The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake (Vegan)
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!
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PrintThe Best Paleo Chocolate Cake (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: global
- Diet: Gluten Free
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.
Ingredients
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)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and generously grease two 8″ cake pans with oil.
- 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.
- 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.
- Using a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Slow add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine until a smooth batter forms.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cakes are firm.
- 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.
- While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting by creaming the ingredients together either by hand or with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (with icing)
- Calories: 586
- Fat: 33.6g
- Carbohydrates: 43.5g
- Fiber: 4.5g
- Protein: 7.5g
I have tried so many of your recipes I can’t even count, and they’re almost always delicious. I was so excited about this cake, but it came out more like a fudge consistency not cakey at all. I followed the directions to the t and the batter was so tasty I licked the bowl (like when I was a kid), but when it finished baking, I had two super thin, gooey fudgy things. I wonder if I should have cooked them longer. Any thoughts? I was surprised no palm shortening as that gives the donut holes their cakelike consistency. I really want to try again, but thought I’d reach out for suggestions before I do. Thank you for all of the amazing recipes!
Instead of two cake pans, could I use as sheet cake or bars? Would the oven temperature or timing change?
I haven’t tried but it should probably work! I’d do the same temp, but just keep an eye on the cake!
Delicious! This cake is easy to put together and so fudgy! I melted coconut cream and chocolate chips together, chilled it then whipped it into a yummy frosting. My whole family enjoyed it and I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much!!
I want to make this GF but not DF. Can I just use regular milk instead of coconut milk? And what about the coconut cream? Thanks!
Hmmm maybe! Let me know if you try it!
Thank you this looks amazing! What kind of palm shortening would you recommend? Thank you
I always use Spectrum palm shortening for a sustainable option!
This was bomb. I’m obsessed and will be making again soon.
Hi Michelle, I’m always confused when a recipe calls for coconut milk. Is this just the liquid part that’s in the can or do I have to drain off the liquid and just use the solid , or combine the liquid and solid till it’s creamy. Or can I just use coconut milk from a carton which is only liquid? I would love to make this recipe but don’t want to do it wrong and waste all the ingredients. Thank you for your help!
Hi Kristi,
I made this last night and thought I’d comment so you can avoid the same mistakes I made! The coconut cream is the solid part, and you can find that sold separately in smaller cans. There is still a little liquid in the bottom, I made the mistake of mixing it all. This explains why my frosting kept getting watery (I attempted 3 times).
Coconut milk is the canned version and you want to mix well to make it all creamy. The recipe specifically says to not use the kind in a carton.
My cake turned out flat and dry, I’m going to attempt this again because it looks so good! Hope this helps.
Kristi – The liquid part is the coconut water. You have to mix the can together to create coconut milk. THe water and the cream separate naturally. Put it together and you have milk!
That’s looks amazing! I’m having a really hard time finding coconut cream. Do you have a substitute you would recommend? Or somewhere here in Dallas that carries it?
I can usually find it at Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc!