Paleo Single Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting, Dairy-free, GF
Paleo Single Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe. A rich and moist Paleo, GF, Dairy-free chocolate cake covered in a fluffy mousse-like coconut oil chocolate frosting.
We have been craving chocolate cake for WEEKS. So much so that we decided that we needed a recipe to satisfy all future chocolate cake cravings.
And so we came up with this Paleo Single Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting recipe.
It’s a rich and moist satisfying chocolate cake covered in a fluffy mousse-like light coconut oil chocolate frosting. It’s our new favorite chocolate cake recipe!
It’s honestly so good, you’d never know it was Paleo, Dairy-free, refined sugar-free, refined flour-free and Gluten-free!
How is this chocolate cake Paleo and Gluten-free?
Well, this cake is Paleo and Gluten-free thanks to a magic combination of healthier-for-you ingredients.
Almond flour, tapioca flour and coconut flour are used here instead of using white flour.
Coconut sugar is used instead of white sugar. And coconut oil is used instead of butter.
Oh and almond milk is used instead of buttermilk or regular milk.
All of this results in a naturally dairy-free, grain-free, and gluten-free chocolate cake.
Ingredients needed for this Paleo Single Layer Chocolate Cake:
For the Paleo Single Layer Chocolate Cake portion of the recipe, you are going to need…
- almond flour
- tapioca flour
- coconut flour
- coconut sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- salt
- almond milk
- egg
- vanilla extract
- coconut oil
- black coffee
And for the Paleo Chocolate Frosting portion of the recipe, you are going to need…
- coconut oil
- coconut sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- coconut cream
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup
Tips on making the cake
Tip 1: To start off, it is important to measure your coconut oil in it’s melted state for the cake and then to measure it in it’s hardened room temperature state for the frosting.
Coconut oil can be finicky to work with so we always like to stress how it should be measured and used.
Tip 2: Make the cake first, then make the frosting while it is cooling.
We're always tempted to frost a cake before it is cooled, but this cake needs to be totally cooled otherwise it will melt the coconut oil in the frosting.
Tip 3: This cake tastes best at room temperature. We would avoid putting it into the fridge, otherwise it will dry up. However we have had luck taking the cake out of the fridge and warming it up to room temperature for a better taste and texture.
Tip 4: If the frosting is a bit “grainy” at the beginning, then whip it for a bit longer. Then, let it sit out for 5-10 minutes and whip it again. Basically the heat from being mixed and sitting out should naturally melt the coconut sugar.
Tip 5: This cake is made in an 8 x 8 inch pan and is a square single layer cake. If you want to make a layer cake, simply double the recipe for the cake and frosting.
Prep 20 minutesCook 30 minutesTotal 1 hour 50 minutesMakes 9 slices
Ingredients
Cake ingredients:
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 2 Tbs coconut flour
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, ( measure the coconut oil in its melted state)
- 1/2 cup black coffee, (ours was room temperature)
Frosting ingredients:
- 1/2 cup room temperature coconut oil, (measure it in it's hardened state)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 Tbs coconut cream,, room temperature ( we always use Savoy coconut cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs maple syrup
Method
Cake instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl and mix with a fork until well mixed.
- Add the almond milk, egg, and vanilla to a bowl and mix with a handheld mixer for about 30 seconds. Then, while the mixer is on low speed, add the melted coconut oil slowly, and mix until combined. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix with a handheld mixer until blended. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix. Lastly, mix the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix until blended. Add the coffee to the batter and mix.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth it out. Cook for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. ( A few dry crumbs is fine)
- Let the chocolate cake cool completely before frosting it.
Frosting instructions:
- Mix the room temperature coconut oil ( it should be firm yet soft) with a hand held mixer until smooth. Add the coconut sugar and cocoa powder to the coconut oil and mix. Then add the vanilla and 1 Tbs of coconut cream and mix. Add the remaining coconut cream one Tablespoon at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Then add the maple syrup and mix again. The texture should be fluffy/ mousse-like.
- If the frosting is a bit "grainy" at the beginning, then mix it with the handheld mixer for a bit longer. Then, let it sit out for 10 minutes and whip it with a spatula. Repeat until you get the desired texture. Basically the heat from being mixed and sitting out should naturally melt the coconut sugar. You could also add an extra tablespoon or two of coconut cream.
Notes
- 1) This recipe yields 1 1/4 cups of frosting and 9 slices of cake. 2) Ideally make this cake the day you are going to eat it. Putting it in the fridge dries out the cake and hardens it. Though, if you need to put it into the fridge, take it out and let it warm up completely to room temperature. If you make it the day before, wrap it in saran wrap/plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature. <h3 class="wprm-recipe-header
