Amazing Paleo Chocolate Cake (gluten-free, dairy-free)

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This paleo chocolate cake recipe is fluffy, light and airy. It’s also unbelievably decadent, rich and moist. It’s the perfect dessert or birthday cake and has quickly become a reader favorite.

Paleo chocolate cake on a white cake stand.

I’m not one to use superfluous words in my recipe titles unless something is truly extraordinary. Case in point: this amazing paleo chocolate cake. And yes, it really is amazing.

So much so, that I even debated leaving off the word “paleo.” Because I think you could offer up this chocolate cake recipe to someone who eats gluten and grains and they’d have no idea that it was gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free. You guys, it’s incredibly delicious!

Unlike most paleo cake recipes, this version is light and airy while still moist and spongy. I mean, just look at those crumbs. There’s the perfect amount of air pockets in the cake yet it holds together like a real deal chocolate cake. But it’s a paleo chocolate cake.

Paleo Chocolate Cake Recipe Video

While this recipe is easy to make, I do recommend you watch my step-by-step tutorial video. Give it a watch below!

The Perfect Birthday Cake

This recipe is the perfect way to kick-off my birthday month – with a deliciously decadent chocolate birthday cake.

Now, it’s a birthday tradition of mine to always have a mint chocolate something on my actual birthday. Previously, I made these Mini Skillet Brownies with Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. But it’s quite involved. So I’m thinking something slightly easier this year. My birthday is the last day of the month, so I’ve still got a few weeks.

Until then, you’ve got this paleo chocolate cake to enjoy. And trust me, you will. I even whipped up a video (above), so make sure to watch that.

Making the chocolate cake batter and buttercream frosting.
Frosting the chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.

Ingredients, Questions, and Tips

It’s taken me several years to perfect my paleo baking and I think I’ve finally got it nailed. But I’m sure many of you will have questions regarding the ingredients, so let’s dive into those.

  • Are all three flours (almond, tapioca and coconut) necessary? Yes. For some reason, most paleo cake recipes only use almond flour or coconut flour. But I find those results less than stellar (i.e. dense and dry). If you think about it, gluten-free flour blends are always a combination of flours to achieve the right texture. Paleo baking should be no different. And this triumvirate of flours (my signature blend) is what I use on many of my recipes, including my reader favorite paleo pancakes.
  • Why is each flour important? Almond flour is the main nut flour providing most of the bulk. Tapioca flour provides the light, airy, fluffiness. And the coconut flour provides structure to the cake.
  • Is there an alternative for the almond flour? If you only have a problem with almonds, you could substitute the almond flour with hazelnut flour. But if you need a nut-free cake I’d recommend my flourless chocolate cake instead.
  • Can I make this without eggs? I personally haven’t tried it, but many commenters below have said they’ve used chia eggs, flax eggs, and store-bought egg replacers with good results.
  • Can I swap honey or maple for the coconut sugar? Unfortunately no. The coconut sugar crystals are what helps to provide all those mini air pockets that make this cake so delicious. Honey or maple syrup would create a much more dense cake.
  • Why do you add espresso powder? To make this cake unbelievably rich and decadent. The espresso powder doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee or even mocha. In fact, you don’t taste it at all. But what you do taste is a depth of chocolate flavor that makes you go, “wow!” To give you an analogy, vanilla extract is added to most baked goods to enhance the flavor. Well, that’s what espresso powder does here. It takes this paleo chocolate cake recipe to the next level.
  • Can I use almond milk instead of coconut milk? You can, but it likely won’t be as moist. Full-fat coconut milk is thick and adds necessary fat, on par with dairy milk or buttermilk.
  • Why do you add vinegar? Well, speaking of buttermilk (which is frequently used in traditional cake recipes), my version of buttermilk is coconut milk plus vinegar. Voila! The vinegar also creates a chemical reaction with the baking soda, a la baking powder-style, to create fluffiness in the cake.

Hopefully that answers some of your questions, but if you have more, please feel free to ask them below in the comments.

A single slice of paleo chocolate cake on a white plate.
A slice of paleo chocolate cake on a plate with fork.

The Creamy Buttercream Frosting

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the chocolate buttercream frosting is equally impressive. Like lick the bowl impressive. It’s also vegan, dairy-free and paleo, depending on how you make it.

