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.
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.
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.
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!
More Gluten-Free and Paleo Chocolate Recipes
- Chocolate Mug Cake (or this Mint Chocolate Mug Cake)
- Paleo Chocolate Waffles
- Chocolate Truffle Tart
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Molten Chocolate Cake
- Paleo Brownies
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!
Description
Video
Ingredients
cake dry ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 cups coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 cups raw cacao powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp salt
cake wet ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate frosting
- 1 recipe Vegan Chocolate Buttercream 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
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted August 2017, but updated to include new information and tips.
Hello! Great recipe! Do you think I can use decaf instant coffee instead of espresso powder? Or should I just not add anything? I can’t eat caffeine. Thank you!
I would just leave it off and not worry about it. :)
I only made half the recipe because I didn’t want a tall cake. It was delicious! I sprinkled slivered almonds between the two layers and they added a nice crunch to the cake. Most and chocolatety! (Used Hershey special dark cocoa… added a couple more tbsp to make the icing rich, not sweet)
Yes, you can easily cut this recipe in half for a smaller cake. Glad you enjoyed it Katie and it sounds delicious with the slivered almonds. :)
Hi, is there any substitute you’d recommend for the almond flour as I cannot use this?!
For this recipe the only alternative I’d recommend would be hazelnut flour as it’s a similar texture to almond flour.
awesome food blog you have placed here. I have read it and it was really nice and informative. Thanks for placing it here. I have bookmark this site for future visit. Your content was really resourceful reached. Thanks for such a nice creation.
Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m happy you’re enjoying my content! :)
This is great! Made it as cupcakes and they were delicious! Any suggestion on making a vanilla version of this? I’m not sure what to replace the cocoa powder with
Glad you enjoyed them! Unfortunately, I’ve tried and it’s not as easy as removing the cocoa. They turn out a dark brown still, due to the coconut sugar and other ingredients. So I’ll have to come up with a new white/vanilla cake recipe from scratch. :)
Can this recipe be used to make a bundt cake? Would there be any changes to make it that way? I like that this recipe uses cacao powder instead of cocoa. I need a bundt cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday party. My son is autistic and on a very strict paleo diet. I’m not happy with the other paleo bundt cake recipes I’ve found so far. Thank you for your help!
I haven’t personally made it in a bundt pan, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You’d just have to cook it a bit longer. If you do it, please let us know how it turns out! :)
Can I cut this recipe in half if I don’t want such a big cake?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi just wondering how far ahead can you make this cake , my daughters birthday is Saturday could it be made Wednesday or Thursday night . Thank you for your fab recipes
You can freeze and wrap the layers several days in advance. If you’re fully making it and frosting it, I’d probably only make it a day in advance.
Looks yum, thank you. Pretty shocked at the sugar content though – 83.9g per slice, that’s nearly 21 teaspoons per serving ? In the UK the the government recommends no more than 6 teaspoons/24g of added sugars a day, so just one serving of this cake is about 3 and a half times that. It was really helpful having the nutrition information with it, thank you, and I appreciate coconut sugar isn’t as bad as the white refined stuff but it’s still an enormous amount in my opinion, I wonder if the recipe could come with some kind of caution about it, just a thought. Thanks.
Yes, while it’s free of gluten, grains and dairy, it’s definitely a dessert and contains lots of sugar, so should be considered an indulgence or sweet treat. That sugar content is actually typical for a triple-layer chocolate cake you’d find in restaurants (most don’t realize). And while many food bloggers won’t post nutritional info on dessert recipes, I try to be transparent as possible.
I’ve never posted a comment but these are so good! I found this recipe after purchasing some cupcakes at a gf/ df bakery. The cupcakes were so bad, that I got online and found this recipe. I used it for cupcakes and oh my goodness, I am addicted to them. I’ve been subbing some of the sugar with monkfruit to cut down on carbs. It doesn’t even need frosting. My kids call them chocolate muffins. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that and thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I’m thrilled you love the recipe. :) x
Hello! Can I substitute ghee for the 1/2 cup oil in frosting? Don’t like that much coconut flavor in cake
Yes, no problem. :)
WOW!
Made this for my daughters bday party. Made a double 12×18 sheet cake. Filled with A raspberry filling I made. Was amazing.
Couple Suggestions.
I made two different cakes, each with a different almond flour and cacao powder
Significant difference in the two
although they were both VERY good, I found my new go to chocolate cake recipe, gluten free or not, this is the one. the crumb is fine, the cake is moist, the flavor is SPOT ON. It isnt too sweet, awesome cake
1. I used liquid coconut oil
2. I used Valrhona Cacao Powder, SO Dark and amazing.
3. I used Wellbees SUPER FINE almond flour.
Such a great cake. Thank you. will NEVER make another chocolate cake again
FYI for anyone trying to find out the sheet cake for a large group. For a 12 x 18 2 inch deep cake pan, I made two cake batches. Each with 1.5 times the recipe. Basically just triple the recipe for a double layer half sheet cake.
Wonderful! So happy you loved it and a raspberry filling sounds amazing!! Thanks for giving the details on the size of sheet pan you used as well. I’m sure that will be helpful for many! :) x
I would love to try this for my brothers birthday but I have a silly question… is almond meal the same as almond flour? I can only find almond meal.
Almond meal tends to be a little thicker than almond flour, but it will definitely work. :)
Made this for my sister’s birthday, and it was delicious. I made a few modifications to make it vegan and because I didn’t have coconut milk or almond milk. For the eggs I used garbanzo bean/ chickpea flour (3 tablespoons with 3 tablespoons of water for each “egg”). I only had Bolthouse Farms plant protein milk (it’s the same as Ripple, I believe), but I also had a can of heavy coconut cream that was mostly solid and not being a baker I didn’t think that would work by itself so I used 1 cup of Bolthouse and a ½ cup of the cream. Turned out great.
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your modifications. I’m sure they’ll be helpful for others! :) x
I tried this recipe for my husband’s bday and it came out amazing. The cake was super moist and delicious. Highly recommend this recipe to anyone who is looking for a healthier option!! Thank you so much for sharing Lisa :-)
Wonderful! Happy you enjoyed it! :) x
could I use almond milk instead of the canned coconut milk?
and is there any other substitute for tapioca flour? could I use oat or buckwheat flour instead??
You could use almond milk, but I haven’t tried it with buckwheat flour so don’t know how it would turn out. You could sub arrowroot for the tapioca flour though.
Can I double the recipe for a kids birthday party which will have a round two with all the adults at night?
This recipe is really big on it’s own. I’d recommend just baking two separate three tier cakes. :)
I made this for the first time as my birthday cake (yes, it sounds silly to bake my own cake, but I’m picky), and, oh my goodness, it tasted SO GOOD. I made it using 9-inch rounds, and the suggested baking time of 35 minutes was just about right.
It was everything I wanted: chocolate-y, light, moist, and tasted like a regular cake, if not better.
I also made a batch of cupcakes using this recipe which took a bit of trial and error with the toothpick trick at the same baking temperature. I think it took 25 minutes to bake.
Anyway, this is a fantastic recipe! I don’t even think I’ll even make a cake using wheat flour again now that I’ve stumbled upon this holy grail recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it Iris! And not silly at all to bake your own cake. I do it every year for my birthday! ;) x
Hi, can I check if there’s any replacement for the espresso as I’m baking for a toddler. So coffee is not exactly recommended.
You can just leave that off. :)
This cake was absolutely amazing! I had never made cake (that wasnt boxed) before and this was super simple. And though its filled with chocolate and sugar, I felt better about eating it. Would hughly recommend!!!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it Chelsie!
Love this cake recipe, btw!
I do have one random question though.
Do you use the same cooking time for the cake as you would making it as cupcakes?
I believe I cooked it a little less for the cupcakes. But definitely keep an eye on them while cooking. :)
Thanks!: )
Hi!!
My family is in love with this cake!! So much so that my daughter has requested it and vanilla cupcakes for her 5th birthday this Saturday.
Is there a way to modify the cake to make a vanilla batter? I’m afraid just taking out the cocoa will leave the batter too wet for it to bake nicely (since there is a fair amount of cocoa in the recipe). I’d appreciate any insight!! Thanks!!
Hi Vanessa! I’ve tried to turn it into a white cake, but unfortunately no luck. When you remove the cocoa you’re actually left with a dark brown cake, given all the coconut sugar. I’ll have to create a new white cake recipe from scratch using other ingredients. :)
Looking forward to it! Thanks! ?
