I consider this Gluten Free Chocolate Cake to be a milestone in my career because damn is it delicious. It’s moist, soft, and perfectly fluffy chocolate cake that melts in your mouth with each bite. The fudgy peppermint chocolate cups studded throughout create little pops of flavor that will have any chocolate + peppermint fans absolutely smitten!
And as if the heavenly chocolate cake wasn’t enough, the vegan ‘cream cheese’ frosting truly takes this over the top. It’s smooth, rich, and pairs perfectly with the deep chocolate flavor of the cake. Plus, what cake is complete without an equally delicious frosting?!
If you’re looking for more cake creations then check out my Vanilla Mug Cake, it’s perfect for an easy dessert that’s single serving 😉 And for a more traditional cake, my Paleo Carrot Cake has the best texture with a creamy cashew frosting too!
Ingredients
Coconut Oil – Adds healthy fats and moisture to the cake so that is doesn’t dry out while baking.
Almond Milk – A vegan and dairy free milk for adding moisture to this gluten free chocolate cake recipe.
Maple Syrup – One of my favorite refined sugar free sweeteners for adding moisture and it pairs great with anything chocolate based.
Cocoa Powder – Gives a deep chocolate flavor to this cake, you could also use raw cacao powder.
Coconut Sugar – Another refined sugar free sweetener that helps to sweeten naturally.
Almond Flour – My favorite grain free flour to use because it creates the best texture. For this gluten free chocolate cake I used Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour.
Baking Powder/Soda – Leavening agents that help this gluten free cake rise and creates the fluffy texture.
Chocolate Cups – I used Theo Chocolate Peppermint Cups which were AMAZING, especially if baking this for the holiday season. You could sub for any sort of chocolate cup, chocolate bar pieces, or just skip this step entirely.
Raw Cashews – Needed for the thick and creamy consistency of the vegan cream cheese frosting.
Coconut Cream – This is the solidified part from a chilled can of full fat coconut milk. It adds to the creamy consistency and helps the frosting firm up when chilled.
Lemon Juice – Just a little bit to help create the slight tangy sweet flavor of traditional cream cheese.
Powdered Sugar – Helps to thicken and sweeten the frosting. Make sure to use a vegan powdered sugar if that applies to you!
Clear Vanilla Extract – Adds vanilla flavor without discoloring the frosting. You can use regular vanilla extract too or just leave it out entirely.
How to Make the Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine wet cake ingredients – eggs, coconut oil, almond milk, and maple syrup. Stir until combined.
3. Whisk in sifted cocoa powder and coconut sugar until combined and no clumps remain.
4. Stir in almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda, until just combined. Fold in chopped chocolate cups – do not over mix.
5. Pour cake batter into the parchment lined 8”x8” pan and spread in an even layer with a spatula – batter will be thick.
6. Bake at 350F for ~20-25 minutes (mine took 23 minutes), or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
How to Make Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
All cakes deserve a frosting and what better way to complete a vegan chocolate cake than with a vegan frosting?! I love how the cashews and coconut cream naturally thicken the frosting while the powdered sugar keeps it a creamy white that looks real good on the chocolate cake. Plus it pairs very well with the peppermint cups if you decide to add them!
All you have to do is:
- To a Vitamix or high powered blender, add your soaked cashews, coconut cream, and lemon juice. Blend on medium low for ~2-3 minutes, or until you reach a smooth consistency and no pieces of cashew remain. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract then blend until smooth.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes then frost once the cake is cooled completely.
Chocolate Peppermint Cake
If you’re looking for a seasonal dessert to celebrate the holidays then look no further! This chocolate peppermint cake is the perfect alternative (or addition) to the typical Christmas cookie spread. Everyone will be shocked yet pleased to see a decadent chocolate cake on the table!
The chocolate peppermint cups that I used for this recipe are from Theo Chocolate. They taste like minty hot cocoa melting in your mouth and truly make this cake into something special. I’m not even a big peppermint fan yet I absolutely love this chocolate Christmas cake.