I’ve separated that recipe into its own post, so that you can easily search for it and use on other cake or cupcake recipes in the future. But together, I’m not kidding when I say that this is by far the best paleo chocolate cake recipe out there. It may even be the best chocolate cake recipe. Period.

Serving and Storing

Serve it up with a cold glass of my homemade cashew milk, almond milk or oat milk, and you’ll be in heaven. Or serve leftovers up for breakfast (umm, I did) along with a glass of Chemex Coffee or Cold Brew Coffee.

To Store Unfrosted: You can make the unfrosted cake layers several days in advance. Once they’ve completely cooled, tightly wrap them in plastic wrap (I double wrap them) and store on your counter at room temperature (if it’s not hot) or in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you’d like to store them longer than that, you can also freeze them for 3-4 months. Then, when you’re ready to serve the cake, just defrost the layers and add your buttercream frosting.

To Store Frosted: You can also store the entire frosted cake. It will last for 4-5 days at room temperature. I do recommend covering the cake to protect it from dust and any kitchen splashes. Yes, you can freeze it frosted too! If the cake is whole, just place it in the freezer uncovered to allow the frosting to harden. Then, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap as mentioned before. If you’d like to freeze leftovers in individual slices, just place them in glass storage containers – no need to wrap! Again, they’ll last for several months. Then, just bring the cake to room temperature to enjoy!

Paleo chocolate cake on a cake stand with slice removed to a plate.

More Gluten-Free and Paleo Chocolate Recipes

Want this recipe in cupcake form? Check out my Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes.

And if you’re looking for a non-chocolate cake recipe, I highly recommend my Gluten-Free Carrot Cake (that’s also paleo-ish). Enjoy!

Paleo chocolate cake on a white cake stand.

Amazing Paleo Chocolate Cake (gluten-free, dairy-free)

4.96 from 371 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This paleo chocolate cake recipe is fluffy, light and airy. It's also unbelievably decadent, rich and moist. Once you make it, you'll see why it quickly became a reader favorite. Watch the video above!

Video

Ingredients 
 

cake dry ingredients

cake wet ingredients

chocolate frosting

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. I prefer to grease my pans with ghee or organic palm shortening as coconut oil can leave a slight coconut taste. Set these aside.
  • Add all of the dry ingredients to a very large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  • Add all of the wet ingredients to a separate medium mixing bowl and whisk together. Then, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together for 1-2 minutes to create your cake batter.
  • Evenly divide the batter between the three baking pans and cook for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Once the cake has completely cooled, assemble the cake by adding the chocolate buttercream frosting between each layer and frosting the outside.

Lisa’s Tips

  • My baking time of 28-30 minutes is based on a standard oven. I’d recommend checking the cakes earlier, at 23-24 minutes if your oven tends to cook fast or if you’re using a convection oven.
  • You can also use two 9-inch cake pans for a two-layer cake (the layers will be thicker). Bake them for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remember to make sure your cake is 100% cool before frosting. Even the slightest amount of internal heat in the layers will cause the frosting to melt.
  • This is the brand of espresso powder that I use.
  • For substitutions and storing, make sure to read the tips in the post above.

Nutrition

Calories: 749.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 36.9g | Saturated Fat: 16.5g | Cholesterol: 46.5mg | Sodium: 335.2mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 83.9g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Gluten Free Chocolate Cake, Paleo Cake, Paleo Chocolate Cake
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted August 2017, but updated to include new information and tips. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




1,814 Comments

  1. Hi!!! I haven’t done the recipe yet but i was wondering if we can taste the coconut once cooked?? The the birthday girl i want to bake this for isn’t a fan!!

  2. Just made this tonight. Delicious even without any frosting. Haven’t had time to frost it yet. Even my kids who aren’t GF/DF thought it was great. So nice to finally enjoy a delicious chocolate cake. I will be giving it to my friend this week for his birthday. :)5 stars

  3. This is one of the best if not the best chocolate cake I’ve had, even when compared to ones with gluten. It’s very moist ans fluffy. 100% recommend5 stars

  4. This is honestly one of the most delicious things I have eaten in my life. Thank you for taking the time to create this recipe!!5 stars

  5. do you have any recommendations for altitude adjustments on this recipe? Sounds great, I’d like to make it as cupcakes :)

  6. Hello! I found your recipe for the chocolate cake and frosting and it looks absolutely amazing. I have not yet made the cake, but just wanted to check – my daughter must be low-carb/low-sugar. I looked at the nutritional information and am I seeing correctly that each SLICE of cake is 103 grams of carbs and contains 83.9 grams of sugar? Thank you for your help!

