Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

This incredibly fluffy, indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth vegan gluten-free chocolate cake is a healthy delight that will satisfy your sweet cravings 100 %—and that's completely guilt-free.

People tell me, "I want more," when they taste this fudgy, gooey deliciousness, which is also refined sugar-free, paleo-friendly, and grain-free. It certainly surprises and convinces even the most stubborn critic!

Made with simple ingredients, this wholesome, chocolicious goodness proves that vegan baking can be so simple and that gluten-free cakes are able to have a moist texture—you don’t have to miss out!

It’s the combination of different gluten-free flours that creates this fluffy texture while preventing dryness and crumbles! So much so, we don’t even need to add oil to this cake (yes, it’s oil-free!).

Contents

• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Storage
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

In this post, I’ll guide you through the ingredients, the step-by-step instructions, and how to adapt this recipe to your needs and liking so you can make it yours!

Ingredients

• almond flour
• tapioca starch
• coconut flour
• cocoa powder
• coconut sugar or maple syrup
• sea salt
• baking powder
• coconut milk
• egg replacer (see other options below)

Chocolate Icing

• cocoa powder
• coconut oil
• coconut milk
• brown rice syrup

(see recipe card for quantities)

Almond Flour – adds this yummy, nutty flavour and a slightly grainy texture. For this recipe, it doesn’t matter whether you use almond flour or almond meal.

Tapioca Starch – also called arrowroot, makes this cake springy and gooey and binds the other two flours. Double-check the ingredients because sometimes, brands add preservatives to tapioca flour.

Coconut Flour – is responsible for the moisture and absorbs enough liquids to create the right texture.

Cocoa Powder – your chocolate ingredient, obviously. I prefer using cacao powder as this is the raw, unprocessed version. I also find it richer in taste.

Coconut Sugar – the sweetness without the guilt. There are more options that I will point out later (see ‘substitutions’), such as agave syrup or maple syrup.

Sea Salt – a little salt goes a long way. It enhances the flavours and brings out the sweetness of this delicious gluten-free vegan chocolate cake.

Baking Powder – the rising agent. Alternatively, you could also use plain baking soda (only use ½ teaspoon) or even omit if using a vegan egg replacer that contains this ingredient already.

Coconut Milk – adds creamy richness without the need for oil due to its high fat content.

Egg Replacer – binds all the ingredients. My favourite is psyllium husk (see recipe card) because it produces the best results. But you may also add any vegan egg replacer.

Chocolate Icing

The chocolate icing is, of course, optional, but it does add another layer of chocolatey indulgence! I love this easy, simple chocolate icing recipe, and it really doesn’t take much and long to make.

Another option is making your favourite vegan chocolate frosting. Or how about trying out the recipe that I shared for my vegan blueberry chocolate cake? It’s date-sweetened and yoghurt-based—perfect for those looking for a healthy alternative!

Additional Ingredients

• espresso powder/coffee
• vanilla extract
• chocolate chips

Coffee – adds a deeper and richer flavour, enhancing the chocolate taste in this recipe. You may choose between instant espresso powder (add one sachet or 1 tablespoon) or freshly brewed hot coffee or espresso (no more than 60 ml / ¼ cup, and reduce the coconut milk by this amount).

Vanilla Extract – I don’t believe it makes a massive difference whether you add it or not, but some people swear by it, so I wanted to mention this ingredient. Add 1 teaspoon.

Chocolate Chips – for a double-chocolate cake! The best add-in for all those chocolate junkies out there ;). Add about 50 g / ⅓ cup. Make sure the chocolate chips are vegan.

Equipment

For this vegan flourless chocolate cake, you just need your regular equipment such as a mixing bowl, spatula or wooden spoon and measuring cups and spoons.

I prefer making this fluffy cake in a springform pan for the easiest removal. A brownie pan works just as well. You want something smaller, around the 20 cm / 8 inches mark.

Instructions

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 175 °C / 350°F. Line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper so the cake is easier to remove after baking.

If you like to make a layered vegan gluten-free chocolate cake, you’ll need 2 cake pans and double the recipe.

Combine psyllium husk (or vegan egg replacer) with the suggested amount of water, stir well and let sit until ready to use.

Step 2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, making sure that there are no clumps of coconut flour left. Add the wet ingredients and combine well.

Sometimes, the coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, so you may need to add more coconut milk to make the batter smooth again, in case it went a bit firm (watch the video to see the right consistency).

Step 3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform and place it in the oven, on the centre rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top in the middle is firm to the touch.

Step 4. Let the cake cool down on a cooling rack to room temperature for at least an hour before icing it. Mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Glaze the entire cake, and if you like, garnish with chopped hazelnuts or coconut!

Substitutions

Gluten-free Flours – I don’t recommend swapping any of the flours in this recipe as they all have their purpose, and substituting any of them will defeat that. You’ll end up with a completely different chocolate cake.

Alternatively, I recommend making this vegan chocolate cake recipe and making it with a gluten-free flour blend instead (and leave out the blueberries).

Sugar – Options, options! You can make this vegan gluten-free chocolate cake with granulated sugar or syrup! The choice is yours!

For granulated sugars, such as coconut sugar, or even brown sugar or cane sugar, if you prefer, you use 100-150 g / ½-¾ cup. For liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup, use around 80 ml / ⅓ cup.

Coconut Milk – If you don’t like the taste of coconut (though I find you don’t taste it in the cake later), you may use any other dairy-free milk, such as soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk. However, your cake may turn out a little drier because coconut milk is naturally high in fat.

Egg Replacer – I’ve made this cake with several different vegan egg replacers, and they all worked. However, I prefer to use psyllium husk (as recommended in the recipe). I haven’t tried the recipe with flax eggs yet, but I can imagine that it could work as well.

Storage

Any leftovers of this vegan gluten-free chocolate cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze for 6-9 months. Just note that the icing will harden when cold due to the coconut oil.

📖 Recipe