Stop what you’re doing and bookmark this recipe, because it is the only paleo chocolate cake recipe you’ll ever need! It’s easy to make – no mixers or special equipment required – and produces a surprisingly light, moist, just-sweet-enough dark chocolate cake with a nice spring and a tight crumb. All the taste testers loved it, and many of them didn’t even know it wasn’t a “regular” cake!
I’ve teased you with this recipe so many times over the last six months…
…First, when I made it for my son’s first birthday in November (????)…
….and again when I tested it in cupcake form form for ACB’s birthday in March…
…and once more when I Instagram-storied my dad’s birthday cake.
If you only knew how many times I made this recipe in between. I tested this one more than I tested my vanilla cake recipe, which now holds the second most tested recipe title, at 18 iterations.
So, I’m sorry for all the teasing. It was unintentional, but I just wasn’t ready to share this until it was the perfect paleo chocolate cake recipe. It was definitely worth the wait.
What Makes For The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake?
The ingredient list for this paleo chocolate cake is simple and straightforward, full of predictable ingredients in a seemingly obvious formula. So, you may be wondering why it took me almost a year to get this recipe just right. Each ingredient is precisely selected and measured to make the best paleo chocolate cake you’ve ever had.
Almond Flour
Almond flour not only provides the base of the batter, but is the secret to the moist, tight crumb you require in a killer paleo chocolate cake. I get asked about subs for almond flour all the time and, unfortunately, I would not recommend trying to substitute anything for almond flour in this recipe. Use the most finely-ground blanched almond flour you can find. I use, and recommend, Honeyville brand.
Coconut Sugar
The roast-y, caramel-y, depth of flavor is one of the reasons I love to coconut sugar, and it complements the roasted, slightly (pleasantly) burned flavor of the cocoa powder. It is essential that you use coconut sugar, not stevia or granulated monk fruit. Coconut sugar is hydroscopic, which mean it absorbs and holds moisture in the cake. Stevia and monk fruit are not hydroscopic, so using them will result in a rock hard, dry-as-a-bone cake. I don’t have to tell you that no one wants to eat that!
Cocoa Powder
This is, obviously, where the chocolate flavor in the cake comes from. This isn’t called a Death By Paleo Chocolate Cake for nothing; there is a high cocoa-to-sweetener ratio in this cake, to make it just a notch chocolatier than your normal chocolate cake. I do not mess around. But, since the cocoa powder is so essential to the flavor of the cake, you’ll need to make sure you’re using the best quality you can find. Splurge, if you can.
A word of caution, though, as you’re selecting your cocoa powder: cocoa is not just the flavoring agent in this cake, but is also important for leavening. Leavening (rising) in baking is the result of a chemical reaction between an acidic ingredient and a basic one (not basic like Uggs-and-pumpkin-spice-latte, but like pH over 7.).
In order for your cake to rise properly, it needs acid from the cocoa powder to reach with the base of the baking soda. Only natural cocoa powder is acidic; processed (also known as Dutched or Dutch) cocoa powder is basic. Since a base and a base won’t react, you need to make sure you’re using natural cocoa and not processed or Dutched, including Hershey’s Special Dark. So, read your label carefully before you begin to bake!
Arrowroot Flour
Arrowroot is a starchy flour that is often confused with tapioca. They are both made from root vegetables, but the two flours come from different plants. Tapioca flour is made from the root of the cassava plant, while arrowroot is from the Maranta arundinacea plant. As a result, they are tolerated differently. I tolerate both of them, but arrowroot works better in this recipe, producing an ideal soft and springy crumb.
You can sub tapioca flour if you must, but your cake will be a little denser and gummier. I don’t recommend it, if you can avoid it.
Baking Soda
I kind of already covered this above, but baking soda is the primary leavening agent. Baking soda is a base ingredient that reacts with acid in the recipe to produce rise. Without baking soda, the cake would be dense and unpleasant.
I often get questions about cakes not rising. If this happens, the primary culprit is usually expired baking soda. Check your package before you bake to ensure success, and if it’s more than 3 months old, use it for cleaning or odor absorption and use a new box for baking.
Eggs
Eggs are crucial in baking chemistry, which is why I am very selective of which recipes I tell you to use egg substitutes in. I would not recommend trying to make this cake egg free, because eggs provide moisture, texture, and lift. The fat in the yolk moistens the cake, the whites bind the cake together so that it doesn’t crumble, and the whole egg is acidic, meaning it contributes to the baking soda reaction that makes the cake rise.
For the best cake success, make sure your eggs are at room temperature before incorporating them into the batter. This allows them to break down and become evenly distributed throughout the batter. If you forget to set your eggs out well in advance (because who does!?), simply submerge them in a bowl of very warm water for 10 minutes before you whisk them into the batter.
Avocado Oil
Oil is the primary source of moisture in the cake and makes sure the crumb stays nice and tight for you to sink your fork into. The recipe calls for avocado oil, but you can use any mild-flavored oil that you prefer. Grapeseed oil would work fine, as would organic canola oil.
Whatever you choose, it must be an oil that is liquid at room temperature though. That means you can’t use coconut oil, which solidifies at room temperature and will make the cake seem much harder and drier than you want it to be.
Vanilla Extract
Despite the small amount in the batter, this flavor is crucial for making sure the chocolate tastes as rich and, well, chocolatey, as it can! Make sure you’re using the absolute best quality you can find, and whatever you do, do not use imitation vanilla.
It this the best paleo chocolate cake recipe you’ll ever have? Well…
It would be quite a declaration for me to say this is the best paleo chocolate cake recipe out there… but I’m not not saying it’s the best. You be the judge.
Paleo Chocolate Layer Cake
Stop what you're doing and bookmark this recipe, because it is the only paleo chocolate cake recipe you'll ever need! It's easy to make - no mixers or special equipment required - and produces a surprisingly light, moist, just-sweet-enough dark chocolate cake with a nice spring and a tight crumb. All the taste testers loved it, and many of them didn't even know it wasn't a "regular" cake!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for preparing the pans
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 6" round cake pans, then dust them with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, arrowroot flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the oil and vanilla.
- Pour the wet (egg, etc) mixture into the dry (flour/sugar) mixture. Stir to combine.
- Divide the batter equally between the two prepared baking pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (it's perfect at about 22 minutes), until set.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan about 20 minutes before turning out onto a baking rack to cool completely. If, while the cakes are cooling, they start to cave in at the center, cool the pans upside down on a wire rack.
- Cool completely, or even chill in the fridge, before stacking and frosting.
Notes
- This recipe makes a double layer 6" chocolate cake. To make a single layer cake, make this recipe as written through step 4, then pour the batter into a 9" round pan. To make a double layer 9" cake, double the recipe and divide the batter between two 9" round pans. It will take longer to bake than written; bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- If you'd like to make these into cupcakes, divide the batter into 8 compartments of a cupcake pan and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
- Do not use almond meal or coarse-ground almond flour for this recipe. Use very finely ground blanched almond flour for best results. I used and recommend Honeyville brand.
- You can substitute tapioca flour for arrowroot flour if you need to, but the texture will be a little more dense and sponge-y.
- For a sugar free and/or dairy free frosting, use this recipe instead.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 211Saturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
Erika says
Nora, you are absolutely insane, in the best way. 18 ITERATIONS OF YOUR VANILLA CAKE??? I bow down to you, and am once again wishing I lived in Chicago so I could come taste test all of your iterations of this cake 😉
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Insane, obsessive, maniac – I answer to all of it, but the upside is that there is always leftover cake in my freezer for next time you come to visit!!
debra says
This looks amazing. We are making it this morning. However, the directions refer to salt, but salt is not listed as an ingredient. Also, the last line says “chill in the microwave”…a bit of humor. 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
That was a test to make sure you’re paying attention 😉 You passed, and your prize is…. a corrected recipe!! There should be 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and unless you have a very different kind of microwave than I do, you’ll want to use the fridge to chill. Thanks for noticing that and letting me know! The recipe is now updated to be, you know, correct! 😀
Betsy says
This cake recipe looks delicious! Just needing clarification! Recipe ingredients say arrowroot flour but instructions mention tapioca flour.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
So sorry! That was a mistake, but it’s been corrected. Thank you for pointing it out!
deb says
Hi, can you please give us the recipe for the frosting?
Thanks!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
One option is linked in the recipe, and another will be coming soon!
Cristina says
How do you measure your flours – fluff, scoop and sweep or spoon and sweep? I feel like I always get it wrong and it’s inconsistent. I’d like to weigh them to be sure…. Thank you for the detailed explanations! They are helpful when trying to understand why it works (or not).
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I fluff first, then scoop gently and place/pour gently into the measuring cup (so it doesn’t get packed down). Great question!
Angelika Roseberry says
This looks great , But what icing did you use?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I haven’t posted it yet, but will very soon! In the meantime, you can use the one linked in the recipe or a pre-made one (Miss Jones and Simple Mills make good canned frostings).
Kristi Goldsberry says
Do you have a paleo frosting recipe that you love?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Yes, it is linked in the recipe!
Adrianna Muñoz says
This recipe looks amazing! What frosting recipe did you use to accompany it?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I haven’t posted it yet, but will very soon! In the meantime, you can use the one linked in the recipe or a pre-made one (Miss Jones and Simple Mills make good canned frostings).
nicole lamy says
IS THERE A RECIPE FOR THE FROSTING?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
One option is linked in the recipe, and I will be posting a new one in the next week or two.
Kathy Gustafson says
Hi the cake looks delicious but where’s the frosting recipe?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
One option is linked in the recipe, and I will be posting a new one in the next week or two.
Morgan says
This looks amazing! I, unfortunately, have tried coconut sugar before but it killed my stomach the same way stevia and other non white sugars do. Any other recommendations than white sugar? Maple syrup? Honey? Applesauce? Dates? I can tolerate white sugar just thought I’d try to find another natural option
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Morgan! Unfortunately, I don’t recommend using maple syrup, honey, applesauce, or dates in this recipe since it will add too much moisture and your cake might turn into mush! In this case, if you can tolerate cane sugar, granulated white or brown sugar might be the best replacement. Try half and half! But I have never tried subbing in cane sugar for the coconut sugar so unfortunately I can’t guarantee that it will be perfect.
Misty James says
Hi Nora, I made this cake for my daughter’s anniversary and it didn’t turn out at all. I did not substitute any ingredients but carefully followed the instructions. The cakes did not rise but stayed about an inch thick. Any insights?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Misty! It sounds like your baking soda may not have been activated. Does it expire anytime in the next few months, or has it already? That is the most likely culprit.
Ana says
I just made this cake, and followed the ingredients and instructions to the letter. My “batter” was extremely thick and sticky, almost like dough and I had to coax it out of the bowl into the pan, in a ball and flatten it out with my fingers because it was sticking too much to the spoon and the batter was lifting off the bottom of the pan when I’d lift the spoon. I used one 9 inch pan because that’s all I had and the cake is barely an inch tall and after baking for 22 mins, is almost like a crumbly brownie? My baking soda was brand new, I just got it today. Is the batter supposed to be that way? The cake is gorgeous, very dark and rich looking and the taste is good, but there is no way possible for that batter to be divided between two 6 inch pans, it would be a quarter inch thick. Any ideas?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi Ana, Thanks for letting me know. It sounds like it was a moisture issue, not a leavening issue. I know this sounds crazy but is there any way you used coconut flour instead of coconut sugar? (Trust me, I’ve done that more than I can remember!) That would explain the thickness, the dryness, and the lack of rise.
Melissa says
I had the exact same problem as Ana, and I for sure used coconut sugar and not coconut flour. The only part of the recipe I did not follow was mixing the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl before adding to the dry ingredients. (Because I despise dishes, haha!)
So I cracked the eggs, and poured the oil and vanilla into the same bowl as the dry ingredients and mixed away. Could that be why?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
It is possible that it wasn’t mixed well enough, but the more likely scenario is that you may have overmeasured the dry ingredients. You need to aerate (fluff) the flours, and then gently spoon it into the measuring cup. If you just scoop it out of the package, you may end up with too much, which would dry out the batter.
Karieta says
Hi Nora,
I had this same experience – “batter” was extremely thick and sticky, almost like dough and I had to coax it out of the bowl into the pan, in a ball and flatten it out with my fingers because it was sticking too much to the spoon”. I didn’t use coconut flour and my baking soda was fresh. I was wondering if the recipie wasn’t supposed to have moisture like almond milk or soy milk or another milk substitute. Is it suppose too?
Thanks,
Kay
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I’m wondering if you may have over-measured your flours. If the flours are packed in the measuring cup, the batter will be too thick/dry.
erica says
Hi there!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I was in search actually for a buttercream recipe that did not require an excessive amount of icing sugar and I found your buttercream recipe which led me to this cake recipe. I made the cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and everyone liked it. It turned out perfectly!!
But I would like to ask if there a substitute for almond flour..? Because I’d like to make this cake for my sister, but she cannot tolerate almonds. What would you recommend?
THANK YOU!! 🙂
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi! That’s so wonderful to hear!! So, full disclosure: I haven’t tested this will anything other than almond flour. However, you can try cashew flour (if your sister can tolerate other tree nuts) and you may need to increase the arrowroot powder by 2-3 teaspoons if the batter is very runny. Let me know how it goes!