  7. This is an amazing cake, I was so impressed I couldn’t believe it lol. I got a more dense cake, it tastes almost like a brownie! I’ll definitely be trying it again to get a fluffier, airy cake. Overall, delicious! 5 stars

  8. Hi Lisa! I’ve made this cake a handful of times now, changed up the sugar quantity couple times, and it’s been a BIIIG hit!!! Just wondering how chia eggs would go? I’m thinking I’ll try 2x normal eggs plus 2x chia eggs first, then if all goes well, gradually decreasing to 4x chia eggs…. do you think that’d work?5 stars

    1. Hi Jennifer – I haven’t tried this with chia eggs, but if you do please report back on how it turns out!

  9. This recipe is amazing!  We r allergic to almonds so I substituted hazelnut flour.  We also didn’t want the icing so I made it in a Bundt. Allow for longer baking time in a Bundt.  It turned out great – dense, moist.  It is almost like a brownie.  I would post a photo if possible.  5 stars

    1. So glad this came out great with hazelnut flour! Although, this cake is supposed to come out light and fluffy :)

  10. As many others have said this paleo chocolate cake recipe is AMAZING!!!! Moist, chocolatey, perfect. I will definitely be making this again and have already instructed my bestie that I want this for every birthday from here on out. So wonderful to have delicious baked goods that are paleo, dairy free and sugar free.

    Here are the changes I made: I replaced the 2 cups coconut sugar with 1 1/4 cup Lakanto. This worked out perfectly and was sweet enough for me. I skipped the espresso because I didn’t have any. I used a 9×13 pan for the exact 16 serving quantity in the recipe and baked it at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (I checked it every 5 minutes starting at 25 minutes). I also skipped the frosting recipe and used Simple Mills Vegan Chocolate Frosting. Since this was a sheet cake 1 container of the frosting worked. I may try Lisa’s frosting recipe but cut it in half and cut the sugar down a lot. Those sugar free sweeteners are pricey!! But so worth it.

    Thank you so so much for this amazing recipe!!5 stars

    1. Thrilled to hear you loved this recipe Genevieve! Thanks for letting us know about the small changes you made :)

  11. Hi, how can you make this into a vanilla cake? I know that you can’t just take out the cocoa powder, but I’m not sure what else to take out to make it vanilla.
    Thank you.

  12. Can I replace eggs with yogurt in this recipe? If not, what would be a more suitable egg replacer to make this a vegan recipe?

    1. Hi Moorty – I haven’t tried that variation, but I know others in the comments have used chia eggs and other egg replacers with success.

      1. I’m literally about to start putting this cake together and realized I’m out of tapioca flour! Would arrowroot powder work as a sub?

  13. I made this for myself for my birthday and it was delicious! I am curious if you think this works with apple sauce instead of coconut oil? I personally loved the hint of coconut but I know that some others may not appreciate it.

  14. If you fed me this cake and told me it was gluten free I would tell you you’re lying!!! Any GFDF cake I’ve had from gourmet bakeries to grocery store cakes to box mixes they were all dry and taste like sugary cardboard. This was an exceptional recipe. I made sure to check my cake early and I think that helped a lot to make sure it wasn’t dry. Thanks for that tip!! I checked at 20 min and left it in the overn for 3 more minutes with oven off. I also made sure to not overmix as that can make any cake tough as well. My only problem with the recipe is the not the cake but the frosting. I added half the sugar and it was still too sweet for me and my family who have varying sweet tooths. With that said the cake was excellent and will be making this again ans will experiment with different oils and nut milks to see how it varies the flavor as I did this cake recipe to the T. Yummy!!!! Thank you for helping me to believe in GFDF being actually good!! 4 stars

    1. So glad you enjoyed this paleo chocolate cake! It’s definitely a Downshifter favorite, and for good reason :)

  15. This was really good even though my batter was thick! It wasn’t runny like yours was. The cake also cracked on the top during baking. Do you know why it was thicker and cracked on the top? 

    1. Hi Michelle – it could just be due to different brands of flours. But next time, feel free to add a little more liquid if you feel the batter is too thick.