Hi Lisa
I want to split this cake batter up between 6 cake tins so I end up with 6 thinner layers, would that be possible? Do I just half the baking time?
Also how far in advance can I make this cake by storing it in the fridge, not freezing it?
Do you think putting raspberries or strawberries between the layers will help with the richness of the cake/icing?
Marijana
I would recommend keeping it as 3 cakes and then slicing those in half. If you do 6 pans they’ll likely dry out or overcook. You could store in the fridge a couple of days. Just wrap each layer in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil to prevent drying out. And yes, berries in between the layers sounds delicious! :)
Hi, I love this! Looking to attempt it but need Vegan substitute (recipe has dairy – eggs). Have you used, found any egg substitutes that work well for you – and/or this recipe??
Hi Jo – Just to clarify, eggs are not dairy. Dairy is from the mammary glands of cows, goats, etc. Eggs are from chickens. But if you’d like to make it vegan, I’ve heard several folks in the comments make it with an egg substitute. Unfortunately, they haven’t listed which one they used. So if you make it with success, please do let us know! Thanks! :)
Hi Lisa,
This cake looks really delicious! Is it possible to freeze the cake ( after it’s been baked and without frosting) for use at a latter time? I’ve got two mini celebrations within two weeks of each other and thought to make one batter, split it, use some to of the batter to make cupcakes and use the remainder to make a miniature b-day cake to be frozen for use two weeks latter. Might this work?
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely! Just wrap them in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and place in the freezer. They thaw perfectly. I’ve done this several times with this recipe. :)
If someone is allergic to eggs what would be a good substitute? All other ingredients look good.
I believe some (in the comments) have made this cake egg-free with an egg substitute, but unfortunately they don’t say what they’ve used. I’d give it a try with a chia or flax egg though!
Have you tried this recipe with cupcakes?
Yes, it works perfectly! And makes about 28 cupcakes. :)
Was the cooking time the same?
Hi Lisa
The cake looks delicious.i am going t try this for my son’s bday! it is going to be my first time cake ever! i have a question could i try arrowroot powder instead of tapioca powder? what would be the difference?
I haven’t tried this recipe with arrowroot powder, but you can usually substitute those two flours without any problem. So I think you’ll be good! Hope you and your son enjoy the cake. :) x
Hi Lisa,
This recipe looks amazing. Can I use tinned coconut milk for this recipe? I’m in Australia and the coconut milk that comes in a carton is usually very watered down.
Thanks :-)
Renee
Yes, absolutely! I use canned coconut milk in this recipe as well. :)
I substituted swerve granulated sugar in place of the coconut sugar and my cake came out fudgy no matter how long I baked it for what do you think went wrong
Unfortunately, it sounds like the Swerve was the culprit.
If you are substituting the coconut sugar with a sugar free substitute, you have to use less. For 2 cups coconut sugar, I believe it’s 1 and a 1/4 cups xylitol or swerve. Hope that helps.
Thanks Gabbie!
How do you think this recipe will go made as cupcakes?
It works perfectly! I got about 28 cupcakes last time I made it. :)
Fantastic recipe. I substituted crushed pecans for the almond flour . The cake was a huge hit, five stars all the way!!! The video is a perfect compliment . Thank you for sharing .
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
The cake looks amazing and cant wait to try it! We have switched to a low FODMAP diet which unfortunately means coconut flour is a no go. Could you recommend an alternative? Or could I make it up with a bit extra almond flour/tapioca flour?
I think your best bet is to make it up with more almond flour/tapioca flour. Let me know how it works out!
Do you bake this in light, silver-colored pans or dark pans?
Have have a variety of silver and dark pans.
My 13 year old made this cake twice and we love it!! I want to know if we can make a vanilla version of this cake? What if we left out the Cacao and the espresso powders, how would that affect the texture of the cake? Thank you!
Unfortunately, I was hoping for the same and tried that….and it didn’t work out. It was a muddy brown color and not something I’d consider a white/vanilla cake. I think I’ll have to start from scratch for a vanilla cake. Though I’m up for the challenge. ;) Stay tuned!
I made this cake in a 9×13, and it was aaaaaamazing.
I made no adjustments for high altitude (5280′) and just baked it 20 minutes longer.
Thank you!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for sharing the details of your baking as I’m sure it will help others. :)
Hello. I can’t find espresso powder at my local store. I called starbucks and asked if they had any but they only have espresso beans and would be able to grind them up for me. Would grinding espresso beans suffice or do you have an alternative suggestion?
