Almond Flour Chocolate Cake is moist, fluffy and rich with chocolate flavor! Easy to make with only 7 ingredients, this naturally gluten free chocolate cake recipe is sure to elevate your next dessert.
Other almond flour cake recipes we love is this simple almond flour cake, whole orange blender cake and almond flour carrot cake.
Table of contents
When it comes to baking, I truly enjoy baking with almond flour. This almond flour chocolate cake is the proof that almond flour produces light and moist desserts. Just look at these almond flour brownies or almond flour birthday cake.
And it’s quite an easy flour to work with or hard to mess up, so perfect for novice bakers.
This chocolate cake with almond flour comes out fluffy with a tender crumb. Its mildly nutty flavor compliments the chocolate without taking over. So good!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Perfect for gluten sensitivities: This flourless chocolate cake is also enjoyed by everyone, with or without dietary restrictions. No one will ever guess that it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free and paleo.
- Easy to make and forgiving: In one bowl, with a whisk and just 7 ingredients.
- Wholesome: Health benefits of almond flour include several vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Boosted further with rich antioxidants from cacao powder, you really can have your cake and eat it too.
- Rich and decadent: This almond flour chocolate cake satisfies chocolate cravings.
Ingredients and Notes
Below you will find ingredients you need to make this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe. And also a few acceptable substitutions.
- Almond flour: Use superfine blanched almond flour or here is how to make your own almond flour. If you use almond meal, then the texture will be quite different.
- Eggs: You’ll need 4 large eggs. It’s best to use them at room temperature. I have not tried to make this cake egg free with a flax egg or chia egg but you could give it a go. I think it will be denser.
- Cacao powder: You can use cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder. Cacao is the least processed of the two and contains almost 4 times the antioxidant level.
- Sweetener: I prefer to use maple syrup rather than honey because it just tastes better with cacao powder. Other liquid sweeteners will work but the flavor will vary. Dry sweetener might work but I haven’t tested.
- Baking soda: To provide lift and fluffy texture to the final result.
- Butter or coconut oil: For greasing the cake pan. I’ve tried to spray it with cooking spray and every time almond flour chocolate cake stuck to it.
- Salt: Just a pinch to enhance the cacao flavor.
- Pure vanilla extract: I try to avoid the artificial stuff when possible.
How to Make Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
This gluten free chocolate cake comes together in minutes in one bowl and with a whisk. No mixer required! Here is a quick overview but there is full recipe card below.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper cutout, making sure to grease the pan and top of the parchment well.
- Mix the cake batter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well until combined. Then add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt, whisking well to combine. Add the cacao powder and whisk until there are no lumps. Finally, add the almond flour and gently stir until well incorporated.
- Bake almond flour chocolate cake: Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (with a few crumbs is fine).
- Remove it from the pan: Allow the cake to cool for around an hour in the pan before using a flat spatula or knife to help release it from the cake pan’s edges. Then flip upside down to release the cake onto a wire rack. Peel the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake, and then allow it to cool before decorating or slicing into 10 pieces. Enjoy!
Tips For Best Results
Here are my top tips for the best almond flour chocolate cake!
- How to make your own cake pan liner: Place your cake pan on top of parchment paper and trace the shape with a pencil, then cut it out with scissors. For multiple cake pans, you could use enough parchment paper to fold into layers, trace the pan once on top and cut out all the layers in one go.
- Cake pans: You can use either one 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan or two 6-inch cake pans.
- Avoid springform pan: It can affect the cake shape and make it very thin looking.
- Be careful not to overbake the cake: Cake will continue to cook slightly as it cools, so a toothpick coming out fairly clean (with a few crumbs but not wet) is enough before removing it from the oven.
- To help the cake unmold easily: You can dust the greased pans with a light dusting of cocoa powder to further help it rise evenly, release easier, and create a barrier between the grease to stop it melting into the almond flour chocolate cake batter.
- Make sure to use the spoon and level method: Rather than scooping the cup directly into the flour bag, spoon it into a cup and level with a knife. If you use too much flour, the almond cake will end up dense.
Variations
This almond flour chocolate cake recipe is easily adaptable with no fuss. Below are just a few optional add-ins:
- Espresso powder: Adding a little espresso to any chocolate cake helps add depth to the chocolate flavor and won’t taste like coffee. I suggest adding between 1/2 – 1 1/2 teaspoons. If you want the cake to have a mocha flavor, add around 1 tablespoon espresso powder.
- Chili: Chocolate and chili are a popular combination for a reason. Feel free to add a finely chopped chili or some chili powder to the cake batter or use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili flakes.
- Spices: Cinnamon, candied ginger, pumpkin spice, chai blend.
- Flavor extracts: I prefer to use only natural extracts like mint extract, almond extract or lemon extract.
