This mouth watering coconut flour chocolate cake is an easy, casual dessert that calls for nutritious ingredients. It’s paleo diet friendly, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and refined sugar free.
This loaf cake is rich and chocolaty tasting, but not overly sweet. Its sweetness level is similar to that of dark chocolate. It’s perfect for dessert, but nutritious enough to eat for breakfast or as a snack.
Frosting options for this coconut flour chocolate cake
For an extra decadent treat, top this cake with this sweet potato frosting. It’s vegan, nut free, and refined sugar free. Or try this yummy almond butter frosting. It’s quick and easy to make.
Ingredients and substitutions
I opted for maple syrup as the sweetener in this paleo recipe because it adds a warm, rich flavor that pairs well with the cocoa powder in this recipe. Honey works well in this recipe too so feel free to substitute some nice manuka honey or any other type of honey you prefer.
I used melted coconut oil as the fat in this recipe because I’ve grown to love the flavor of coconut oil in baked goods and it’s a nice dairy-free option for baking. You can substitute liquid coconut oil or any other mild flavored oil you prefer.
This cake calls for coconut flour and I don’t recommend substituting any other flour in this recipe (coconut flour is particularly absorbent and I don’t think flour substitutions will work well in this cake).
How to make it
This cake is a one bowl dessert recipe that’s easy to throw together. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then use a whisk to mix the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Next you’ll line a medium sized loaf pan with some parchment paper (I use a small amount of coconut oil to grease the pan first, so that the parchment paper adheres to the pan nicely). Then just pour in the batter, smooth with a spatula, and bake.
When the cake is finished baking, be sure to let it cool to room temperature before serving.
Optional additions
If you want to dress this cake up a little, you can sprinkle on some toppings before baking. A handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, a drizzle of peanut butter, or some dairy-free chocolate chips are all good options.
Storage and freezing
Store this coconut flour chocolate cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze it for up to six months.
More coconut flour recipes to try
- These coconut flour crepes are tasty and easy to make.
- This chocolate cake made with black beans is intensely chocolaty, rich, and delicious.
- These coconut flour banana pancakes are perfect for breakfast or brunch on the weekends.
- These paleo coconut oil cookies are dairy free, gluten free, and grain free.
Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted) – plus a little extra to grease the pan
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, vanilla extract, vinegar or lemon juice, applesauce, cocoa powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk well until all the ingredients are very well mixed.
- Add the coconut flour and baking soda and whisk again until the dry ingredients are well incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Use a small amount of coconut oil to grease and line a medium sized loaf pan with parchment paper (my pan is 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inches)
- Spoon the batter into the parchment paper lined loaf pan.
- Use a spatula to smooth the batter down so the surface is flat and even.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes or until the cake is cooked through (you can test to see if it's done by inserting a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready).
- Let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.
Notes
- Greasing the loaf pan with a small amount of coconut oil allows the parchment paper to adhere well to the pan.
- Optional toppings: you can sprinkle some chopped walnuts, pecans, or dairy-free chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
- Store this coconut flour chocolate cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze it for up to six months.
Nutrition
You might also like
- These coconut flour apple muffins are warmly spiced, sweet, and delicious.
- This paleo banana cookie recipe is quick and easy to make.
- These vegan blueberry lemon muffins are perfect for a make-ahead breakfast or brunch.
- This avocado chocolate pudding is vegan, paleo diet friendly, and refined sugar free.
I’m Jennifer, the author at A Sweet Alternative. I create simple recipes made with nutrient-dense ingredients.