This is the best chocolate cake in the entire world. This isn’t a joke, it’s real.
The real freakin’ deal.
It doesn’t matter that it’s not made with traditional flour, or butter, or regular sugar. What matters is that the taste is AMAZING.
I wanted to make a gluten free and paleo chocolate cake recipe for you to use to celebrate those special moments in your life. For a friend, brother, dad, mom or sister who happens to be gluten free. Or perhaps for your child who is allergic to dairy. For anyone in your life that you want to impress. For holidays. For birthdays. Or just for yourself.
Ingredients in the best gluten free chocolate cake
You truly won’t believe this chocolate cake is gluten free, grain free AND dairy free. Is it magic? I think so. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Flour: we’re using a mix of almonds flour and coconut flour to keep the cake gluten free and grain free.
- Cocoa powder: be sure to use a high-quality cocoa powder to give the cake that rich, chocolate flavor.
- Coconut oil: the chocolate cake gets plenty of moisture from melted coconut oil.
- Sugar: we’re keeping the cake paleo-friendly by using coconut sugar, a great unrefined sugar.
- Eggs: you’ll need 4 eggs to help the cake bake up properly.
- Milk: for additional moisture, we’re adding unsweetened almond milk.
- Baking staples: you’ll also need vanilla extract (learn how to make your own here!), apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and salt. The apple cider vinegar helps activate the baking soda, so don’t leave it out!
Can I make this cake vegan?
I haven’t tried making this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe vegan, but if you want to try you can use 4 flax eggs (4 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 12 tablespoons water). Let me know in the comments how it works out!
Can I use a different flour?
Unfortunately, no, I cannot recommend flour substitutions for the almond flour and coconut flour. I chose to use a gluten-free flour blend to give you the best gluten-free cake ever!
Two layers or three: you decide
If you want to make two round cakes instead of three, you can. Just divide the batter between two round cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I’m also guessing that you could easily turn this cake into a sheet cake!
Jazz up your paleo chocolate cake
There are a couple of ways I like to take this beautiful grain free chocolate cake to the next level:
- For sweet & salty lovers: top the cake with a sprinkle of fancy sea salt.
- For fruit lovers: add raspberries or sliced strawberries between the layers and on top of the cake.
Let’s talk frosting
Another one of my favorite things about the cake is the ridiculously easy, paleo and dairy free chocolate frosting made with only two simple ingredients (and a pinch of salt). No powdered sugar or butter required, but it tastes just like a traditional chocolate buttercream frosting! Just know that you’ll need to make the frosting ahead of time, and I recommend using a stand mixer. Also, know that it’s INCREDIBLE so you’ll probably lick it straight out of the bowl.
Looking for a unique flavor combo? Try adding this gorgeous Strawberry Buttercream Frosting to the cake instead of the chocolate frosting!
Tricks for perfect frosting
Frosting a whole cake can seem daunting, but with these couple of tips you’ll have a beautifully frosted gluten free chocolate cake in no time:
- Cool before frosting. Make sure you wait until the chocolate cakes are completely cool before frosting them. I recommend letting them cool in the pans first, then transferring them to the refrigerator for at least an hour to finish cooling before frosting.
- Do a crumb coat. Do a crumb coat for the frosting first by frosting the layers as you normally would and then coat the outside of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting then place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you finish frosting. This is so that the crumbs stick to this layer of frosting and not your main layer.
Don’t forget these cake baking tips
- Use room temp ingredients. Remember to use eggs that are at room temperature and that your coconut oil has cooled after melting it. This will prevent the eggs from coagulating in the batter.
- Pack the almond flour. Pack your almond flour but DO NOT pack your coconut flour.
- Follow the recipe. All in all, be sure to follow the recipe as written for optimal results! Changing the ingredients or ingredient amounts will give you a different recipe.
Storing & freezing tips
One of the best parts about this gluten free chocolate cake recipe is that you can make it 1-2 days ahead of time. I like to make the cakes ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for easy assembly, but you can also store the full cake in the fridge after you’ve frosted it, too!
- To store: feel free to store the cake on the counter at room temp for 1-2 days, then I recommend transferring it to the refrigerator.
- To freeze: feel free to freeze this chocolate cake either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it unfrosted in individual layers for the best results. First, wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and then place the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. When you’re ready to serve it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
More cake recipes you’ll love
- Inside Out Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
- Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake (gluten free, grain free)
- The Best Healthy Carrot Cake You’ll Ever Eat (gluten free & paleo-friendly!)
- Almond Lemon Raspberry Poppy Seed Cake
- Healthy Birthday Cake
Get all of my cake recipes here!
I hope you love this wonderful paleo and gluten free chocolate cake! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake with Paleo Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups packed blanched fine almond flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use a high quality version)
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 batch Paleo chocolate frosting
Instructions
- First begin by making your frosting using this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three 8-inch round cake pans or three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and side of pan with nonstick cooking spray. YOU SHOULD USE PARCHMENT PAPER or the cake is likely to stick. Please do not forget.
- In a large bowl, mix together the melted and cooled coconut oil, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Add almond milk and beat once more until mixture is well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking soda and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Mixture will be on the thicker side.
- Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula or shake the pans gently back and forth to smooth the top of the batter. Bake for 20-30 minutes for 8-inch pans and 25-35 minutes for 6-inch pans or until a tester comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Make sure you rotate the pans halfway through baking.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer to the fridge to finish cooling completely. Allow cake to cool in the fridge for at least an hour before removing from the pan and frosting. The cake should be room temperature when you frost it. This is very important. Cake can be made a day ahead if you’d like!
- Finish making your frosting: Scoop the hardened chocolate coconut cream frosting mixture into a large bowl. Use a hand mixer or a KitchenAid mixer to beat frosting until peaks form and it looks nice, fluffy and creamy. Use immediately!
- Layer cake, using about 1/3 -½ cup frosting between each layer, then frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. Serves 12-16! Cake can be stored at room temp for a day or two, then should be transferred to the fridge.
403 comments
This looks amazing – can’t wait to try it! This may be silly, but how strong of a coconut flavor is in there, especially the frosting? I’ve never worked with coconut cream. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Not a silly question at all – there really isn’t much of a coconut flavor that I notice. It tastes just like a chocolatey, whipped frosting that’s not overly sweet. Hope you get a chance to try this soon!
I am allergic to almonds can you recommend a substitute?
Hazelnut flour works really well (I tested it)! 🙂 And then it tastes a like a nutella cake so that’s amazing.
Going to tell my sister about this one!! She has a dairy allergy, and we are always looking for new options!
This will be perfect for her! Hope you guys love it <3
Hi there! I’m allergic to eggs. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Then try flaxegg instead. You can make your own or you can buy egg sustitute in the gluten free allies in any store! For the flaxegg (The recipe is everywhere). 😉 good luck 👍
Yes flaxeggs should work! Just be sure to leave them in the fridge to “set” before adding them.
Did this work? Hoping to make for a friend who is paleo and vegan.
For the coconut cream- do you use the whole can? Or drain off the watery part?
I know you stated no substitutions but do you have similar recipe for chocolate cake using a sugar substitute such as swerve or stevia. I am doing LCHF and really miss desserts such as this?
I actually don’t bake with sugar substitutes because I like to use all-natural sweeteners, so I’m not sure! I think some of them have baking instructions that might work, but I think the flavor will change a fair amount in this one.
Monique do you have a list of the Nutrition? Calories/Carbs, etc.??
Hi Linda! I didn’t calculate nutrition for this one as I want people to focus on the wholesome ingredients in here (instead of numbers) 🙂 Enjoy!
This is one of the things I like about your site Monique! Your sweeteners are always all natural. Other blogs have Stevia in every recipe, so annoying!
I just started using Lakanto Monk Fruit/Erthritol Blend sugar sub. Tastes like sugar and I have used coconut sugar as well both are good taste wise. I believe what I use is healthy from reading I have done. What I use has no calories, does not feed candida and does not raise blood sugar levels. You can do your own research. They have a white and and brown sugar sub. Blessings!
Thanks for sharing! Cannot wait to make this for Valentines Day! Where do you recommend shopping for the ingredients? I can never find coconut cream at a regular store here in Chicago. Assuming Whole Foods for everything?
