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.
Made this for Christmas! It turned out great! So moist and not so sweet! I am not a dessert person but even I couldn’t stop eating it. All the family was amazed when they found out that it was paleo! This is a keeper!
Wonderful! I’m happy you enjoyed the chocolate cake. :)
Absolutely delicious. Everyone at our Christmas table was amazed that this decadent dessert was free of gluten, and dairy, and soy. Made it for my daughter, but everyone loved it. Thanks…..
Wonderful! So happy everyone enjoyed the chocolate cake. Thanks Chris!
What can I substitute for eggs as I am allergic to eggs too
Some have used a packaged egg substitute or chia/flax eggs with success.
This was a big hit at our early Christmas party. Hard to believe it has no refined flour or sugar! My husband is dairy and gluten intolerant so I am learning to bake differently. Best chocolate cake ever! And a super easy to follow recipe. Don’t skimp out on the vegan frosting either! Got all my ingredients on Thrive market for much less BTW!!
Thanks Paula! I’m happy to hear the chocolate cake was a hit!
I’ve made this for two Birthday’s and now Christmas. Only a few of us are grain free but we all agree that it is the best cake (especially the frosting!) that we’ve ever had. Take the time to make the coconut powdered sugar, it makes the frosting have the most wonderful caramel chocolate flavor!
Awesome! I’m so happy you love the recipe. And I agree that the coconut powdered sugar is worth making. :)
Is there a substitute for the coconut oil? I’m concerned about the level of saturated fat. All the best.
If you’re not dairy-free you could use butter.
Thank you! My sister recently discovered she has Celiac, and I wanted to be able to make a dessert that she could enjoy at Christmas. Everyone loved it! I made it as cupcakes (I got 36 cupcakes, and it took them 20 minutes to bake at 350 in my oven.) Some of the cupcakes we enjoyed as “Rudolph” cupcakes by topping them with a raspberry. :) Really grateful for this recipe – thanks again!
Love the idea of Rudolph cupcakes – such a cute idea! Happy you all enjoyed the recipe!
Hello,
I cannot have any nut flour as I am on the Aip regiment. Can you tell me if I can substitute cassava flour for the almond?
Thank you
If you’re on AIP I would not recommend this recipe due to the high amount of sugar. :)
This cake was so delicious and easy. Hands down the best paleo cake that I have made. It turned out beautifully and everyone enjoyed it.
Thanks so much Michelle! Glad you all enjoyed it! :) x
Amazing cake! Even people who have no dietary restrictions loved it!
Wonderful! So happy everyone enjoyed it! :)
Have you ever substituted the vanilla extract for peppermint extract when making this cake? I am wondering if that will give it a mint flavor or if I should use both the vanilla extract and also the peppermint extract? I have had a request to make a choc mint cake this year.
You could definitely sub the vanilla for mint extract – though you’d likely need double to triple the amount for this cake. I also have several other choc mint recipes on my site (it’s a birthday tradition) so make sure to check these out: https://downshiftology.com/recipes/mint-double-chocolate-chip-cookies/ and https://downshiftology.com/recipes/chocolate-peppermint-slice/
Do you have any replacement recommendations for an egg allergy?
Some have made this with an egg replacer (store bought or chia/flax egg) and had success!
Thank you!!!
This cake is excellent. I made another Paleo chocolate cake that had high ratings but it was dry and flat. This cake is moist and delicious. I added chopped hazelnuts to the filling to give it a Nutella-like flavor and it was great.
Thanks so much! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe. And yes, it’s definitely moist and delicious – just like a traditional chocolate cake. :)
I tried to send my email but it didn’t work.
I’d love to make this for my daughters birthday but she has tree nut allergies . Is there any substitute for the almond four?
Hi Teri – it would be hard to substitute the almond flour in this recipe and end up with the same texture, but check out the flourless chocolate cake recipe I posted today – it’s nut-free! :)
This has become my go-to birthday cake recipe for the second year in a row and it is a treat I look forward to immensely! In my mind, you’ve perfected it and there’s no reason to bother with any other gluten free chocolate cakes out there! With the vegan buttercream frosting it is out of this world delicious! I never thought I would enjoy a gluten-free treat so much. This year I halved the cake recipe to just a single layer and saved some of the extra frosting which I just used to top off a slice of your banana bread that I baked earlier today. Thank you for providing treat options to rival their gluten-filled counterparts to those of us who avoid gluten and dairy! I wish I had found your site sooner!
