake

Take one brownie layer and place it onto the platter. Spread the cream on top of it (be generous, but don’t put too much to avoid it dripping from the sides!) leaving the sides a bit less filled as the cream will spread from the middle to the sides anyways later.

Place the second brownie layer onto the previous one and top with a generous amount of cream. Spread some cream on the sides of the cake and top with peanuts and shredded coconut. You will most likely have leftover cream, you can keep it and spread it onto each piece of cake you will serve to increase the creaminess of your gluten free brownie cake!

Keep the cake refrigerated for up to 1 week!

Tips and Tricks for Gluten Free Brownie Cake

– Your cake might fall apart if you try to take it out of the pan while it is hot. Even if it does fall apart, you still can make the cake and glue the broken parts together using the cream!

– Chill the cream before spreading it onto the cake as it will harden and make it easier to work with.

– Use the leftover cream to spread onto the cake pieces you serve to your guests and family! It is a great addition to the rich and deep chocolate flavor the brownies have.

– Make the brownies and the cream in the evening and assemble in the morning. This way the cream will settle and harden in the fridge and the brownies will cool down and be ready for handling.

– Use parchment paper when baking brownies so that it is easy to take them out without them falling apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Store a Gluten Free Brownie Cake?

You should store your brownie cake in the refrigerator and it will last for up to 5-7 days.

Can I Freeze My Gluten Free Brownie Cake?

You can totally freeze brownies for up to 3 months, but if you freeze the mascarpone cheese, it might separate when thawed. Thus, I would say it is best not to freeze an assembled brownie cake since it does contain dairy products. However, if you want to freeze brownies on their own, you can do that!

Why Do Gluten Free Brownies Fall Apart?

Gluten free flour doesn’t have the binding element that regular flour has, thus you have to add things like xanthan gum, guar gum, or psyllium husk to your flour in order to help the brownies stay together. However, even if you do add those binding agents, you still need to be careful when handling hot cake and rather let it sit and harden before cutting or trying to take it out of the baking pans.

Why Don’t My Brownies Have a Crust on Top?

In order to create a crust on top of your gluten free brownies, you need to vigorously beat your batter after you add the eggs. Another piece of advice is to beat the sugar and egg until they are combined really well!

What Does Xanthan Gum Do?

Xanthan gum helps keep gluten free baked goods from falling apart after baking. Since there is no gluten to hold the texture, gluten free brownies will fall apart easily unless you bring in some binding agent like xanthan gum, guar gum, or psyllium husk.

Can I Make Gluten Free Brownie Cake Sugar Free?

You can use coconut sugar to make these brownies sugar-free!

Other Gluten Free Desserts You Might Like

Gluten Free No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten Free Homemade Raffaello Recipe

Gluten Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

What’s next?

Have you made this gluten free brownie cake? I would love to see! You can tag me on Instagram at @natashashome_ and I would love to share your creations in my stories. If you have any questions, please, ask in the comments below!