You have Trader Joe’s, they have their own brand of it. 🙂
Yes I usually get everything from Whole Foods but I think Trader Joe’s should have everything, too!
This looks so amazing I can’t wait to make it! What size cake pans do you use?
I used two 8in rounds and it turned out great!
I used 9 inch rounds!
I only could find 9″ cake pans will this be okay to use?
Any suggestions for substitutions for someone with a coconut allergy? Thank you!
Hi Sarah! For the coconut flour, I assume that 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour or gluten-free all purpose flour would work well, but I have not tested it so I’m not 100% sure. For the frosting feel free to make a normal buttercream (or any other type of frosting you’d like!) if there’s no dairy allergy 🙂
Would maple syrup/ honey work in place for the coconut sugar? I would love to try this cake!
I think maple syrup might work, just use a bit less (I’d say around 1 1/3 instead of 1 3/4).
Would it be possible to make this into cupcakes?
Yes! Just be sure to use liners and spray the liners well 🙂
How long would you bake for cupcakes? I made this cake for my son’s smash cake for his first birthday. He loved it and all the guests raved about this cake for months. Planning on making cupcakes this year for everyone 🙂
I haven’t tried baking these as cupcakes, but I’d suggest starting with about 18 minutes, checking them, and adding time from there if need be. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
I made these in mini cupcakes, and it took about 13-14 minutes in the minis. FYI – my daughter gave a big thumbs up on the cake but not the frosting. The cake is SO good. I think my chips were a little too bittersweet. I’m giving the mini cupcakes to my kids’ teachers as a gift, so it works better that I don’t frost them anyway! Thank you for the recipe!
Mini cupcakes sound amazing! Noted on the frosting – the bittersweet chips just may not have been sweet enough for the kiddos. Hope everyone loves them!
Ummm this reminds me of that chocolate cake that the little chubby boy had to eat in “Matilda” – does anyone else remember that movie? Cannot WAIT to make this!!
It DOES oh my gosh. Hope you love this one!
Call all chocolate lovers ASAP! This looks mouth watering. Perfect recipe before Valentine’s Day!
Yes! Valentine’s Day = chocolate day, in my opinion 🙂
Totally making this for Valentines Day!
Perfect! I hope you love it!
ahí! This looks amazing! Do you have the nutrition facts for this cake?
It’s so incredible! I didn’t calculate nutrition for this one as I want people to focus on the wholesome ingredients in here (instead of numbers) 🙂 Enjoy!
What brand of cocoa powder/chocolate chips did you use?
I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips & ghirardelli cocoa powder. I’ve also use Guittard.
HI there, do you know of any chocolate chips that dont include sugar?
Lily’s is stevia-sweetened if you want to use that!
Amazing recipe!!!! I made this for my husband for Valentine’s Day and I’m so impressed with the taste. He’s a chocolate cake connoisseur and loved it! I truly think it tastes better than traditional chocolate cake. Thank you for creating recipes that are delicious, fun to eat, and utilize better ingredients than traditional options! Love following along. 🙂
Thank you so much Nicole! I’m SO happy you liked the recipe. My husband is actually eating a slice right now. 🙂
I’m super excited to make this, but I really need pink frosting. Does anyone know a paleo vanilla frosting option? I might just do this and then make the top link using buttercream frosting, but really don’t want to.
A pink frosting would be beautiful on this cake! You could try sticking the cans of coconut cream in the fridge overnight, and then whipping it with vanilla extract + vanilla bean? Let me know if you give it a try!
Okay, so I did attempt! I took just the cream from two cans chilled overnight, then whipped them with coconut extract – like 1.5 tablespoons. I also threw in a little coconut sugar, which I was worried about, but it ended up dissolving really nicely. The consistency was perfect, in between whip cream and buttercream. It didn’t make a lot, so I did a naked cake, and also did strawberries between the layers. And everyone loved it. Thank goodness, because I was nervous going rogue!
Amazing!! I’m so glad everyone loved it 🙂 And strawberries in here sound absolutely beautiful!
Just wondering do you need to use that much sugar in the recipe or can that be cut way back?
Hi Karen! I’ve only tested the recipe this way, so I’m not 100% sure how it might change the baking of the cake.
Well, the point is to make this cake vegan, with no eggs!
This cake was amazing! The cake was so chocolaty and moist and delicious. My sweet-toothed family loved it. I used a different frosting in order to cut back on the sugar but the I will definitely be making this again!
I’m so happy to hear that! And this one is perfect for adding any favorite toppings 🙂
This is very, very good! Followed instructions and only subbed on certain brands of ingredients, but otherwise followed to a T, and it’s bomb. It’s moist and firm enough and melty-in-mouth and crumbly but when you press on the crumbs, they all combine into brownie-like snuggles… haha it’s delicious cold and room-temp. Frosting will be firm or quite soft respectively. Gotta work quickly with it after whipping it up out of the fridge. Thinking ahead, I cooled my frosting in the bowl I planned to whip it up in with my hand mixer, thus skipping a step and using less equipment. That was happy. Altogether, I get the effect of coconut flavor like if you were licking not eating an Almond Joy. 🙂 Not overly coconutty, but I can tell it’s there, but I like it. The frosting alone tastes rich/dark with an afterthought of coconut. I’d use the same frosting elsewhere for sure. Next time I’m totally trying hazelnut flour because I love nutella. Seems like any number of toppings would be well received flavors and textures to mix with this rich, smooth, big-girl cake. 🙂
I put the recipe ingredients into MyFitnessPal and divided into 24 servings (I eat cake one very small slice at a time) and it came up with:
Nutrition Facts
Servings 24.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 245
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17 g 27 %
Saturated Fat 10 g 52 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 31 mg 10 %
Sodium 961 mg 40 %
Potassium 14 mg 0 %
Total Carbohydrate 18 g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g 8 %
Sugars 15 g
Protein 4 g 9 %
Vitamin A 1 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 4 %
So glad you liked this one Emily! That frosting is perfect for dipping strawberries – just saying 🙂
I made this cake for my friend’s birthday. She can’t have dairy so this recipe was perfect. She loved it! Even her 5 year daughter loved it. It was super chocolatey and perfect amount of sweetness (not too sweet). The texture was great and the coconut didn’t over power the cake, barely a hint of coconut. Overall, the cake was simple to make because I am not known for my baking skills and this turned out great. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
So happy to hear that! Perfect bday cake for anyone 🙂 Glad you guys enjoyed!
I’ve made many GF chocolate cakes, but this now ranks among the very top! Superb recipe — It is hitting out favourite list for sure. Next time around I think I’ll infuse the batter with a shot of espresso to give it a coffee flavour. Only other thing I’d be curious about is what could be partially subbed out for the amount of almond flour in this recipe? Wouldn’t mind having slightly less almond flavour/texture — but maybe that just isn’t possible without giving up all the other awesome attributes of this cake. Let me know if you think of anything. Even non-GF folk will be impressed by this cake. It’s a real winner!!! Congrats on coming up with this stellar recipe.
So happy to hear that Mark! Espresso in here sounds delicious – let me know if you try it out. I’ve made this with hazelnut flour and it worked out well!
Made this for my husband’s birthday, and it was SO GOOD! Best flavor. I waited until the last minute to make this so I didn’t have time to make this frosting, though. Will try with this frosting recipe next time!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that. Let me know how you like the frosting too 🙂
For the frosting, should I only use the thick cream part from the can of coconut milk or the milk as well?
Use the whole can of the coconut cream 🙂 Or you can use just the thick part if you want a super thick frosting!
First recipe I try from your website and I am in love!! What a delicious fluffy cake. Thank you. I have one question, should I refrigerate or leave out on a cake stand with the top on? And how long would it be good for? Thanks in advance ☺️
You picked an epic recipe to start with!! Love this. It should be good for about 3-4 days left out, but is delicious refrigerated too (and will last a bit longer).
Can you sub coconut flour instead of almond flour? If so, how would you do that? I only bake with coconut flour. Thanks for any help!!
What is the best way to know you have replied to questions I have for you, when I ask them from the recipe pages? Thanks. Can they come into our email?
Hi Cathy! You should receive an email 🙂 I would stick with the written flour amounts, so try these coconut flour cookies!
Looks delicious!
I’m about to try baking this. Is there any chance you have the ingredient list in grams?
When I google conversion charts each have a different measurement for 1 cup of the same ingredient.