    1. Hi Loree- You can replace the tapioca flour with a gluten-free flour blend. But other than that, you will need the other 2 flours to make this recipe.

  16. Hi! I made this cake for my birthday last year and was blown away by how good it was! I’m hoping to make it again for my son’s birthday but I’d like to make it as a mini version this time with 6” pans. How would you recommend converting the recipe for that (how long should I bake it, at what temp, and how full should my pans be?) Thanks so much for helping me figure this out!

    1. Hi Meagan – I’m so happy you love the recipe! There are online calculators for baking pan conversion, just Google that. :)

  17. Hi! I wanted to make this in two 9 x 13 inch rectangular pans, by how much would I have to increase the recipe? Thanks!

    1. Hi Hiba – I haven’t tried that. I’d recommend scanning the comments to see if others have tried it. :)

  18. I have made this cake twice and it is so delicious! Thank you! I was wondering if i can omit the cacao powder and make it a vanilla cake? I’m wondering if the lack of powder will affect the consistency.5 stars

  19. Does this turn out the same if you use full fat dairy milk instead of coconut milk? When using coconut milk, do you use the kind that comes in a can, where you have to scrape the solids out of the can, or do you use the kind that comes in a carton that you can easily pour out? 

    1. It’s best to use the canned coconut milk for extra creaminess. Yes, it’s the ones where you have to scrape out the solids!

  20. I am excited to give this recipe a try for New Years day. I need a tasty cake recipe to show my daughter our world of eating enjoyable food isn’t over with our new GF/dairy restrictions. I am hoping you can send me the link for the how-to video. It does t seem to be popping up for ne to view. Thank you.

    1. Hi Melissa – I apologize for the delayed response! But, you can see the video on my Youtube channel as well. Hope you were able to enjoy this cake!

  21. Amazing! So moist and rich, will definitely be my go-to paleo chocolate cake. I would love to do cake pops out of this too. So easy to make. I didn’t have 3 cake tins, just two so I split the batter between them and it worked just fine.5 stars

  22. Delicious! All my guests raved about this cake, and even those who are used to full butter and cream said they couldn’t tell this was gluten and dairy free!  It was easier to make than I thought it would be—thanks.5 stars

  23. Hi Lisa! May I know if I could replace 1 cup of tapioca flour with 1 cup of arrowroot flour? Will it yield the same results?

  24. Hi Lisa,
    I would really like to try this cake. I’m already a fan of your banana bread.
    But, I don’t have a cake pan. Do you have a recipe for this cake for a loaf pan? Or would you know how much to divide by? I guess by 2?
    Thank you!

  25. I am allergic to coconut. while I can sub ghee for coconut oil and rich nut milk for the coconut milk, I will have to try to sub for the coconut flour, even though you noted that it was necessary for the structure of the cake. Would using more almond flour or more tapioca flour be the better option. Since coconut flour is more absorbent would i need to add ore of either of these flours or perhaps reduce the amount of milk.

  26. Hi there! I’m excited to try this recipe. I was wondering if I can sub the cacao powder for unsweetened cocoa powder? 
    Thank you! 

    1. I actually have a cupcake recipe already for this on the site! It’s called “Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes”

    1. Hi Lynette – Unfortunately, I’ve never tried this recipe with erythritol so not sure what the ratios would be.

  27. The Amazing Chocolate Paleo Cake was just that, absolutely amazing! Thank you for making gluten free baking more affordable and enjoyable! It really is no fun trying something that turns out to be a disaster! 
    I also tried the recommended chocolate buttercream , but in a much smaller quantity! 
    That was awesome too! 5 stars

  28. Hands down one of the easiest and most delicious chocolate cakes I have made, and the great thing is that it’s healthier than the traditional chocolate cake. Even my 9 yo requested this for her birthday cake this year! Thanks Lisa! 5 stars

  29. I made this cake for my birthday and it was AMAZING! My friends always poke fun at me for trying to “healthify” my desserts, but none of them realized that until after they ate it and raved about it! One of them even told me it’s better than Costco’s chocolate cake. It’s perfectly moist and rich and not difficult to make at all. 5 stars

  30. Do you have a vanilla cake recipe?! I tried making it w/o the cocoa powder, & it didn’t seem to work as well. It’s a perfect chocolate cake, I prefer vanilla/white, my Mom likes chocolate!