If peppermint isn’t for you though, feel free to sub for any other chocolate cup or bar. You could do plain chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, coffee chocolate, gingerbread spice (another holiday classic!) or whatever your little heart desires.
What gluten free flour is best for cakes?
Gluten free baking can be easy when you have a good quality flour. For this gluten free chocolate cake recipe I used blanched, super fine almond flour because of it’s super fine consistency. I love how it creates a moist and fluffy cake while remaining entirely gluten and grain free.
For this recipe, make sure to pack down the almond flour when measuring, just like you’d do with brown sugar. This helps get the correct amount of almond flour since it’s much lighter than typical wheat flour and tends to fluff up in the measuring cup.
My favorite brand for quality almond flour is Bob’s Red Mill but there are other options too. The key is to look for super fine + blanched almond flour like these brands offer, King Arthur , Anthony’s , and Nature’s Way.
Gluten Free Chocolate Mug Cake
While we’re discussing how delicious chocolate cakes are, I have another option for you to try out too! Instead of making one big cake, make a single serving in your favorite mug.
The easiest way to do this is by following my Vanilla Mug Cake recipe and swapping out the 1 tbsp of the almond flour for 1 tbsp cocoa powder. You could also add in the chopped peppermint cups or another type of chocolate for an extra fudgy texture.
How to Store Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
The best part of baking a cake is getting to enjoy the leftovers later on. Whether that’s with coffee in the morning (no judgment here) or with a glass of cold almond milk for dessert, this cake makes for great leftovers.
Store any leftovers in a single layer whether that’s in the baking pan or another container, just make sure the lid seals tight. This gluten free chocolate cake will stay super fresh and moist at room temperature for 3-4 days or for up to a week in the fridge.
And if you want to make your future self very happy, freeze a few slices (prior to frosting) to build up your freezer dessert stash. This is my favorite thing to do and future Casey always thanks me for it later 😉
To thaw frozen cake, simply leave in the fridge overnight or you can heat it in the microwave for 30 – 40 seconds. Then top with some saved frosting for the perfect cake bite!
If you’re looking for slightly more traditional holiday desserts than I’d recommend checking out my go-to cookie recipes. This Linzer Cookies Recipe is a healthy twist on a classic with soft, buttery cookie and sweet jam. And these Paleo Soft Ginger Cookies are perfect for those morning coffee dunks or truly anytime. They’re perfectly soft and flavored with warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Gluten Free Chocolate Cake 🙂
Ingredients
Wet:
- 2 ea large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted + cooled
- ¼ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Dry:
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 cups super fine blanched almond flour packed (as you would with brown sugar)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 individual chocolate cups chopped small – I used Theo Chocolate Peppermint Cocoa Cups for a fun seasonal option (feel free to sub chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate cup – this is a nice seasonal options)
Cashew Cream Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight (or quick soak by simmering for 20-30 minutes)
- ¼ cup coconut cream solidified part from chilled full fat can of coconut milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp clear vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine wet cake ingredients – eggs, coconut oil, almond milk, and maple syrup. Stir until combined.
- Whisk in sifted cocoa powder and coconut sugar until combined and no clumps remain.
- Stir in almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda, until just combined. Fold in chopped chocolate cups – do not over mix.
- Pour cake batter into the parchment lined 8”x8” pan and spread in an even layer with a spatula – batter will be thick.
- Bake at 350F for ~20-25 minutes (mine took 23 minutes), or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- While cake is baking/cooling, start on your frosting. To a Vitamix or high powered blender, add your soaked cashews, coconut cream, and lemon juice. Blend on medium low for ~1-3 minutes, or until you reach a smooth consistency and no pieces of cashew remain. Add powdered sugar and blend until smooth.
- Frost cake* with cashew cream frosting and cut cake into 9 slices. Enjoy!
Notes
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