This is hands down the best chocolate cake. You’ll have a hard time believing it’s paleo, vegan, and made with straightforward, wholesome ingredients like almond flour, coconut milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips.

A really good chocolate layer cake is one of those things that’s hard to come by if you’re eating grain-free and also avoiding eggs, refined sugar, and dairy. How do you get a really rich cake without butter? How is it going to be fluffy without eggs? Well, it’s possible!

This chocolate cake is incredibly rich and fluffy, all while being gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It’s perfect for the people in your life who are paleo and vegan, or really just anyone who has a sweet tooth 😉

What I love about this chocolate cake

• It’s incredibly fluffy and moist! The crumb on this cake is perfect. It’s moist, fluffy, and not at all dense or dry.
• It’s egg-free and grain-free. This can be hard to come by in a fluffy layered cake.
• Everyone loves it. Everyone who has tried this cake loves it and doesn’t believe it’s paleo and vegan!

The Ingredients for the Paleo Chocolate Cake

• Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream. This makes the cake super moist and adds richness. I use this coconut milk. You can also place the can in the fridge overnight and use the cream that hardens on top.
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips. These are my favorite, but any should work.
• Palm Shortening, Coconut Cream, Cocoa Powder, and Maple Syrup. This makes a great frosting, but you can sub Simple Mills frosting if tolerated.
• Fresh Berries and Powdered Sugar. Totally optional, but make great toppings! This powdered sugar isn’t paleo, but corn-free.
• Almond Butter, Apple Sauce, and Cocoa Powder.
• Flax Meal, Baking Powder, Arrowroot Starch, Almond Flour, and Coconut Sugar.

How to make the best paleo chocolate cake

• Step 1. Melt the chocolate chips, coconut cream, and almond butter together.

• Step 2. Combine the wet ingredients and the dry in separate bowls, and combine the two until a smooth batter forms.

• Step 3. Pour the batter into two cake pans and bake. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and allow to come to room temperature.

• Step 4. Make the icing.

• Step 5. Frost the top of one of the cakes, layer on the second layer, and frost the top. Top the cake with optional toppings like berries and powdered sugar if desired.

Tips & tricks for paleo chocolate cake

• Use canned coconut milk. It’s higher in fat and much richer than the stuff in the carton.
• Switch up the flavors by using a different frosting flavor. Vanilla or strawberry frosting would also be great on this cake.
• Eat it fresh if possible. This cake is best at room temperature!

Storage instructions

You can store this cake in glass in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to a month.

Can you make this cake nut-free and AIP?

Since almond flour is the main flour, it would take a lot of tweaks to make the cake nut-free. I do however have AIP chocolate cupcakes in my cookbook!

You’ll also like..

• Coconut Flour Lemon Banana Cake
• Applesauce Pound Cake
• Edible Cake Batter

The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Michelle
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 9 slices 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This is hands down the best chocolate cake. You’ll have a hard time believing it’s paleo, vegan, and made with straightforward, wholesome ingredients like almond flour, coconut milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the cake

• 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup coconut cream
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 cups almond flour
• 2/3 cup arrowroot starch
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder

For the frosting (sub Simple Mills frosting if tolerated)

• 1/2 cup palm shortening
• 1/3 cup coconut cream
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Optional toppings

• Fresh berries
• Powdered sugar (not paleo, but corn-free)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and generously grease two 8″ cake pans with oil.
2. Add the chocolate chips, coconut milk, coconut cream, and almond butter to a saucepan. Set on the stovetop over medium heat and stir until the chocolate melts. Set it aside.
3. Using a large bowl combine the flax meal and water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until it thickens. Add the coconut sugar and apple sauce to the bowl with the flax mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the liquid chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
4. Using a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
5. Slow add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine until a smooth batter forms.
6. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cakes are firm.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before carefully flipping the cakes onto a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to come to room temperature.
8. While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting by creaming the ingredients together either by hand or with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
9. Frost the top of one of the cakes, layer on the second layer, and frost the top. Top the cake with optional toppings like berries and powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.

• Prep Time: 25
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: global

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice (with icing)
• Calories: 586
• Fat: 33.6g
• Carbohydrates: 43.5g
• Fiber: 4.5g
• Protein: 7.5g

Keywords: gluten free chocolate cake