Yay – I’m so happy you love (and keep making!) this cake recipe Sarah! You can also freeze any leftover frosting for future use, but I think slathering it on my banana bread recipes sounds like an awesome idea as well. ;) x
So I over-baked my own birthday cake. The edges are hard. I kept checking the cakes (used two round pans) but the toothpick NEVER came out clean. They must’ve been in there almost 45 minutes to an hour! I don’t understand what I did wrong. I triple-checked the ingredients and ratio. I didn’t know if I was supposed to pack in almond flour to the batter as it’s kind of puffy, and I tried to strain the dry ingredients through a mesh sieve because the almond flour and cocoa powder were lumpy. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to the letter. Normally regular chocolate cake cooks fast. but for some weird reason this took forever. I must’ve checked the cakes 15 times.
That’s an awful lot of powdered sugar for the frosting. I made the powdered sugar with coconut sugar and tapioca flour in the Vitamix my first time out, one cup at a time, but the granules already scratched the mixer.
Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you Carol! It definitely sounds like you over-baked them and I don’t know why your toothpick didn’t come out clean. Next time I’d just bake them for the recommended time of 28-30 minutes. :)
I was confused whether you meant coconut oil solid but softened or melt it then cool for the batter.
I have a video above that walks you through making this cake step-by-step so you can always refer to that if you have questions. The coconut oil is liquid, but soft will work as well. :)
Do you know the nutritional information without the frosting?
I don’t, but you could calculate it with an online nutrition calculator.
Am I reading it correctly … are there really 83 grams of sugar in each slice?
That’s correct. And it’s why most sites don’t post nutrition information on desserts. ;) But I try to be transparent. This is actually typical of any triple layer chocolate cake you’d order in a restaurant.
Hi there! I baked this for fun when I had a girlfriend over for dinner and we were both blown away. What an incredibly delicious cake!!! Neither of us could believe this was dairy- and gluten-free! I cant imagine ever wanting to bake any other chocolate cake. and the buttercream was divine. Wow. I can’t wait to make this again!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
You’re more than welcome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Samantha!
My daughter can’t have sugar. Is coconut sugar really sugar?
Yes, it’s just unrefined sugar. But it’s still sugar.
After cooking the cake do I need to put it on the refrigerate or can I leave out over night?
Once it’s frosted, you could leave it covered on the counter or in the fridge.
This is the best cake ever!!! I have tried so many other recipes only to be disappointed. No one can tell it is gluten and dairy free. Thank you for this great recipe!!!
Thanks so much! And yes, it’s our little secret that it’s gluten-free and dairy-free. ;)
I just want to say thank you. I had a best friend’s birthday coming up and she said she made her own cake last year. I couldn’t let that happen again. The only issue was her family has a combination of allergies including corn, dairy, eggs, and gluten. I found your recipe and read all the reviews, the only thing I changed was using egg replacers.
This is the first cake I have made in over a decade, so I was nervous. It was actually really easy and I always appreciate videos, since I am very visual.
I made two layers, since I had to borrow pans from my mom and she only had two 9″ springforms. It took exactly 33 minutes in my regular oven.
I am not a chocolate lover, so I can’t be an expert on this compared to everyone else. I thought it was super moist, even after I refrigerator it for two days before icing. The frosting was very good, not too sweet like others.
Everyone loved the cake! One boy even threw the fork down and said he was going to “go to town”!
So needless to say, thank you for making everyone’s day!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Audra! Do you mind sharing what egg replacers you used? I know that’s always a top question with this recipe. Thanks!
I purchased the Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, the one in the yellow/orange pouch. I made it exactly as written on back, it took a few to get the lumps out since I don’t have a stand mixer. I just used a wisk and fork. I figured I would loose half of it on the electric beaters. Very strange to say “I have to make the eggs”.
Everyone raved about the cake so much, I want to make it again for my mom. She is always complaining that anything gluten free is too dense and tastes funny. So we will see if I can trick her!
Great – thanks for all the details! And I definitely think you should try tricking your mom. ;)
Hi Lisa, this cake looks amazing! I’ve read through all the comments, and I didn’t find a comment from anyone who tried this… do you think I could directly substitute soft brown sugar for the coconut sugar? It’s the only ingredient I don’t have.