- Citrus: Use the zest of one orange or some natural orange extract for a delicious chocolate orange cake.
Serving Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Once baked, enjoy this almond flour chocolate cake in several ways!
- Dust with icing sugar: The simplest casual way I love.
- Top with fresh berries: Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, or make berry sauce from Greek yogurt cheesecake. Sliced bananas always taste great with chocolate.
- Frosting: Top with any of these lighter frostings: healthy chocolate frosting, healthy buttercream or healthy cream cheese frosting.
How to Store and Make Ahead
Storing: Refrigerate leftover gluten free chocolate cake for between 3-4 days, covered.
Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cake tightly wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
Make ahead: Baked almond flour chocolate cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days in the fridge before frosting and serving.
FAQs
Yes. I like to use fine blanched almond flour for this recipe as it produces the fluffiest results. Almond meal chocolate cake will be denser.
No. Wheat flour contains gluten and acts very differently from any other flour.
Unfortunately not. Not coconut flour, not oat flour. However, if you are looking for a gluten-free chocolate cake without flour try this flourless chocolate torte.
You may be able to substitute a liquid sugar free replacer such as monk fruit or erythritol but I have not tested it as such. If you do, comment below and let us know how it goes!
More Chocolate Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this healthy almond flour chocolate cake recipe, you might like some other healthy chocolate desserts!
More Almond Flour Recipes to Try
Almond Flour Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour 6 oz
- Butter or coconut oil for greasing
- Icing sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cake pan on a parchment paper, circle with a pen and cut out a round. Grease bottom and sides of the pan with butter or coconut oil really well. Place round inside the cake pan and grease it too.
- In a large bowl, add eggs and whisk well. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt; whisk until well combined.
- Add cacao powder and whisk well until all incorporated and no lumps. Add almond flour and mix with spatula until well combined.
- Pour batter into previously prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in a pan for an hour or so. Using a flat spatula carefully separate edges of the cake from a pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar, cut into 10 slices and enjoy.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze cake tightly wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
- Sweetener: Other liquid sweeteners will work but the flavor will vary. Dry sweetener might work but I haven’t tested.
- Almond flour: Use superfine blanched almond flour. If you use almond meal, then the texture will be more dense.
- Do not use springform pan: Because it deforms the shape of cake and makes it very thin looking.
- Make sure to use the spoon and level method: When measuring the almond flour (rather than scooping the cup directly into the flour bag).
Why would the center of the cake drop? Used an 8×8 inch stainless steel pan and coconut oil to grease it. Taste is nice but the look and texture not as fluffy.
Maybe a bit less flour measured. I would add a bit more next time so it soaks up the moisture. You can also weigh it to make 6 ounces as per recipe.
This is the second recipe I have made from your cookbook, and of course, as I thought, delicious cake! Moist, rich flavor. I just add a tbsp of coffee, as someone suggested. Thank you for sharing!
Sounds delicious! I love hearing how you made this your own! Thank you for the rating!
This cake is excellent!!! I followed the recipe exactly, and the result was perfection! I used a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top right before serving, and offered vanilla ice cream on the side, but it didn’t need any of this to be delicious – It has a deep chocolate flavor that is lovely as is. Thank you, Olena, for another wonderful recipe, and Happy New Year!
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback! Happy New Year to you as well, Sharon!
I cannot find the number of layers the recipe makes for the recipe x1. I’m excited to try this, as the recipe I’ve been using results in a crumbly cake. I used homemade sugar free maple syrup with excellent results in the zucchini bread.
This cake makes 1 layer.
Love this recipe it is more cake consistency than many other almond flour recipes. So quick and easy for entertaining when gluten sensitive individuals will be present. Thank you
I’m so happy to read this, Dorothy! Thanks for your positive feedback!
Can i make it in a loaf pan
You could try? Might be a bit thick/dense and of course baking time will need to be adjusted.
Easy to make, pretty good but the issue is with me & that I used mostly sugar free maple syrup instead or regular. Of course, there’s a different aftertaste & smell w/ SF maple syrup. Added some honey to make the full 1/2 c of liquid sweetener. Added toasted nuts and mini chocolate chips. I think with a bit of chocolate drizzle or confectioners sugar it will be just right.
Thanks for sharing your modifications! Happy New Year!
Made this cake a couple days ago and it was delicious! Definitely will make again. I made cream for the cake that I put between the layers and all around, and used sliced almonds as my decoration around the side of the cake. Such a perfect gluten free cake! Thank you for this recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed!
Excelente receta yo siempre que preparo un pastel de chocolate agrego un toque de un café especial que le da un sabor único, eso lo leí en excelentes articulos sobre el cafe
What was the size of the pan you used. Can i make it in two six inches pan
9 inch. Yes, you can!