This rich, decadent, moist and tender paleo chocolate cake is made healthier with a blend of grain free flours, organic coconut oil and unrefined coconut sugar. The dairy-free “buttercream” frosting is out of this world delicious and NONE of it tastes paleo, even though it totally is!
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Guess what?! My birthday is tomorrow! Each year for my birthday, I make sure to post an extra-special recipe on the blog.
So, last year it was my maple pecan banana bread breakfast bake (not a cake, but special, trust me!). The year before that it was my beloved chocolate chip skillet cookies! That recipe remains one of my favorites on the blog, in truth.
In fact, I love it so much that I can’t help but make it for basically every gathering that requires a dessert!
But this year? We’re going all out with a paleo chocolate cake! Complete with an incredible dairy-free chocolate buttercream. A buttercream that will probably make you utter that famous phrase (I can’t believe it’s not…buttercream).
There it is – perfection! Rich and sweet, creamy, easy to spread and doesn’t melt. Score! I used a combination of palm oil shortening, coconut oil, raw cacao powder and homemade paleo powdered sugar.
If you haven’t made paleo powdered sugar yet, no worries. You simply blend coconut sugar with a bit of tapioca until it reaches a powdery consistency – done!
However, if you’re okay with cane sugar in this recipe, you can also use organic powdered sugar to make the frosting.
As for the cake itself, it’s very easy to make – nothing intimidating here! The batter is a combination of blanched almond flour, tapioca, and raw cacao, with dairy-free milk, eggs, coconut oil, and coconut sugar.
The size/shape of the cake you make is up to you. I chose to make this as an 8″ 3 layer cake, but you can also make it a 9″ 2 layer cake with no issue.
Additionally, you can make this recipe into a sheet pan cake or cupcakes for that matter – just make sure to check for doneness and adjust the baking times depending on what you’re making.
My family was completely obsessed with this paleo chocolate cake with the first bite – no joke here. Furthermore, even my picky chocolate-hating son (crazy, I know) somehow liked this cake!
The texture is moist and dense but not overly so, and it’s rich yet not too sweet. It’s obviously perfect for birthdays but also an awesome cake to serve for just about any gathering!
People won’t know this one is paleo – it’s just a good classic homemade chocolate cake in every way.
Back to my birthday! How do we feel about birthdays? I’ve always been torn about the whole30 “celebration” part of birthdays for myself.
I think after the age of 10 it started to feel strange for me to make a big deal about my birthday, even though a part of me wants to. Maybe it’s that nagging feeling about being the center of attention, or rather, asking to be the center of attention, and receiving rather than giving.
The whole attention/receiving thing definitely feels uncomfortable for me, I believe that’s the problem. It’s something I’m working on – and getting better at, I think! Because why shouldn’t each of us have one day out of the year to be the center of attention and receive, instead of give?
Let’s consider this Paleo chocolate cake a present for BOTH me and you. Let’s face it – I like to give and share, even on my birthday. If you make this chocolate cake, make sure to leave a comment or tag me on social media to let me know 🙂
I hope you’re ready for something delicious – grab an apron (chocolate is messy!) and let’s celebrate with the best (healthier) paleo chocolate cake!
Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate “Buttercream” Frosting {GF, DF}
Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting {GF, DF}
Ingredients
Chocolate buttercream frosting:
- 1/2 cup palm oil shortening
- 1/2 cup coconut oil solid but softened slightly**
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar or paleo powdered sugar*
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Cake:
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or other non-dairy milk or other non-dairy milk, room temp
- 1 cup organic coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup organic coconut oil melted and cooled
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Cake:
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Prepare the cake first. You can make this cake in 3 8” layers (what I did) or 2 9” layers. Baking times will vary slightly, so watch for doneness.
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cake pans with parchment OR grease lightly with coconut oil.
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In one mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca, cacao or cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, then set aside.
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In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, coconut sugar, and coconut oil until very smooth. Immediately stir in the dry mixture and stir well (you can also use an electric beater) until a smooth batter forms.
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Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and place on middle racks of your oven (nearer to the top is preferred)
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Bake 15-25 minutes depending on your cake pans - cake is done once the center is set and a toothpick inserted near the center of one layer comes out clean.
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Cool cake layers on wired racks while you prepare the frosting.
Frosting:
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Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the shortening and coconut oil until mostly smooth and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar of choice and cacao or cocoa powder and continue to beat, then add 2 Tbsp of the milk and continue beating. Add in the vanilla and the last Tbsp milk slowly to reach the desired consistency.
Assemble Cake:
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To make the cake easier to frost, chill the layers first, OR use this “crumb layer” method. Frosting will be creamy at room temp and harden quickly when chilled, however, you can easily re-beat it to a creamy consistency if you’d like to store it in the fridge.
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Place the first layer carefully on a cake stand, turntable, or plate. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, frost the top of the first layer, then place second layer on top and repeat. Repeat with the third layer and frost around the outside of the cake as desired.
Recipe Notes
*To make powdered sugar with coconut sugar, place 2 cups coconut sugar with 2 Tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour in a food processor and blend/pulse until you get a powdery consistency. Use 1 cup of this mixture for the frosting recipe. **I like the texture using both coconut oil and palm shortening, but if you’d rather not use both, palm oil shortening alone will work. Do not use coconut oil alone.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo Cake and Cupcake Recipes? Try One of These!
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla “Buttercream” Frosting
Spice Cake with Cinnamon “Cream Cheese” Frosting
Carrot Cake with Coconut “Cream Cheese” Frosting
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple “Cream Cheese” Frosting
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache
Classic Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake
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Can I use lakanto monfruit sweetener or xylitol in place of coconut sugar bc I dont have coconut sugar.
AMAZING!! The only change I made was putting mixed berry jam in between the layers and this cake tastes better than any chocolate cake I’ve ever had! Thank you for an awesome recipe!!!
can i put less sugar?
I ended up making this with 3/4 cups of sugar in the batter instead of 1 cup, and overall, have to stay this cake is still way too sweet, but good otherwise
Does this frosting pipe well onto cupcakes?
What can I substituted coconut oil for, since my daughter is allergic to coconut?
Maybe you could use ghee if she isn’t allergic to that. I substituted for ghee just for the flavor
Awesome article. Thanks for the information.
For anyone that came to the comments to decide if they should try this recipe because every other paleo cake you’ve attempted to make was a failure… You can rest assured, YES. MAKE THIS CAKE! It’s perfection! And follow. The. Recipe. If you do, it’ll be beautiful and so chocolatey! And if you want cupcakes, just bake them at 370°f for 15-20 mins and they’re perfect! This is better than the traditional cake I baked as a professional baker! So good, thank you for the recipe! 😘
My son really wants chocolate cake with vanilla frosting- is there an easy way to make the frosting vanilla instead of chocolate, or should I just use a whole different frosting recipe?
This recipe is amazing and so forgiving. I made this for my grandma birthday, she’s diabetic and I made some modifications. I used 1 cup almond flour, half a cup sunflower seed flour, 1/2 tsp liquid stevia and 1/4 cup coconut sugar to avoid the bitter after taste (also put half a cup of finely grated zucchini to give some volume), used mixed berry jam between layers and avocado chocolate frosting and it was a bit hit. I cannot thank you enough for this recipe and several more I’ve made and loved