Yes, I think that should work. It may change the density slightly, but not enough that most would notice. Let me know how it turns out! :)
Hi,
I’m super excited about trying this! I’ve got the batter all mixed and put in the pans… two questions:
It didn’t seem like there was enough batter to fill three pans so I’ve got it in 2. Do these rise a lot?? I’m just debating whether to transfer some batter into a third pan after all.
Also, I ran out of time to bake tonight so I’ve got the pans (with batter in them ready to bake) in the fridge overnight. Am I doomed or should that be fine?
These are three thin layers and you don’t have to flatten them at all. But you could do two thick layers as well. I also wouldn’t recommend the batter sitting overnight as that affects the chemicals that help with leavening (ie – the baking powder and acids). You’ll likely end up with a less fluffy cake. But fingers crossed it still worked out for you!
Hi! I would love to make this Amazing Paleo Chocolate cake for my birthday but can’t find tapioca flour in grocery stores here in The Netherlands. Do you have any possible substitute ideas?
You could use arrowroot powder as a sub. :)
Made this for my daughter’s 4th birthday cake without having had time to do a test cake. I made it in 2 layers as I didn’t have 3 matching sized tins for a triple later. The verdict: WOW! Just the most incredible, amazing cake. Thank you SO much for this recipe. Amazing doesn’t even come close!
My husband gives it 10/10. This will be my “go to” chocolate cake recipe from now on. You make me look good!
Yay! So happy you all loved the recipe. :)
I made this for my Grandpa’s 90th birthday party since my sister is avoiding gluten and dairy. The cake turned out really well. The texture and density were perfect. A lot of people were surprised by how good it was. My one “complaint” is that the cake tasted a lot like coconut – fine for me, but since my husband hates coconut, I ended up having to bake a second cake ??. I made the cake exactly as written but for the frosting I used soy milk instead of coconut milk – I probably used about 1 cup of milk. I also didn’t have palm shortening so I used regular vegetable shortening. The frosting was thick but spreadable. I baked the cake the day before and froze in Ziploc bags overnight, thawed for about an hour, then stacked and frosted. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
That’s interesting as most (including myself) don’t taste the coconut. But taste buds are a very individual thing. ;) Happy you enjoyed it!
I wonder if the flavor was because I used unrefined coconut oil… Do you usually use refined? I’m hoping to make this again for my son’s birthday party since we will have a couple of gluten free guests!
Yes, I believe mine is refined.
I just made this cake for a birthday. Everyone loved it. My only problem was that the cake fell apart. Not sure if I did something wrong. We devoured it anyway.
Hmm, that doesn’t usually happen. But glad you enjoyed it either way! :)
Made for my son’s 5th bday. It was awesome! Only the frosting wasnt coming along (maybe cause I dont have the big mixer?). It was super thick stuck and i had to add a cup of warm almond milk to get it right. Frosting too sweet for my taste so will replace some sugar woth tapioca flower next time.
But holy moly! Everyone loved it and didnt want to believe me it was paleo!
Happy you enjoyed the recipe Michaela!
I made this cake before and it was absolutely wonderful and well liked by everyone. Solid recipe. Could you tell me if I can make this into a thin sheetpan cake? or cupcakes? I’m taking it to a function that is super casual and would like to be able to serve smaller portions than a slice of cake? Thank you so much for your site and dedication to offer clean recipes. Grateful.
Yes, you can definitely turn it into either! It makes about 28 cupcakes as written. So you could half it if you want less. :)
Could this recipe also be used to make cupcakes?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi! I’m making this later today and I don’t have the full fat coconut milk – is almond milk an okay substitute?
Yes, that should be fine. :)
Oops forgot to hit the stars.. 5 stars!!! ❤️
Haha. Thanks so much! :) x
I made this 2 times, wanted to share about it since I varied the elements both times. First time I made full recipe, no espresso. Reduced sugar by maybe 1/3 – 1/2 cup. Baked in 9×12.75 aluminum pan for about 25 min. Delicious! Slightly more of a bittersweet chocolate taste and consistency was cakey that became more dense & brownie-like after a couple of days (I ate it while traveling out of the pan). I had a lot of batter so had refrigerated some and baked it when I came back about a week later. Added some water since the batter looked dry, and A lil more sugar to sweeten and it came out fluffier. It was great. Baked it in a 6 cup glass Pyrex.
2nd time I made a 1/4 recipe. Calculated 0.375 cup portion but I didn’t have coconut milk. Instead I got out a 1/2 cup measure n estimated the 0.375 cup amount with about 1/2 plain whole milk Greek yogurt and 1/2 applesauce. Filled the cup to top w water. Added a few more spoonfuls if water to estimate a 1/4 cup of H2O. Added and extra spoonful of oil too, to make up for the fat missing from the coconut milk. No espresso this time, either. I think I used a little less than 1/2 c sugar, too. Also delicious, and consistency was like my refrigerated batter from 1st batch :) cakey, not too dense, but solid enough for a filling meal (I’m trying to gain weight after illness and food allergy limitations) Was a lil bittersweet again tho so I’d add more sugar to use full amt of 1/2 cup or maybe less cacao. I used Navitas organic cacao. I think the coconut milk sub list sweetness but figured applesauce would’ve made up for it? Anyway it turned out great baked for 24 min in a glass 4 cup Pyrex in an old gas oven. :)
Thanks for sharing your tweaks and substitutions Doreen! Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Have you tried making it exactly like her recipe???? The results might be even better!
If I’m ever organized enough to have all the ingredients in place at one time, I just might! ;) I like this recipe so much as it is, I can’t imagine it being better tho! Since posting I’ve tried it without the cacao too, and enjoyed that variation quite a bit as well.
Hi!
Can i sub the espresso for vanilla to give the flavour more oomph?
The espresso will actually give much more oomph to this recipe than vanilla (see my notes above). But of course you’re welcome to sub vanilla. :)
Hey there, I made this cake for my sons cake smash and it turned out wonderful! I did try a different frosting and added in jam in between, as well as fresh strawberries onto the frosting between layers. It was absolutely yum! I am planning to make it for his first birthday this coming weekend, but I have come into a problem. Which coconut milk b and did you use? I used golden star but they discontinued it for some reason at my store….so I want to try either the organic Trader Joe’s coconut milk or the cream. Would the cream be my safest bet? I have tried working with their coconut milk, but after getting the fat to separate from the liquid it becomes very hard. So unless I leave it out to come to room temperature I feel maybe coconut cream would be safe. What do you think? And I’d love to know which brand you used. I appreciate you sharing this recipe. I struggled to find a cake for his birthday and this was perfect. He ate a bunch at his cake smash haha and I didn’t feel guilty about it.
I’d recommend sticking to coconut milk vs coconut cream for this recipe (it will add more weight to the layers given the extra fat). And that’s fine if it separates. All of my cans do that as well. Just use a spoon to break up the hardened coconut cream and mix it all back together. I use Native Forest coconut milk: https://amzn.to/2pGkEZ7
Hi there!
This recipe looks very promising. I am vegan so is there a comparable substitute for the eggs? REALLY missing chocolate cake!!
I believe some posted in the comments below about making this recipe vegan. :)
Hi there! This cake was so easy to make and batter and frosting so yum! Unfortunately it was meant to be for a bday party tonight but it’s now been cancelled and I don’t want to bake again next weekend. Do u think I can freeze it?! ?
Yes, you can definitely freeze it!
I made this recently and wow!!! I will not be making another cake other than this EVER! I whipped up a chocolate avocado frosting which worked a treat (instead of your recommended frosting) and we all inhaled it! I have finally found my birthday cake go-to for everyone’s birthday haha. Thanks so much! Do you mind if I share it on my IG feed? I would obviously give you the credit/tag. xx
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Brigitta! And you’re more than welcome to share a link back to this recipe page. I just ask that you don’t reproduce the ingredients/directions anywhere. :) x
Hi! I just made this cake as a trial for my sons birthday cake. It was a little dense but very moist. Now I made adjustments so I thought I would comment because I’m always curious.I unknowingly left out the coconut oil- oops (it happens when a 3 year old is helping not so patiently). I used cocoa instead of cacao (because it’s what I have). I used garbanzo flour instead of almond (my niece is allergic to all nuts) and I used aquafaba (3tbsp per egg) as an egg substitute. I also left out the espresso. Now to be clear. It was dense but I may have over baked it. My phone timer wasn’t cooperating of course. But it wasn’t dry. The flavor was lacking though. It was just.. bland. I don’t know if almond flour (which I love) would make that much of a difference or if cacao is that different? I think I’m going to try once more adding the oil in. The only other flour I can think of would be quinoa but i don’t like the flavor. Someone recommended toasting it, so I may try. It was a great vessel for the frosting though! I made a vegan refined sugar free frosting I found on another site out of shortening, honey, and freeze dried strawberries. If anyone has other thoughts I would love to hear them!
