Gluten Free Gateau (French Chocolate Cake)

Gateau au chocolat, or ガトーショコラ in Japan, is a simple but popular French chocolate cake. This version uses almond flour, making it a gluten free gateau and grain free treat. 

Taking a bite from a French chocolate cake topped with dollop of cream using wooden fork.

A long long time ago (last month), I made this gluten free gateau for my birthday. It’s rich, it’s dark, it’s chocolatey, and I looooove it. I grew up eating this cake. It’s popular in Japan and I thought it was popular in America, but I’ve found that many people haven’t heard of it! What?!

Gateau au chocolat just means chocolate cake in French. But to us here in America it means a dense single layer cake, sans frosting… because you don’t even need it. I like standard American chocolate cake, don’t get me wrong…but my heart really lies with French chocolate cake.

And then there’s this craggy top that is wonderfully rustically pretty.

Top view of unsliced french chocolate cake, or gateau chocolat.

Oh, and I like mine dark. I used my fav chocolate brand, Amano, which I discovered when I was in college. They were right up the street from where I lived, and I visited their warehouse and was BLOWN AWAY by how good it was. It was my first foray into the wonderful world of single origin dark chocolate, and I haven’t looked back. They sent me some bulk Madagascar chocolate, which was delicious, and then I made it again with my favorite bar, Dos Rios. They both worked wonderfully, but I especially loved the floral notes from the Dos Rios.

This gluten free gateau has a really simple ingredients list, so using quality chocolate is a must. The flavor notes from the bar really came through in the final product, and I was really pleased with the results. You can use grocery store chocolate chips, but may I suggest using your favorite single origin bar for an extra special experience?

Fork lifting up a piece of gateau topped with dollop of whipped cream and mint leaf.

I also decided to make a gluten free gateau and grain free by using almond flour. There wasn’t a huge reason, but it’s always nice to have the option, especially for when you need a treat to make for someone with dietary restrictions.

This simple cake is best when topped with a dollop of cool whipped cream. Give it a try. You may even find that you prefer French chocolate cake over the tall frosted American kind… gasp! You should also check out my other cake and cupcake recipes!

Gateau au chocolat, or ガトーショコラ in Japan, is a simple but popular French chocolate cake. This version uses almond flour, making it a gluten and grain free treat. 

4 thoughts on “Gluten Free Gateau (French Chocolate Cake)”

  1. 5 stars
    Hey, can you please tell me more about this french dish?
    I would like to know the place in France where it comes from, any interesting facts about this dish like its usage in any french comincs.

    Reply
    • Hi Nick, this recipe is inspired by the Gâteau au chocolat de Nancy which comes from the French town Nancy. Not sure what you mean by usage in French comincs, sorry. Hope that helps!

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating