This chickpea flour cake is rich, chocolaty, and delicious. This nutritious dessert is gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, and grain free. Give this nutrient-dense cake a try if you’re looking for chickpea flour recipes, like this chickpea flour omelette, which is another delicious option.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Chickpea flour is a nutritious grain-free flour made from ground chickpeas. It’s also known as garbanzo bean flour. It adds a slightly nutty flavor to cakes without being overpowering. It also acts as a binder and contributes to a dense, moist texture in cakes.
Chickpea flour is loaded with fiber, protein, and nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, copper, manganese, and magnesium. It’s a great option if you’re looking for nutritious gluten-free alternatives to wheat flour. If you have trouble finding it at your local grocery store then you can buy it online.
This recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce which gives the cake body and moistness without having to add any dairy. Be sure to use applesauce with no added sugar or the cake will turn out too sweet.
Extra virgin olive gives this cake a luxurious texture. You can substitute melted coconut oil or any other oil you prefer.
I sweetened this cake with maple syrup. You can substitute honey if you don’t need this cake to be strictly vegan.
This cake gets it’s chocolaty flavor from unsweetened cocoa powder. There are two main types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural cocoa powder and Dutch process. Either kind is fine for this recipe.
How to Make Chickpea Flour Cake
This cake is quick and easy to make. Start by preheating the oven. Add the wet ingredients, salt, and cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl, then use a whisk to mix well.
Next you’ll add the chickpea flour and baking soda and whisk again to combine. Be sure to spoon the chickpea flour into the measuring cups—don’t scoop it or the end result might be too dry. Also, some brands of chickpea flour are more absorbent than others, so if your batter seems overly dry, add a bit of extra applesauce to achieve a consistency similar to the photo of the batter below.
Line a medium sized loaf pan (mine is 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inches) with parchment paper, then pour in the batter.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out looking clean. Be sure to let the cake cool completely before serving or frosting.
Frosting Ideas
This cake is delicious as is, but for special occasions you can dress it up with a slathering of this nut-free chocolate spread or this chocolate sweet potato frosting. Both of those frosting recipes are easy to make, vegan, and refined sugar free.
Optional Additions
For an extra layer of flavor and texture, add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter. Or to up the chocolate flavor even more, stir 1/2 cup of dairy-free dark chocolate chips into the cake batter.
Storage and Freezing
Store this cake in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months. I prefer to slice the cake before freezing it, that way I can easily defrost the exact amount I want. Thaw it at room temperature before serving or defrost it in the microwave or oven if you’re short on time.
Chickpea Flour Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Medium sized loaf pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups chickpea flour (spooned into the measuring cup—not scooped)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix well.
- Add 2 1/2 cups chickpea flour (spooned into the measuring cup—not scooped) and 1 teaspoon baking soda, then whisk again to combine. Note: since some brands of chickpea flour are more absorbent than others, I recommend adding extra applesauce if your batter appears much drier than the photo of the batter in the blog post.
- Transfer the batter to a medium sized loaf pan (mine is 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inches), lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out looking clean.
- Let cool completely before serving or frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Another Chickpea Flour Recipe to Try
- These gluten-free, vegan chickpea flour muffins are a delicious breakfast or snack.
Interesting… I followed the instructions exactly and… it’s dry, somewhat crumbly, barely sweet… and if I close my eyes while eating it I’d swear I was eating a dense, whole wheat bread! Hmmmmm…
Sorry it didn’t work for you! I’ve always found it to be moist and sweet enough but not overly sweet. I wonder if some brands of chickpea flour might be more absorbent than others.
Mine was dry too. I believe I should have noticed how dry my batter was and added a lot more applesauce. Tastes ok.
Thank you for the feedback! I just adjusted the recipe to include tips to prevent the cake from being dry. One important tip is to spoon the chickpea flour into the measuring cup—-don’t scoop it. And since some brands of chickpea flour are more absorbent than others, be sure to add extra applesauce if your batter looks much drier than the photo of the batter in the blog post.
I made a very similar version of this cake. I needed to adapt as I did not have applesauce but did have bananas. It’s a great non-wheat recipe, thank you. I play with the sweetness using stevia. It’s worth persisting with these sort of recipes and finding a way that works for your palate. It’ll never be like shop bought flour cake but it will be better for you if you don’t get on with wheat.
Thank you for the helpful feedback and glad you enjoyed it!