This paleo chocolate cake also happens to be gluten-free and, even more importantly, it tastes magnificent enough to rival any regular chocolate cake. Go ahead. Taste it and see. Better yet, have others taste it but don’t let them know the secret. Bet no one notices.
This paleo chocolate cake is your no-fail solution when you need cake—whether for a birthday or a random Saturday afternoon chocolate fix—that’s easy and flourless and grain free and so magnificent as to be darn near indistinguishable from any other rich and indulgent chocolate cake. (And if you’re ever in the mood for paleo vanilla cake, we can hook you up with that, too.)–Renee Schettler Rossi
☞ Contents
Paleo Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 6-inch cake pan
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup ghee or palm shortening plus more for the pan
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder sifted to remove any lumps
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Coat a 6-inch round cake pan with palm shortening or ghee and line it with a parchment paper circle cut to fit the pan.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the ghee or palm shortening and then set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt until blended.
- Separate the eggs and place the whites in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and place the yolks in another bowl along with the melted shortening, maple syrup, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar and whisk to combine.
- Add the egg yolk mixture to the large bowl with the flour mixture and whisk till the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
- Using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they look like softly whipped cream and hold soft peaks when you pull out the beaters, about 2 minutes. Set the egg whites aside for a moment.
- Stir the baking soda into the batter and then, using a rubber spatula, immediately beat 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the batter, mixing just until barely combined and some streaks remain. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites into the batter, mixing until only a few streaks are left. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and turn it onto the rack. Let cool completely.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
As somewhat of a baking purist, I’m skeptical of recipes that don’t use basic all-purpose flour, sugar, butter, and the like. I have to say, though, after making this paleo chocolate cake, I’m now a believer. This cake was moist with a smooth texture that wasn’t gritty. The outside formed a slight crust and the interior was perfectly soft. It reminded me of chocolate snack cake or pudding cake—in other words, moist enough to enjoy on its own. I served it with berries and a little whipped cream but happily ate leftovers plain.
If you aren’t interested in the paleo aspect of this chocolate cake, then you will be on board with how easy it is to throw together with simple ingredients. It takes 25 minutes and only sacrifices a couple dirty dishes (although after eating almost half the cake in one sitting, those dishes were worth it).The egg whites give this cake an airy texture and is full of protein and good fats due to the use of quality ghee. The baking powder and maple syrup give it the perfect blend of bitter and sweet. This chocolate cake recipe is almost as easy as a boxed cake mix and is foolproof. This will be your new go-to chocolate cake recipe and is an easy base to add on to with a peanut butter frosting, a more traditional confectioner’s sugar icing, or stir-ins like chocolate chips or nuts. I would definitely make it again to mix in with ice cream or maybe even tweak the recipe itself to make the cake more brownie-like.
Originally published February 15, 2018
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Can this be doubled and baked in a bundt pan?
Lisa, we haven’t tested doubling this recipe. You will want to watch it closely to adjust the timing, and it may take 10 to 20 minutes longer. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out.
This cake was delicious! I frosted it with vanilla buttercream frosting and it was a big hit among adults and kids alike at my husband’s birthday party! My only problem was that the cake overflowed out the 6″ baking pan while in the oven and the middle sank (that was likely due to the fact that I opened the oven to put a cookie sheet under the pan to catch the drips). Any suggestions for how to avoid the overflow? Thanks!!
Overflowing hasn’t been a common issue with this cake, Melissa, but it may depend on the height of your cake pan and the freshness of your baking soda. Next time, don’t use all the batter (or scoop some into a muffin cup) and see if the issue resolves itself. Keep a pan underneath to catch drips, just in case.
I cannot wait to try your recipe, however I have only an 8 inch(20cm) regular cake pan as well as a 20.5 cm springform cake pan to use.
How would I need to adjust baking time or temperature ?
Or would I need to adjust both ?
Please let me know
NIta, we haven’t tested it in an 8-inch pan, so we can’t give exact timing, but you’ll end up with a thinner cake and it will cook in less time. Other readers have found it takes around 20 minutes to bake in a larger pan, so watch it closely and check for a tester to come out clean to indicate that it’s done. Do let us know how it works out and what timing worked for you.
Nice cake!
Made it with chocolate ganache on top and the feeling with keto coconut buttercream.
Thank you!
Thanks, Vanessa! Love the combo of flavors you brought together here!
Made this cake for a cousin of mine for his birthday (although I doubled the recipe and cooked it longer) and iced it with a chocolate buttercream recipe I found. This cake recipe was easy but the result was really good too. They loved the cake, said it was a keeper.
Terrific, Maria! We LOVE hearing this. Especially the part about folks wanting it again despite it being paleo. That’s what we aim for with all our special-needs recipes! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know!