Thanks much!
Hi Dana! I actually didn’t measure this out in grams – I would try to find the most consistent one on google!
I made this using oat flour to sub the almond and coconut nut milk instead. I had to add 3/4-1cup of extra milk since the oat flour obsorbs more. I also cut the sugar amount in half & used the enjoy life dark chips. It was definitely a coconut dessert by the time I tasted it but it was so moist and decadent!
I’m glad those swaps worked out for you! Love a good coconut dessert 🙂
I made this cake yesterday for my Paleo boss’s birthday and shared it with all the staff and volunteers in our Hospice thrift shoppe. Oh, my gosh, it was absolutely delicious! Everyone, whether Paleo or not, wanted the recipe … EVERYONE!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that.
It is the best paleo cake ever!!! Thanks for the recipe.
So happy you loved it!!
Hi! I would like to make this cake today, but my oven goes until 250 degrees and it’s a fan oven.
Could you please advise me.
Many thanks
Serena
After beating my frosting was very runny :/ Did I beat it for too long or not long enough?
You could try putting it back in the fridge after beating it! This post + video is specific to the frosting and might help too 🙂
Could I substitute Cacao powder for the cocoa powder? Or would it be too bitter?
That should be fine!
Made this recipe for mothers day this past weekend and it was EPIC!!!! I can’t believe how delicious, rich and chocolatey this cake was even though it’s paleo and has healthier benefits! I have a dairy intolerance so am always on the hunt for desserts like this 🙂
Halved the recipe and made 12 cupcakes with it and also subbed cacao powder for cocoa powder since that’s what I had on hand and they came out beautifully! Ooo also added DF chocolate chips to the batter for extra chocolatey goodness. SO GOOD. Everyone go make these asap!
SO happy to hear that!! I’ll have to try these as cupcakes the next time I make them 🙂
Question and comment…
1- someone above asked about making cupcakes with this recipe. Interested in trying that and if so how long they should cook.
2-with the chocolate, almond and a hint of coconut flavor, I thought about playing up those flavors with a coconut and almond garnish. Thoughts anyone?
Hi Pam! I haven’t tried baking these as cupcakes, but I’d suggest starting with about 18 minutes, checking them, and adding time from there if need be. A coconut + almond garnish sounds amazing!
Hello Monique! I’d like to make this recipe for my birthday and have a couple questions. Do you use unsweetened almond milk or vanilla unsweetened almond milk? Also, what type of chocolate chips did you use? Semi-sweet? Milk chocolate? Dark chocolate? Thanks so much!
I messed up and used coconut milk instead of cream for the frosting…is there any way to thicken it now to be usable or can I turn it into something else? Even in liquidy form it tastes so good that I hate to throw it away.
You could pop it in your freezer for awhile and see if it thickens up more!
So excited to make this but I have a question! Instead of making a layered cake, could I bake the entire cake in a 9×11 or pan somewhere near that size at the same time or would that potentially not work? Thanks!
A sheet cake should work for this and will probably be around the same time! I would just keep an eye on it 🙂
I made this as a sheet cake and I highly recommend. I used my 9×11 Pyrex glass pan, greased with coconut oil and dusted with cocoa. I poured all the batter in and cooked for 25 minutes at 350. It came out moist and delicious! I was looking for an easy grainfree chocolate cake that I could make as a sheet cake cause they are easier to store and eat out of the fridge 😂! No problems getting the pieces of cake out. I did have some left over icing but I plop it on my piece for a little extra umph. Very good and will definitely make again! Even my son who hates icing gobbled it all up!
Amazing!! So happy it worked out well 🙂 the perfect treat!
Made the cake yesterday. I’m not a cook, chef, or whatever. Just started make food recently because I had a baby. Normally I would just eat out at restaurants. I’m saying this because anyone reading will understand, I’m an ametuer when it comes to anything in the kitchen.
I attempted this receipe and followed it to a T. It turned out AMAZING! Beyond my expectations. So good. The frosting was thinner than I thought it would be but tasted great.
I will definitely be making this again! If I can do it, anyone can do it lol.
Amazing!! So happy to hear that Tracy.
Can you bake this in any other pan? I don’t have any nine inch pans.
Made it replacing the sugar for a blend Stevia/Erythritol and it was fabulous! I just over baked it 🙁 and was a bit dryer, but still soo tasty. Thanks a lot!
Whoops! Happy you enjoyed it regardless 🙂 Just cut a few minutes of baking next time!
Just a quick question!
I am making the recipe into cupcakes for an upcoming work potluck, but I know my boyfriend will want to “taste test” before I get them out of the house. Would if be best to frost all of them and to keep them in the fridge or can the frosting be re-whipped? Allowing me to frost a few now and then re-whip to frost the rest on the following day.
Hi Brittney! I’d suggest spooning out as much frosting as you’d like to use, whipping it for some of the cupcakes, and then saving the rest of the frosting to whip/frost later!
I made this cake last weekend and WOW! Fabulous and so easy. I made 2 small 6″ layers and a few cupcakes with left over batter.
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
Really really amazing cake
It’s TRUE u said correct.
This is healthy and very tasty cake I ever had before in my life…
Thanks for giving g such a ro fearful recipe..I made 4 to 5 times…
So happy you loved it!
Hi Monique! I made this cake the other day, but the frosting turned out kind of lumpy and not really spreadable. It still tasted amazing, but do you have any tips for the frosting? could it be because i chilled it too long? Thanks!
Hi! I have no idea why it would be lumpy, especially if you’re beating it and you melted the chocolate all the way. I would try again!
What is the minimum amount of time the frosting needs? I’m short on time. Can I pop in the freezer?
Yes freezer will work. Maybe an hour or so?
I would like to make this with Whole Wheat Flour- can i replace coconut flour with same measurements?
I wouldn’t recommend it, sorry! The ratios of every ingredient will be very different because coconut flour is much more absorbent.
02/19/19
was looking for a recipe using almond flour and found this one, I made it, and everybody loved it. I have to mention that I made one change, instead of coconut oil, I used avocado oil, the flavor is so good, so rich and so moist, that oil made it a little darker, and I made it in a 9 x 13. I was so happy when I ask a friend that needs to eat gluten free to try it and he loved it. I am going to keep this as my chocolate cake recipe to go.
Perfect! So glad you found this one. It’s my go-to for chocolate cake, too 🙂
WOW!!! Not only the best paleo chocolate cake, but one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had. Seriously!! This cake is SO good cold, out of the fridge 🙂
So happy to hear that! And YES it’s delicious straight from the fridge, too 🙂
This is the best cake I have ever eaten!!! So fluffy and moist! Plus so so easy to make. You are the best Monique. I’ve posted the photo of the cake @petralaukofitness will definitely make it again and again and again!!!
Thanks for your note Petra! So happy that you loved this. One of my absolute favs too!
This came out amazing!!
great recipe!! I added raspberry jam between the layer. Great combo
Love that idea!!
Super tasty and yummy!! But my cake sunk in the middle. Any reason why or advice?
Glad you enjoyed the flavors in here! I have no idea — sounds like too much moisture, but I’ve never had this issue. Did you follow the recipe as written? Is your baking soda fresh?
Made the cake and icing.Let the icing sit in the fridge for over 8 hours and it looked perfect. I was afraid to over beat it because it looked like it was thinning out… so I didn’t wait for it to form peaks. Still my icing was a bit runny…any suggestions to thicken it up a bit ? Absolutely delicious though !!! I will definitely try it again. Thank you
Try adding in a few teaspoons of arrowroot starch. All coconut milks are different so I’ve found that sometimes the icing gets runny. Also make sure you are only using the ‘thick’ part of the coconut cream/coconut milk.
hi! i’m not a big fan of coconut… so i wanted to know how strong the coconut flavor is in the cake, because i would love to bake it for my birthday on Sunday 🙂
hey! i need to know… how strong is the coconut flavor? i don’t like how it tastes and i don’t want to ruin my cake
I have used coconut products in my cooking and baking for many years, serving it to coconut haters without one complaint. This is a great recipe!
Oh man, I give this recipe a 100 out of 10!!! Made it into mini cupcakes and we’re wanting to devour them right out of the pan even before the FABULOUS icing get put on them!!!! Great texture and taste . A winner for sure. My go-to new recipe that I’ll keep forever!!! Hey, by chance, any caloric information for these delicious little morsels??