Hi Raquel – you’d be better off using instant coffee. Here’s more info: https://www.thekitchn.com/pantry-basics-what-is-espresso-41586
THIS cake is AMAZING! I just made it as a test for my baby’s First Birthday party. I halved the recipe and used 2 pans. I baked it on 325 (I think my oven is running a little high) for 18 min. I snuck a little bite since it was just a tester……. I ate 1/2 of one layer, no frosting, it’s amazing. And this was made one handed (baby needed hugs) with not exact dry ingredient mesausments(one hand), close though. If I could only find a healthy and yummy smash cake recipe.
Thank you Lisa
Yay – so happy to hear this cake was a success (especially with all that multi-tasking). Haha! Hope your little one enjoys it as well! :) x
It truly is the best! Thanks so much.
Yay – happy you enjoyed it Esther! :) x
This cake is amazing. I’ve made it several times and it really is incredible. I didn’t use the coffee. And instead of frosting i made chocolate glaze with cacao, vanilla. heavy cream, water and Swerve powdered sugar. I poked holes all over the cake and spread the glaze all over the top and it goes down into cake through the holes. I also just did it in a rectangular pan. I’ve cut recipe in half and still perfect. Thank you Lisa for the most incredible sugar free low carb treat recipe ever. My husband wants carrot cake for his birthday Friday and he thinks he’s getting a sugar filled cake, but I’m going to try the carrot cake recipe you’ve posted. He loves you’re chocolate cake so I’m thinking he won’t even notice it’s not full of sugar and carbs. Thanks again.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Gabby! But just to clarify, there is quite a bit of sugar in this cake so it’s definitely not sugar-free. It just doesn’t contained refined white sugar, but there’s a significant amount of coconut sugar (which is still sugar). ;)
Great recipe. So delighted to find a Paleo chocolate cake that uses 9-inch pans and also has such a moist/delicate consistently. Very simple. Thank you
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it Sylvia!
Can you make as one cake? And add blueberries in the batter? I guess would take much longer to cook…
Yes, you can make a large sheet cake or divide by half and make a thicker round cake. And blueberries should be no problem. But you’d have to experiment with timing but both would take longer.
Is the coconut oil the liquid kind or the solid kind? Or does it matter?
I add it in it’s liquid state. :)
Hi Lisa, This is an amazing recipe – thanks for sharing it! Quick question – I would like to make this cake just for 2 people. If I simply third the ingredients, would this work to make a smaller cake, enough for 2 people? Thanks Bron
Yes, you should be able to divide the recipe no problem. :)
I have been searching for a cake recipe to make for my son who has tons of allergies. This seems so close, but he can’t have nuts. Do you have a recommendation for a flour I could use instead of almond? Thanks, Sara
Is it all nuts or just almonds?
Hi Lisa- Can you use the recipe for cupcakes?
Yes, absolutely! :)
Hi Lisa! Im very new to paleo baking, practicing this cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday due to her allergies. I followed the recipe to a T with ingredients, temperature and time and yet the batter when baked had harder matte edges and softer glossy middle, so that you could clearly see a circle within a circle. I wish I could post a picture of what I mean. Cakes are cooling at the moment. Any idea what went wrong?
Oh that’s strange. What size pans did you use and how many?
This recipe is truly incredible!!! I had over 7 people try once complete, and not one could believe it was paleo. Truly a masterpiece!!
A question to the creator– have you made this recipe in advance/tried freezing the cake laters for later use? Or would you recommend using them ASAP and avoiding freezing altogether?
thanks!
Thanks so much Crissy! And yes, you can absolutely freeze the layers ahead of time. I’ve done that as well as freeze the whole cake with frosting, then wrap in plastic and aluminum foil (of course waiting for the frosting to freeze first). Both approaches have thawed beautifully (and been devoured). :)
I’ve made many paleo chocolate cakes over the past three years and this one is in my top two.. one the of best! Fudgey and delicious – I thought I took it out a little too early as it still looked a little moist o I popped it in the fridge to “set” and it worked a treat! Our non paleo friends went back for seconds!
Awesome – so glad you (and your non-paleo friends) loved it Andrea!!
hi is this us or metric cups?
All of my recipes are US cups. :)