Winter Uhlarik says
Hi! I just found this recipe and want to make it for my daughters second birthday. My question is, I need this cake to feed 30 people…any suggestions on altering the recipe? Or do I make two larger ones? I am NOT a baker by any means but I really want to try this 🙂 I appreciate any help!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hi! Wow, 30 people! As written, 1 cake serves 6-8, so I would consider making 2 larger cakes (i.e. double the recipe twice) in 9″ pans. There are some instructions in the recipe notes to guide you but basically, one recipe (as written) makes 2 x 6″ round cakes or 1 x 9″ round cake. The 9″ cakes take longer to bake and to be honest I can’t remember the exact time off of the top of my head. You can start with 25-30 minutes and then check every 5 minutes or so until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Good luck!
Jenny S. says
I just found your site and have already saved a couple of recipes to try very soon. I really appreciate the time that you take to share your knowledge in the science of how the varied ingredients react to create a successful recipe. Thank you.
Megan says
Love this recipe! Would I be able to leave out the cocoa powder if looking to make a plain cake?
Also, do you think the recipe as is could be use for cupcakes as well? Planning to use coconut oil, since that is what I have on hand.
Thanks!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Nope, that won’t work! Here is my vanilla cake recipe: https://acleanbake.com/paleo-vanilla-layer-cake-with-strawberry-frosting/
If you’d like to make chocolate cupcakes, the instructions are in the recipe notes! Coconut oil might make the cake/cupcakes less light and springy – you can use it, but the texture won’t be as pleasant.
Dayna says
Hi, I am making this tonight for my birthday. Am I supposed to use arrowroot flour or tapioca flour? Ingredients say arrowroot. Scroll down and it says tapioca. Can u please clarify?
Thanks,
Dayna
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
You can use either!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
It actually calls for arrowroot, but you can read about subbing tapioca in the notes.
Juliette Setzer says
Could I use liquid at room temperature coconut oil and powdered coconut sugar for the frosting?
I’m allergic to avacod and am diabetic.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Yes, that would work!
Glenda says
I made this cake for myself for my birthday and it is the BEST healthy chocolate cake I have ever eaten and it’s so easy to make! Even my husband liked it and he doesn’t like anything that’s healthy. My kids loved it too! You would never know it’s healthy.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thank you so much!! That is so wonderful to hear!
Lucy says
Making this for a birthday cake.. I forgot to grab oil at the store, can I use olive oil or would it have too strong a flavor?? Thanks!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
You can probably get away with regular olive oil, but virgin or extra virgin will be pretty powerful.
Jane says
What brand of cocoa do you use?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I’ve been using Anthony’s brand: https://amzn.to/2LrodQL
Carolyn says
Do you have a vegan and gluten-free chocolate cake recipe? Please.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I don’t, sorry!
Amy says
My 9 year old loved it, he wants this cake for his birthday too. And for the first time, my husband could also eat it since it’s gluten-free. Thank you.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I’m so thrilled!
Marilo Nunez says
This is a very delicious cake. Thank you for the recipe. I’m wondering if you have a vanilla cake recipe? Can I just use the same measurements here and just omit the cocoa powder? Add vanilla in as well? I am craving to make a vanilla birthday cake for my daughter and haven’t found any recipes that use arrowroot powder, which I have found makes for a very moist crumb. Any advice?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I wouldn’t try to adapt this recipe to be vanilla. Instead here is my grain free vanilla cake recipe: https://acleanbake.com/paleo-vanilla-layer-cake-with-strawberry-frosting/ (use maple sugar in place of coconut sugar if you don’t want it to be so dark on the inside)
Linda says
I made this cake and it was only enough for a 6 inch pan. The batter was about 1/2 inch thick. It did rise to slightly over an inch. So the baking soda is not an issue. I am not sure how this could be split up to make a large cake. The ingredients and amounts are so little. The cake came out tasting ok. I used Guittard chocolate brand. Very high quality. I am so sad, because I found a paleo cake that would not taste like coconut! I do want to say I am a baker and have lots of baking experience. I even measured the flours correctly (no packing it in right.) It does look like a cute little cake.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
This is intended to be a layer cake, so you should be splitting it between two 6″ pans and then stacking them.
I also wonder if your baking soda is close to expired, since it should rise more than 1/2″.
Alice says
I am sensitive to egg whites and always use egg yolks with aquafaba. Do you have any idea if that will negatively affect the cake?
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
I have not tested it with aquafaba, I’m sorry!
Kacy says
Hi! Could I use raw cacao powder rather than cocoa powder?
Thanks!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Absolutely!
Kacy says
Hi Nora
I can’t wait to try your death by chocolate cake recipe! I’m wondering if I can use raw cacao powder instead of the cocoa powder?
Thanks!
Kacy
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Yes, that should work fine!