Oh man, I give this recipe a 100 out of 10!!! Made it into mini cupcakes and we’re wanting to devour them right out of the pan even before the FABULOUS icing get put on them!!!! Great texture and taste . (I added a few chocolate chips to the batter – they don’t even really need icing! ) A winner for sure. My go-to new recipe that I’ll keep forever!!! Hey, by chance, any caloric information for these delicious little morsels??
Love the idea of mini cupcakes!! So fun. I didn’t include the nutrition info for this recipe as it’s meant to be more of a special, slightly indulgent treat 🙂
So excited to try this! My birthday is coming up and I’m so ok with making my own cake 😋 I do have one question! Can this recipe be divided into theee 6 inch round cake pans?
So excited to try this! My birthday is coming up and I’m so ok with making my own cake 😋 I do have one question! Can this recipe be divided into three 6 inch round cake pans?
absolutely! though the baking time will slightly increase by 5-10 minutes. happy early birthday 🙂
This was an epic fail for me. It looks horrible. Followed your exact recipe; made no substitutions. It sunk in the center and there’s not enough frosting to cover a two-layer cake. I’d love to know how to improve it. Thoughts? Could higher altitude (4500’) be a problem? Thanks!
Sorry to hear that, Lisa! I would make sure your baking soda is fresh, check liquid ratios, and make sure you pack your almond flour.
Lisa, see my comment on the frosting, below.
This made an outstanding cake, with some modifications (of course). I should have followed the recipe on the sugar, as I held back and ended up having to sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the cake.
So happy to report that this cake, made with blanched almond flour, did not cause a pinch in my stomach like regular almonds do.
I baked it in two 9×13 pans, but because it had time to cool for a day and a night, I didn’t think I had to refrigerate the 2 pieces. That was a mistake, as it really fell apart when I tried to move it to a cake plate. No worries, as the extra thick frosting covered up all mistakes.
THE FROSTING: Arguably the most important part of a cake, it looked a little skimpy to me, so I doubled it. But, following the instruction of using quality chocolate, I used Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate, which is so gnarly that it would need extra sugar, so I added a whole tub of Coconut Cool Whip instead. OMG! It looked like something from a bakery and tasted fantastic! Thank you!
I was too afraid to put too many raspberries in between the layers, so I only put a few — it could have handled quite a few more. On top, I made a big chocolate heart with halves of raspberries — I could have used the whole berries. Then when I tried to improvise icing to write with, I almost blew it as it just melted and flowed over the frosting. Luckily I had plenty of frosting to cover the damage; I skipped the writing.
Your cake sounds beautiful! I’m glad it all worked out with a few modifications 🙂 Such a fun dessert!
Just made this cake. Simply Devine! Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed!
I pretty much never leave feedback and reviews on recipe, but holy crap everyone needs to know how amazing this cake is! I will be making it for the 3rd time this weekend! I recently made it for a family get together and not one single person would have known it was Paleo if I wouldn’t have told them. And if that’s not enough, I’m mom to 2 of the pickiest eaters out there and they always ask me when I am going to make this cake again because they absolutely love it! Fights will start in my house for the last piece of this cake! Totally kidding! in all seriousness go. make. this. cake! Monique, you are so talented!
Thanks so much for your comment, Katie! I’m so glad you found this recipe and that everyone’s loving it 🙂 One of my favs. Hope you find more great recipes here to try!
Hi! I used this recipe for the frosting but it turned out really gritty and a bit watery. it didn’t spread at all. I noticed the coconut cream had liquid at the bottom, and I threw it into the mix anyway. Was I supposed to omit the liquid and only use the firm cream? Thanks!
Hi Kristina,
This recipe calls for coconut cream which should not have very much liquid on the bottom. The frosting should be very smooth as it looks in the video. It should be cold when whipped. I’ve never had my frosting come out gritty or watery! Perhaps add some powdered sugar to help thicken it up! Sorry you had troubl.
Okay, YUM! This was so delicious and pretty easy to make! Very moist cake and good frosting. I made in 2- 9in rounds and it was about the same bake time. The frosting does have a slight coconut flavor, but I didn’t taste it in the cake. I may try regular chocolate buttercream next time since I’m not dairy-free, but I will DEFINITELY be making this cake again.
Glad you enjoyed! Absolutely feel free to use your favorite frosting here if not dairy free. One of my favorite cakes!
I want to make this for my mom’s birthday but am not sure what to do for frosting… I cannot have coconut milk/cream or dairy milk. Would something with almond milk work?
You could try Simple Mills Chocolate Frosting: https://amzn.to/30gIXgn?? or another store bought dairy free frosting.
If having to make a cake with the specific request of ONLY almond flour, but to use coconut sugar… Could the coconut flour be replaced with almond?
I wouldn’t recommend using only almond flour in this recipe as the consistency will change. These fudgy brownies use only almond flour + coconut sugar!
I enjoy your recipes but follow them mostly for the gluten free aspect. Would this recipe still work with normal milk
Yes that should work just fine!
Fav dessert!!
This is my go to cake for my gluten free husband as well as my GF & dairy free friends! Love it!!! I would like to make the cakes ahead of time and freeze them? (Without the frosting) Have you ever tried this or have any tips? I need to bake it about 3 days before I need to serve it…
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work well. I honestly think you could just keep the cakes well wrapped in the fridge for 3 days and then serve. 🙂
I really want to make this, but cannot have eggs. Do you know if an egg substitute would work?
I haven’t tested out a vegan sub, but I am assuming that flax eggs might work! Let me know if you try it.
I made this cake last week for my daughter-in-law’s birthday. It was a fabulous and delicious hit! I have stopped using wheat flour many years ago and so I am always ready to try desserts made with an alternative flour, a flour that is healthier and not as high in carbs, and is a whole grain. Thank you for this wonderful cake recipe, and it is chocolate to boot! I am making it tomorrow again for my husbands birthday! I also added some raspberry puree to the frosting for the middle layers of the cake. and then topped it off on the top with raspberries. I know I will be using this recipe many times over!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Julia. Great idea with the raspberry puree – YUM!
Can this recipe be converted into cupcakes?
Yes they should work well! I haven’t tried it, but I’d suggest starting with about 18 minutes, checking them, and adding time from there if need be. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
This cake is heaven on a plate! The texture totally surprised me in how fudgy and moist it is and the icing so decadent😊😋 It will definitely be my go to for chocolate cake🙌🏻
Absolutely! It’s my go-to as well 🙂 so delicious!
Love this chocolate cake! It’s healthy and delicious, what more could you want?!
Absolutely! Truly the perfect chocolate cake 🙂
I have been looking for a simplified frosting for Paleo/Keto—and this is it! I didn’t have coconut cream, just one can left of coconut milk. I hesitated, because the consistency’s different. I just wanted to make a quick chocolate birthday cake for my son that day, with the ingredients on hand. I didn’t have time to go to the store. So, I went ahead and used the coconut milk. I also didn’t have any dairy-free or Keto-friendly chocolate chips (Lilly’s is great), just leftover mini-chocolate chips and giant dark chocolate bars (those three-ft. ones you get on the holidays). I threw them in for the frosting, cutting off small chunks from the giant chocolate bar, to equal the full measurement.
IT WORKED> I followed the rest of the directions exactly, including and especially the time you need to chill the frosting and cool the cakes. Coconut sugar IMHO is the best natural, low-glycemic sugar you can use. I no longer like regular sugar.
Anyway, the cake turned out fantastic. Easy to frost. Decadent flavor. Thanks for this amazing recipe for those of us still trying to get over the holiday eating.
Amazing! So happy you found & loved this recipe. The perfect birthday cake 🙂
I made this At Christmas and you weren’t kidding, it’s AH-mazing. My MIL who is super hard to wow said this was the best chocolate cake she’d ever had and she couldn’t believe it was paleo. Making it again for a Super Bowl party. I followed the recipe exactly.
So happy to hear that! My all time favorite cake 🙂
I followed the recipe as directed, and it came out perfect! Super moist. You’d never know it’s paleo. The frosting is perfectly creamy. Made it 3 layer and I was concerned there wouldn’t be enough frosting, but it was just the right amount. All 8 people I made it for agreed that it was amazing. Will definitely make again.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
This chocolate cake is amazing and so easy to make. Love that there is a video to watch too. The cake is so moist. It’s not too sweet either. A nice combination of sweeter icing and not so sweet cake mix. Perfect, I have 4 children and always make this for one of their birthdays. Guests don’t even realize it’s gluten free and I always get compliments on it. Such a nice presentation too. So grateful to Lisa and her amazing recipes. They always work out the first time. Never disappointed.
Amazing! I’m so happy you love this one, Dawn 🙂 perfect for birthdays!
Hi the cake is amazing thank you so much!!!!!
My only main comment would Be that the cake requires more frosting that the one mentioned in the recipe I would say the double to ensure a good coverage and generous filling. And to being to bring to room temp the cold frosting for about 20 minutes to maje it easier to whip up and spared.
Otherwise incredible!!!
So glad you liked it! I’ve found the frosting ratio to be pretty spot on, but absolutely feel free to make more 🙂
Unlike most of the reviews, I actually baked this recipe. Most definitely not the best Paleo cake recipe. I bake daily for my dessert business and I’m extremely comfortable understanding what each ingredient does to a recipe. I was hesitant to use this recipe as it only mixed 2 flours, unlike other noted Paleo recipes that use a blend of at least 3 flours. I should have trusted my instinct over the pictures in this post because the middle would NOT set each time I tested the batter in cupcake form, 4 inch pan, and as written in a 9 inch pan. Everything cooked but the middle remained sunken and raw, with each attempt. Once the cake cooled I tried it and there was the dreaded coconut flour texture (mine is very fine and I sifted to be certain as I was mixing). It’s also not sweet, which is fine bc most Paleo cakes aren’t, but if you’re new to Paleo baking keep that in mind. I wouldn’t recommend this as a replacement to standard chocolate cake.
Most of my successful, highly rated paleo recipes use two grain free flours. I’m not sure what happened, but I haven’t had anyone else with an issue. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written?
This comment was disparaging but I went ahead and made this cake anyway. I’m not new to eating sugar free but am finally venturing out to try coconut sugar in lieu of stevia, monksfruit, etc since I cannot stand how those flavors work in dessert. I was compelled to respond here because the comment was denigrating and came across haughty.
I made this cake for myself yesterday. It was my first coconut sugar cake but not my first chocolate cake using almond and coconut flour (I am celiac and don’t eat refined sugar). I added espresso powder and followed directions exactly and let me tell you that this is an amazingly delicious cake. My centers baked perfectly. The flavor is spot on and I also sifted my flours prior to baking. Perhaps it was user error and not the recipe.
For context, I’ve baked enough terrible chocolate cakes that my children know instinctively they won’t like them, but they actually love this one and we’re shocked when they saw me eat some – my youngest was in awe and asked if the cake was safe for me. So it passed the test of the non-gf, sugar eating children in my house.
I am in the reprocess of slicing it up and wrapping the pieces so that I can freeze them for later, because even though the children like it, they can eat a snack cake because this is my cake LOL
So, tldr, best cake ever, rose in center, not grainy, tastes fabulous, and definitely check your tone in a comment because text can be interpreted differently vs. verbal comments.
Thank you so much, Katrina. So happy to hear you and the fam loved this recipe ❤️
Can you use honey, blue agave or apple sauce instead of sugar ?
I recommend sticking to the recipe as written for this one.
Do you think I could use monk fruit sweetener?
I haven’t tried this with an alternative sweetener like monk fruit or stevia so I’m not 100% sure!
What exactly is coconut cream? Is it full fat coconut milk and just the top scooped off? Or is there something that is called coconut cream?
It looks like this! https://amzn.to/2ucpoMg
Made this cake for Valentine’s Day, and it was truly DELICIOUS! Thanks for the great and easy to make gluten free recipe 🙂
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Can you provide me with the nutritional information for this recipe?
Hi Candace! I don’t typically calculate nutrition for my more indulgent treats like this one 🙂
Hi, This recipe looks appetizing. I want to make a mini version of this cake in one 6in cake pan. Could you please advise on how to adjust the measurements of the ingredients?
Hi! You could halve the recipe but I haven’t tested it so I can’t be positive as to how it would turn out.
This cake turned out really nice. I made cupcakes! Sadly, I left them in a bit long and they did get a bit crispy on the edge (but that was my fault). Otherwise, they were delicious. I made my own icing.
I’m glad you liked them regardless! Great idea to make cupcakes 🙂
I used 2 x 9″ pans instead and baked for 30 mins (convection) and it turned out AMAZING. Who needs sugar and white flour? Moist, delicious, and that FROSTING!!! This will definitely be my go-to chocolate cake recipe.
Perfect! My absolute fav!!
I just made this cake and it is probably the best thing I have ever made! My family couldn’t believe that it wasn’t made with real flour, it was so moist and rich. Thank you for another incredible recipe, I would recommend it to anyone!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Best pandemic birthday ever due to this CAKE! I made this – it was my first time making a layered cake and everything worked out perfectly. It looks beautiful and tastes lovely. Even the final texture ended up being pretty true to what a flour cake batter would feel like. So good!
Amazing! So happy you found this recipe I (and happy belated birthday!)
Hi! I can’t wait to try this, It looks delicious!
Per chance do you have nutrition facts for this?
I don’t calculate nutrition facts for my more indulgent desserts as they’re meant to be a special treat 🙂 let me know if you give this a try!
Can I swap coconut sugar for xylitol?
I don’t bake with alternative sweeteners so I’m not 100% sure!
This truly is the best chocolate cake I’ve had. I used raw cacao powder (used about 10g less since the recipe calls for cocoa powder) and didn’t layer it. I also skipped the frosting. Ended up with 12 cupcakes, and one layer sheet cake. It was great!
I’m glad that worked out well! Yum!
Hi just wondering if you have tried putting marshmallows in? My son wants a chocolate marshmallow cake for his birthday
I haven’t, but you could put them on top or between the layers! I would not recommend baking them into the cake.
I paid the plumber with this one whole cake. Seriously! How it happened? I know his wife and I gave her a slice to take home. That was a while ago. Then I needed to replace the toilet flush and I called for his service and when came time to pay him he proposed I made him one whole cake. LOL =D
Deal!
It’s our all time cake and for a half year I lost the source to the recipe. Now I printed it!! I’ll cling closely to this one my dear! Thanks for sharing. I don’t do Instagram but if you have FB, I can send pics there.
With love, Cristine
No way!! I’m so glad you re-found this one 🙂 feel free to search “Ambitious Kitchen” on Facebook and you’ll find the page!
Can anyone tell me if the recipe for the frosting made enough for both layers of the cake? Or did you end up doubling the batch? Thanks!
It should be enough for the whole cake, but depends how much frosting you like 🙂
This cake is soooooo good!! It will be my go to chocolate cake recipe. So easy to make.. my kids (2 &5) even helped. I made a coconut buttercream and strawberries in the middle… just talking about it makes me want more!!!
Amazing! Strawberries sound delicious in here 🙂
This is cake is phenomenal! It’s moist, yet still fluffy, and has fantastic flavour. The icing is such a great addition. Best dairy-free and gluten-free cake ever! Will definitely be making this again!
So happy you loved it!
We made this chocolate cake, followed exact directions, and it was fabulous! Who knew? Chocolate cake could be this good on the healthy side! We did use 2 – 9inch round cake pans and I used my own recipe for cream cheese frosting. I have tried other recipes in the past for chocolate cake and I highly recommend this one!! It will be my go to!!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
This is my family’s new favorite cake!! By far one of the best recipes I’ve tried. You can’t tell it is Paleo at all. I made this cake for my mum for mothers day and she said “this tastes like it would be bad for you!” and my family were all blown away. Top this cake with the 2-ingredient chocolate icing, cream and berries and it’s delicious! Will be making this one again for sure. Thank you for the amazing cake!
Amazing! So happy it was a hit 🙂
Would gluten free flour work ? Or a mixture of almond and gluten free flour ?
I haven’t tried it with anything else other than as written!
This cake was wonderful. I made it three layers with sliced strawberries. Sooo good. Perfect chocolate flavor and texture without being too rich. Made it for special occasion (celebrating 8 years cancer free) and it made the day very special – especially during these quarantine times. I decorated it with some simple strawberry roses. Excellent work with the recipe. My boyfriend loved it as well.