Unfortunately when you make that many substitutions to the recipe it’s no longer the original recipe, but something entirely different. Garbanzo flour cooks completely different to almond flour and has a different texture as well, which is why your version was likely more dense (in addition to leaving out the coconut oil, the espresso and replacing the eggs with aquafaba). Those are all MAJOR changes and baking is an exact science. I can assure you this recipe is not bland when it’s made as directed. That’s why there’s nearly 500 comments with people raving about this recipe as the best paleo chocolate cake recipe. ;)
I made the bundt cake yesterday for my daughter’s birthday party. I skipped the espresso powder because most of my guests were kids who don’t need extra zip. ? I cooked it for 50 minutes because of the pan I used. I made a simple glaze of melted dark chocolate chips and coconut oil. It turned out better than I imagined it would!!! Very very delicious!!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Yay! Happy to hear that Meredith! And thanks for sharing how long you cooked the cake in the bundt pan. I know many have asked that questions in the comments below. Glad you enjoyed the recipe and hope your daughter’s party was wonderful! :) x
Hi Lisa,
I would like to try baking this cake for my 12 year old’s birthday party. Will it be big enough for 10 children plus a few adults? Also, would you recommend baking this cake the morning of (party at 1pm) or the day before? If the day before, how best to store it? Sorry I’m not much of a baker and it’s the first birthday cake I will bake!
Samantha
Yes, this will be enough for 10 children and a few adults. Because it’s a triple layer cake you can cut the slices thin. And you could bake the day before, frost it and keep it in the fridge. It will be fine for a day. :)
It’s not vegan if you use eggs
Yes, this cake is not vegan. In the title it says Paleo chocolate cake that’s gluten-free and dairy-free. :)
Hi there, how robust is this cake once cool? i need to make a large, 13 x 13 inch cake and want to make sure it doesn’t break coming out of the tin. Will it hold ok?
Yes, it should be fine!
Thank you! Another question. I am using a 13″ inch square tin. Wondering if one batch would be enough or if I should do 1 and 1/2. I’m making a chess board cake for a party, and doesn’t need to be tall necessarily… guess I could make it and see how it covers it and quickly whip up another lot if I think it needs it. Your thoughts?
I would just assess as you pour the batter and see how thick it turns out. :)
Hi there,
I used this recipe for my sons birthday cake and it was amazing! I feel it is a fail safe delicious recipe. My question is…….. It’s my daughters birthday coming up and she wants a rainbow cake. All the recipes I have found just don’t seem like a guarantee that they will turn out and have the correct density. Is there something I could use instead of the cocoa that won’t compromise the cake? I have natural food colours but they won’t show through the cocoa. I really appreciate any suggestion ?
Unfortunately, I’ve tried this as a non-chocolate cake and it still comes out dark brown. And my attempts at a white cake so far haven’t been successful. But I’m hoping to have a recipe for that soon! :)
Would love to get an update when you are successful with a white cake!!
Of course – will do!
Hi Lisa ;
Can I use a gluten free pastry flour instead of the flour mix.
If yes what is the quantity to be used .
Thx;
Nada
Hi Nada – unfortunately all GF flour blends are different. You’d have to experiment with the quantity that works best in this recipe to replace the three other flours.
My Whole Foods didn’t have espresso powder so I made this without. Still came out great. I just ordered the espresso powder on amazon so I can’t wait to try this again. I don’t have an electric mixer so wasn’t able to make the frosting, but I still enjoyed the cake. Seems like a lot of sugar? Any alternatives to that?
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Claudia! And yes, there is quite a bit of sugar in this recipe. It’s definitely a dessert splurge. ;) Some have played around with sugar alternatives (in the comments below), but as I haven’t yet, I’m not exactly sure which would work best.
This was the best cake I’ve ever baked and eaten. Thank you for the recipe. It was moist and delicious. I think I will cut back on the sugar next time on the frosting. It was a bit sweet for me. But overall the cake is to die for. Better than any Gluten Cake out there!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the recipe Val. :)