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Katie, and sending lots of love for your 8 years cancer free!
AMAZING. I cut the recipe in half and just did 2 layers but kept the same amount of ‘frosting’ and it was perrrrfect. A few modifications:
I used solid cream on the top of a regular can of full-fat coconut milk.
I added chocolate chips into the cake layers.
I also put thin slices of strawberries in the layer and on top (along with Malden salt and cacao nibs).
Seriously amazing and so easy. Thank you!
Delicious! So happy you enjoyed!
I made this last night. It was amazing! When I ate it warm it tasted like a brownie!
I wanted it to be vegan too so instead of eggs I used chia eggs. It was fab! I also didn’t have coconut flour so used extra almond flour.
The cake was very moist, definitely cooked as I left it for extra time in the oven. Not sure if it was the chia eggs that made it “not firm “ like an ordinary cake. Was yours the texture of a “normal” cake?
Hi! The lack of coconut flour likely changed the texture here, as well as the chia eggs. I’m glad it tasted delicious regardless!
Hi! I’m looking forward to baking this over this weekend! I’ve been looking for a healthier cake recipe and this seems to an amazing one to try. I do however have two 4″ cake pans. How would you recommend I adjust the quantities in the recipe ? Can I use the same quantities?
Hi! I wouldn’t suggest using such small pans because it’s likely too much batter to fill them.
Any recommendation if I want to make this as cupcake. How long should I put it in the oven?
I haven’t tried them as cupcakes! I would just check them around 15-20 minutes.
This came out really dense and fudgey, not cakey. Did I do something wrong or is that how it’s intended to be? I noticed that my dry mixture stayed a little clumpy after I mixed in wet ingredients so i passed the whole mixture through a sieve to break up the little chunks. I’m wondering if that made it overmixed and that’s why it’s so dense?
Mmmm I’m not sure. It is definitely a denser cake, but shouldn’t be dry!
so made this cake yesterday and it is delicious. There is a discrepancy in the written recipe and the video on the icing so we did it both ways. The recipe states to use only the solid part of the coconut cream while in the video she dumps in the whole can. The video way worked out better. When only using the solid part of the cocnut cream the icing was like fudge. Couldn’t whip it enough to spread on the cake. But over all turned out really great.
So sorry and I’m fixing now! Glad you enjoyed regardless 🙂
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! I just changed the frosting using cocoa powder instead of the chocolate chips and it came out very good!! My husband loved it and it’s guilt free!!
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
I just made this cake for my husband’s birthday in a shape of a football. I followed instructions and was surprised at the end that I actually made it right. We absolutely loved the cake, its my new favorite right now. My autistic son helped me and also ate the take…which means a lot! Thank you for the recipe. I am cooking from here a lot!
So happy to hear that, Jana! Also love the idea of a football cake 🙂 I hope you keep finding recipes here that you love!
I can’t wait to make this! One question before I start – should the cocoa powder be natural (non-alkalized) or Dutch-process (alkalized)? Thanks!
I typically use natural!
Could I use odorless, refined coconut oil instead as it’s the only one I have?
I think it should work as long as it’s a solid coconut oil, not one that’s liquid if that makes sense!
I made this for a birthday party and it was amazing. I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it turned out great. It’s not super sweet, moist and has a deep chocolate flavor – which is my preference. I used natural cocoa and semi-sweet choc chips for the frosting. If you like it sweeter, perhaps you can use sweeter chocolate for the frosting instead, I also added a thin spread of raspberry preserve between layers, and decorated with fresh raspberries. Thanks Monique!
Perfect! So happy you loved it!
I love the idea of sprinkling sea salt on top 🤤🤤 I’ve used homemade almond flour before and you’re definitely right that it needs to be super fine. If it’s too chunky, it doesn’t work like flour at all!
The best! And yes the finer the better for the right consistency here 🙂
The cake taste exactly how it looks… rich in texture, decadent, full of a dark chocolate flavor, my husband loved it and neither of us are major chocolate fans, I was just craving chocolate and had some coconut sugar I wanted to use and came across this recipe. I did make an adjustment, I ran out of almond flour, I only had 2 packed cups, I was freaking out because everything was mixed up by the time I realized I was short a cup, So I improvised and googled like a mad woman to find an alternative. Well I saw a site for “dummies” that mentioned you could use coconut flour in it’s place but to add another egg as coconut flour absorbs moisture. It’s was a learning experience for sure. So I added 1/4 cup of coconut flour in place of a full cup of almond flour and added an extra egg. I also had my neighbor try it and she was so impressed and said she’d never know this was paleo by the taste she was very impressed. This recipe is genius. I’m definitely making it again.
I’m glad it still turned out well! Perfect for that chocolate craving 🙂
Hi there! I’m so excited to try this recipe as it fits all of my dietary needs .. except the vinegar! Ouch to my tummy.. Can I completely omit or replace?
Thank you!
Hi! Feel free to omit, although it is really such a small amount for a large cake!
Can I please get a Nutrition guide for the chocolate cake? It looks delish!!!
Hi Lisa! I don’t typically calculate nutrition info for my more indulgent recipes as they’re meant to be a special treat 🙂 Enjoy!
This is literally the best cake ever. I’ve tried a lot of paleo, low carb “healthier “ baking options and this by far tops the charts!!!
So happy to hear that!
SO GOOD! I’ve made this as a birthday cake, for Jewish holidays, really any occasion, I love the frosting and the cake is perfectly fudgy and sweet. YUM!
I made this for my husbands birthday! It was amazing! Everything about this cake was delicious, from the moist cake to the rich chocolate frosting. We are trying to eat healthy, this allowed us to stick to our diets! 🙂 Wonderful recipe! I plan to make it again and share it with others!
Thanks for sharing this with the world!
So happy to hear that! Perfect dessert for special occasions 🙂
I completely mutilated this recipe but it still came out DELICIOUS! Thank you!
(By mutilate, read – subbed almond flour for ground almonds, apple cider vinegar for garlic rice vinegar, sugar for honey, and I’m sure there was more that I don’t remember lol)
I’m glad it still worked out well!
Hi!! The frosting tasted amazing!! I wonder how much time I can store it in the freezer if I had some leftovers.
Hello Monique! I’d like to make this recipe for my birthday and have a couple questions. Do you use unsweetened almond milk or vanilla unsweetened almond milk? Also, what type of chocolate chips did you use? Semi-sweet? Milk chocolate? Dark chocolate? Thanks so much!
Hi Heather! Either almond milk will work (I like to use unsweetened vanilla) and same with the chocolate chips (which will be a personal preference). To keep it dairy free I’ve used these dairy free chocolate chips.
This cake looks delicious! Would the recipe work well for cupcakes as well?
Yes it should! Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Hands down the best paleo chocolate cake!!! And I’ve tried so many recipes. Made this twice already and my family and I are obsessed. The cake is super moist!!!
Amazing! I’m so glad!
I am nobody’s baker. I baked this for my father’s 70th birthday and it was (hands down) the best cake I’ve ever made. Everyone else agreed. I was somewhat nervous it might be dry or crumbly like other GF baking attempts, but no. Moist and springy. In my opinion, it has a slight German chocolate flavor due to the coconut oil and coconut flour; this was a subtle and pleasant surprise. I did not make the frosting because I baked it in a bundt pan. Instead, I made a caramel bourbon glaze – phenomena! I will be making this cake in different versions for every occasion that calls for sugar from now on!
Amazing! The glaze sounds delicious 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
This sounds amazing! I recently discovered that I’m highly allergic to eggs, as well as gluten. My birthday is coming up in February, and I would like to be able to make my own vegan chocolate cake. Do you think I would be able to switch out the eggs for flax eggs, or would that completely change the consistency? Thank you ahead of time!! 🙂
I haven’t tested it out but I think flax eggs should work! Let me know if you give it a try!
Can this be made in a bundt pan?
I haven’t tried it before but I don’t see why not!
Thank you. I will try the cake in a bundt pan.
35 weeks pregnant and ALL I have been craving the past two days is chocolate cupcakes. Made this recipe exactly and ended up with 18 perfect, chocolate cupcakes. Not too sweet and perfectly flavorful. Baked at 350 for 18 minutes and rotated halfway through!
Amazing! So glad they worked well as cupcakes 🙂
Hi – do you think this can work as a bundt cake?
Hi! I haven’t tried it but I think it should!
Hi, I plan on making this tomorrow. do you know how many cupcakes it would make? Not sure if I should half the recipe.
Also, can I use vegan butter to make the frosting instead? I think I may also sub out half the sugar for sugar free sub (monk fruit)
thanks
I think this would make 12-15 large cupcakes, but I can’t be certain as I haven’t made them into cupcakes yet. Also feel free to use a different chocolate frosting recipe for this! I wouldn’t suggest subbing vegan butter instead of coconut milk, so you might need to find a different vegan chocolate frosting recipe that might work!
WOW! I just made this for my parent’s anniversary and wowowow no one would even know it’s paleo! So rich and flavorful! I added a little instant coffee to the batter for an espresso spin 😉 Highly recommend this as a go-to chocolate cake…so many things you can do with it too! Thank you, Monique!
Also the frosting is divine. Go make this now!
Great idea with the espresso – YUM! Glad it was a hit!
I made this last night for my husband’s birthday celebration today. I made it in a 13×9 instead of as a layer cake. it was wonderful and the icing was the best. Thank you so much!
Love it! Glad it was a hit!
Incredible!
My entire family loved this cake. They compared it to Portillos chocolate cake. The frosting was my favorite!
YES so delicious!!
Can I use organic normal sugar instead of coconut sugar? Thanks
yes I substitute cane or regular organic sugar for coconut sugar frequently! It’s 1:1.
Try using brown sugar!
If using cacao instead of cocoa powder, can I substitute 1:1?
Yes!
Hi there and first up thanks for the recipe of this tasty cake. I have a question though…I followed your recipe to the point but my raw dough came out really thick… The recipe even mentioned that but it was way way thicker than in the related youtube video. I added more almond milk but it was still far from anywhere close to the consistency shown in the video. I really had to scoop the dough in and push it down with a spatula into the baking form. Also the baked dough/cake is quite solid and already cutting you can feel the resistance. I wonder if you know which of the ingredients may differ from the ones you’ve used, that such a difference in consistency can occur. Thanks so much as tasterwise this is brilliant and I just want to get it right on all levels.
Hi! So strange – did you follow the ingredients and measurements exactly as written or did you try different ones?
It calls for apple sauce but doesn’t say when to add it.
Hi! I’m not sure where you’re seeing applesauce. Maybe you’re referring to the apple cider vinegar?
Made this for Valentine’s Day, and it was DELICIOUS! My husband never likes Paleo desserts, and even he said it was “Amazing”!
So happy to hear that!
So happy I finally took the leap of faith and made this cake I have been lusting. It is feeding my chocoholic soul! My husband and I made it on Valentine’s Day together. We do not bake very often, much less making a cake from scratch. This was fun and easy except for getting the cakes out of the parchment-lined cake pan in one piece…. Yeah, that didn’t happen. The cakes are so moist and neither of us has much experience on how to transfer a cake from pan to a dinner plate lol. Thank God for frosting and a little artistic decorating! This cake is sooooo delicious, decadent, moist and the frosting melts in your mouth! OMG… We made the two-layer version and cannot stop eating it. We love it, thank you for sharing!!
Amazing! So glad you both loved this one!
Hi there! Can I use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder in this recipe?
Sure!
MONIQUE. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this cake!! Seriously, best cake I’ve ever had, paleo or otherwise!!! WOW. I made this for my daughter’s first birthday. The only change I made was sweetening the cake with pureed dates. (I realize that’s kind of a big change and I was nervous but I really wanted her to have a fruit-sweetened cake.) I left out the coconut sugar and blended up an equal amount of dates in the almond milk called for before adding. You couldn’t even tell and the cake was SCRUMPTIOUS! Just thought I’d share in case anyone is looking to do the same thing 🙂
Amazing!! I’m glad those swaps worked out well 🙂
I made this cake exactly following the recipe. I rotated the pans half way through baking, but the center of the cake did not rise at all and was sunken in the middle. Flavor was excellent. Any ideas on the solution to this problem?
Ahhh so sorry you had this issue, sounds like it wasn’t all the way done or there was too much moisture. Next time make sure you pack your almond flour really well! 🙂
I always make sure my baking soda is fresh so it can still rise!
Can you freeze this cake after you have frosted it? Cutting slices and freezing individually?
Yes, that should work!
The absolute best chocolate cake (paleo or not!). This cake was the bomb! The kids loved it and so did we. It was perfectly moist and just sweet enough to savor every bite!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Would this work in a 9×13? I only have 1 9 inch pan but 2 10 inch pans and I think those will make the cake too flat. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Yes a 9×13 should work!
Super yummy cake, so easy to make. I never get the proportions of ingredients accurate in the frosting but it doesn’t seem to matter, it’s always good. It’s becoming a favourite…. In the process of making one now for a friend’s birthday 🎉🎂
Oh YAY, so happy that you’re loving it, Amba!
Can I use ghee in the place of the coconut oil?
I cannot get the frosting to be creamy and fluffy . 🤷🏻♀️It is like melted ice cream
Any suggestions. Please . My friends College Graduation party is tomorrow!
Help !!!!
Sorry for the delay! I think it really depends on the brand of coconut cream you use–I love A Taste of Thai!
Can you make cupcakes with this recipe? How long would you bake them for? Thank you!
I think that’s a great idea! I haven’t tried it, so I’m not exactly sure on the baking time, but I’d recommend checking them after 15 minutes and baking them until a tester comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached 🙂
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE. I already want to make it over and over and overrrr again. Couldn’t believe it was gluten free/dairy free because it takes like it could be the real thing. Saving this in my back pocket for future birthdays and celebrations. IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!! Thank you Ambitious Kitchen for this YUMMY dessert!
Woohoooo! So thrilled to hear that you loved this one, Sarah!
Thank you Monique and team for this recipe, I made it as a birthday cake in a shape of moon for my son and I think this was the best I have ever made. This year I am going to make the inside out strawberry chocolate cake because its our favorite flavor. I love your web and recipes . Thank you so much for all you do!
Oh that is so sweet!! I’m so glad that you loved it. Hope the inside out cake turns out just as well! ❤️
This came out great! I did definitely taste the coconut flour. Which for me is great because I love Coconut. My husband on the other hand does not. What are your thoughts on using Only almond flour. Would this alter the texture?
I haven’t tried that! It might work to use only almond flour but I can’t be completely sure since I haven’t tested it. If you do, I’d recommend 3.5 cups almond flour total.
Is there any information you can give about the nutrition and then all of that? I have a friend who’s diabetic and she would like to know some information if this is good for glycemic index and all of that can you put that information anywhere? How many carbs? Is this good for glycemic index? Is this you know all of that. Thanks.
Hi, Lara! Sorry, we haven’t calculated the nutrition for this recipe. There are online nutrition calculators that you can easily paste these ingredients into, thought 🙂 Hope that helps!
I made this cake for my son’s and husband’s birthdays and it was a hit. Super delicious and amazing. Thank you so much!
🥳 YAY! So happy you guys loved it!
Can you substitute the cocoa powder for carob powder? Thanks!
Made these into 18 cupcakes! Turned out AMAZING!
This chocolate cake recipe was more impressive then I thought it would be. How ever the frosting didn’t work out so well for me. Great flavor but never solid enough. Turned into more of a creamy chocolate sauce which was till nice and had good flavor. Ended up serving it “deconstructed “ style. My guest enjoy it non the less . I definitely will try to make it again. Great texture and flavor.
Glad it tastes great, but sorry to hear about the frosting! What brand of coconut cream did you use?
SO GOOD. I made it for a dinner party and everyone could not stop raving about it! I only have 2 8″ cake pans so I just baked for 34 minutes. I did have extra frosting since I didn’t have 3 layers so I ended up making half the recipe the following week because it was just that good that I wanted more!
This is such a delicious cake! I used cow milk and cream instead and the recipe still worked really well.
Hi, if I make this into a sheet cake how long should I bake it for?
Hi! It totally depends on the size of the pan so I’m not exactly sure. Just be sure to bake until a tester comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached 🙂
The most delicious cake! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this since going vegan and not eating a lot of gluten. The flax eggs worked perfectly. I used Hu chocolate for the frosting. It only gets better as it sits!
I made this cake and it was good, although the texture was not smooth. The frosting was okay and l feel it was my fault as I did not use premium chocolate chips. Not sure. Definitely great for a sweet chocolate treat with no grain!
Are you able to post the nutrition information?
Thank you for all the amazing recipes
Hi, there! Thanks for the feedback. Not totally sure what happened with the texture; did you use blanched fine almond flour (not almond meal)?
We didn’t calculate the nutrition for this recipe but you’re welcome to copy/paste it into an online nutrition calculator!
Can I leave the coconut sugar out?
I would not recommend it, as the texture would be significantly altered.
Have you ever tried this cake (or a similar chocolate cake) with a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or honey? My son’s diet allows for those sweeteners only which can make baking difficult. I’m looking for something amazing for his 13th birthday this week and your recipe looks perfect – except for the coconut sugar!
Hi, Sarah! I actually haven’t, sorry to say. This recipe uses less coconut sugar (plus maple syrup) so you may be able to sub the coconut sugar with more maple, but it might be too moist. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I have made this cake so many times now! Its my go to for everything. Even my father who hates anything I tell him is grain free or “better for you” loved it….and that’s saying something. Also for anyone that may be concerned it might be to “coconutty” with the oil…I have also used Avocado oil many times in place of it and its great as well!
Ahh I’m so happy you’ve made it so many times — YAY! And that your dad loved it, too! 🥰
Making this today! Thank you! Quick question: Do you add all of the contents of the canned coconut cream (including liquid) or just scoop the cream in the pot? Thanks for your help!
Sorry for the delay, Traci! And apologies if that was unclear. We actually just refined the frosting recipe (it’s in a separate post here) because some folks were having trouble with the consistency. Let me know if you have any questions about it after reading it!
Thank you! The cake turned out delicious! 😊
I’m so glad!! ❤️
Look yummy. Love to try it for my son’s birthday. My question is can you use Cacao powder instead of Cocoa?
Hi, Maria! Yes, feel free to substitute cacao powder 🙂 Hope you all love this cake!
Can you use paleo flour?
I’m not sure what you’re referring to! But I’ve only tested this with blanched fine almond flour and would recommend sticking with that to get the right texture.
Is there a coconut sugar alterative? Or can I just leave it out?
Regular cane sugar should work well!
Hi Monique! I am wanting to make this for my son’s birthday. My plan is to make it as a sheet cake, so I can cut it into an elephant shape. Do you think it has enough structure to hold up to being cut without falling apart? I have made it once before, but I don’t remember. Thank you in advance!
Hi, Jeannie! It’s definitely a fudgy one so you’ll have to be careful cutting it, but I think it should be ok if you’re gentle with it! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Is there a vanilla version of this? (Paleo and with no coconut sugar)
I’d use my healthy birthday cake recipe! Feel free to leave out the sprinkles and almond extract.
I made this cake last night, and it is delicious! It’s already halfway eaten, lol.
I decided to make it into a bundt, which took about 40 minutes to fully bake because it does make a lot of batter. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the ingredients to make the frosting, so I found another recipe for that. I would love to try your frosting though, because everything you make is so good!
Will definitely be making this recipe again! 😉
Amazing!! SO glad you’re loving it!
This is without a doubt the best paleo cake ever! Please send me mor recipes! I LOVE this cake and make it for all my birthday celebrations and holidays. I’ve converted countless friends to paleo from this recipe.Thank you🙏🥂
So happy you love this one! Perfect for celebrating 🙂
Am I missing the icing recipe? I don’t see it.
Click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page 🙂
Hi, any alternative to the coconut sugar? Or can I just leave it out?
Can this be made in a sheet pan?
Hi! I want to make this cake a week in advance, can I store it in the freezer fully frosted? Or should I store in fridge? Or wait to frost until day of….? Thanks!
I would not recommend making this cake that far in advance. Maybe a day and I would store it in the fridge, bring it out and let it get to room temp, then frost.
I am making this cake for a birthday. Can I make it ahead of time annd freeze the cake. Then I would frost it when I need it.
Thank you
Made this today for my 2 year olds birthday and it’s safe to say I will never use another chocolate cake recipe, SO GOOD!
I used this recipe but made a Bundt cake instead and it’s super tasty! I don’t like too much sweet so reduced sugar to 1 1/4 cups, baked for 45 minutes, and it was perfect. Wouldn’t know it’s not regular cake mix. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Ah love this so much – glad this recipe turned out great for you and you’re loving it!
I have now made this cake about six times – once for a 4 YO who loved it so much at my daughter’s birthday party, she specifically requested it for hers! I’m making it again today for yet another one of my daughter’s birthdays. One problem that has come up a few times though – it sinks in the middle and isn’t always cooked all the way through, even after cooking it for the full amount of suggested time. I’d bake it longer, except the sides start to dry out. I’m using 3-9″ stainless steel cakepans. Could this be an issue with my oven? Is there something I can do to prevent this? It still tasted absolutely delicious, but would probably be even better if I could figure this out!
I said 3-9″ pans, but meant 3-8″ pans!
Am I able to substitute the coconut oil for butter?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for certain how the cake will turn out.
Brilliant recipes
Thank you!
Just wondering if this recipe could be made into cupcakes. Thanks!
Hi Antonia – I am not sure about cupcakes for this recipe, I haven’t tested it. Let me know if you give it a try and how they turn out for you!
This cake is absolutely delicious! Fantastic recipe. I used a dark chocolate with hazelnut chips for the icing- the flavour was incredble!
Oh love this! Glad this recipe is a hit!
Ok I’m sorry. I never leave reviews but this cake is AMAZING, are you kidding? Was looking to make a grain free cake for my son’s birthday party. He cannot have dairy or grains. I did use organic cane sugar because coconut sugar makes me feel a little funny and I had to blend my almond flour to make it finer because mine was almond meal. But this turned out PERFECT! I had bought a box of simple mills chocolate cake mix as back up, but I won’t be needing it. Thank YOU!!
AHH thank you SO much, Sara. I am excited you are loving this cake and its a hit!
This cake it IT! Like don’t even look for other recipes, this is the best paleo cake I have ever made. 😋
Haha amazing! Happy you love it!
Hi,
Greetings from Bulgaria, I love this blog – always find inspiration here when I need it!
This cake looks amazing and I am determined to make it for my daughter’s birthday party.
I need it to be bigger though, and I have a pan with size 26 cm.
Do you think I can double the ingredients and bake 3 layers in that size?
Hello,
I tried making this today, and it came out very gritty for me despite using a super fine almond flour. Is there anything I can do? Does anyone else have this same issue and any tips? Thanks! 🙂
So strange! I’m not sure where the gritty texture could be coming from if your almond flour was super fine and blanched?
This cake is amazing! The only thing I changed was the almond milk to buttermilk since I’m not dairy free and I didn’t have the almond milk on hand. It’s the best gluten free and refined sugar free recipe I have found! Thank you for figuring it all out! This is a keeper for celebrations and birthdays too! Wish I could share a pic! It came together so beautifully!
Amazing! So glad you loved it!
I’ve made this both as cupcakes and a two layer 8” cake and it’s SO GOOD. I don’t have coconut oil, so I used avocado oil and subbed ACV for White Wine Vinegar. I also used regular sugar. I topped with chocolate PB frosting both times and the recipe is to die for!
Amazing! So happy it’s a favorite!
I have made this cake twice and making it a third time today. It is the best cake! My husband, who isn’t big on sweets, asked me to make this cake again! It is a beautiful three layer cake! And it is delicious! Everyone in my family loves it! I have Celiac and myself, as well as several in my family, don’t use refined sugar so this cake is perfect for us. Even a few regular eaters couldn’t tell it was paleo! That’s a biggie! Make this cake! You will love it!
Amazing! So glad it’s a favorite!
MY GO-TO BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPE!!!
I’ve baked this cake for years for special celebrations. People can’t believe it’s gf, dairy free, refined sugar free!!! Doesn’t make you feel gross after and is the perfect rich chocolate flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. I cannot say enough about how delicious it is!!! Truly my favorite.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Hi!! I´ve done this cake 2 times and I love it! Do you suggest a sustitute for almond flour, at list a half? Can be oat or other?
Hi! I’ve only tested the cake as is, so I can’t recommend a sub for the almond flour. Sorry!