This Double Chocolate Cake is perfect for any occasion and made from ingredients you can feel good about. This moist, delicious cake is topped with a rich, chocolate fudge icing that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. This recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and refined sugar free.
There is no way to sugar coat it, being around others who are enjoying the foods you once loved sucks. There are many foods I wish I could still eat, but cake has always been on the top of my list. Although there are many gluten free cake boxes, they never seemed to satisfy my craving. When I removed refined sugar, grains, and eggs from my diet to continue to heal my gut, it looked like cake made its way to the ‘will never be able to eat again’ list. But then this Double Chocolate Cake made my dreams of enjoying a piece of cake a reality.
I was born and raised a lover of chocolate. So when I created this recipe, I knew it needed to taste like an actual chocolate cake and not some wannabe healthy version. That’s why you can trust me when I say that the rich chocolate flavor of this cake will satisfy all your cravings. As an added bonus, I have found a way to make a moist gluten free cake that does not turn into crumbs the second you take a bite. All my gluten free people know what I’m talking about. It’s also grain free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and refined sugar free.
The steps to making this Double Chocolate Cake are very similar to baking any other homemade cake. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Next, mix together the flaxseed and water and set aside. This is going to act as the eggs and will bind the cake together. Make sure to start with this step as it needs time to bind before adding it to the remaining ingredients. Also, make sure to use ground flaxseed or else it won’t be the right consistency.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Since this recipe calls for coconut flour you will need to sift this mixture. Coconut flour is a coarse, thick flour that can easily form clumps. I have made this recipe several times thinking I didn’t need to sift the dry ingredients and always ended up with random clumps of flour in the cake. The easiest way to sift the flour mixture is to use a strainer over a mixing bowl. Pour the flour mixture into the strainer and gently tap the sides so that the flour is sifted through. I do this at least twice before moving onto the next step.
In a separate bowl, mix together the canned coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, extra virgin olive oil, and water. Canned coconut milk tends to separate. Make sure to use as much as the cream as possible. I scrape out the cream first and then add the liquid until I have a full cup. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together until combined. Add the flaxseed egg and continue to mix for about 2 minutes. Add the batter to a 6 by 2 round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check the cake with a toothpick to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. It is okay if your toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it. It will continue to cook while it’s cooling.
Once the cake is cooled, you can start making the icing. Mix together the maple syrup, vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder, and coconut milk. Sift the coconut flour and maple sugar as you did with the flour mixture above. Add the sifted coconut flour and maple sugar to the remaining ingredients and mix for at least 2 minutes. If the icing seems to be too runny, place it in the refrigerator to thicken up (no more than 5 minutes). If you place it in the refrigerator, make sure you mix it before icing the cake. Once the cake is cooled, layer the icing on the top and sides.
I like to get creative and add toppings to my cake because life is too short not to. Mike requested this cake for his birthday and added crushed Reese’s on top. In the pictures above, I added raspberries and cacao nibs. This Double Chocolate Cake proves that even with diet restrictions, you can still enjoy the food you once loved. Gone are the days of envying others as they eat their cake!
-Kelsey
Double Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free)
Course: DessertDifficulty: Moderate8
servings15
minutes1
hour1
hour15
minutesIngredients
- Cake:
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 Tablespoons water
1 1/4 cups coconut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
2 Tablespoons cassava flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 maple sugar (or coconut sugar)
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
- Icing:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons coconut milk
4 Tablespoons maple sugar (or coconut sugar)
4 Tablespoon coconut flour
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed and water and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (coconut flour, arrowroot flour, cassava flour, baking soda, baking powder, maple sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder). Sift this mixture at least twice to ensure there are no clumps.*
- In a separate bowl, mix together the canned coconut milk*, maple syrup, vanilla extract, water, and extra virgin olive oil.
- Using a mixer, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until combined. Add the flaxseed egg and continue to mix for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into a 6 by 2 round cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
- To make the icing, mix together the maple syrup, vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder, and coconut milk. Sift the coconut flour and maple sugar to remove clumps. Add the sifted coconut flour and maple sugar to the remaining ingredients and mix for at least 2 minutes. If your icing is too runny, place it in the refrigerator for no more than 5 minutes*. Once the cake is cooled, spread the icing on the top and sides.
Notes
- Coconut flour is a coarse and thick flour. Therefore, sifting the flour mixture is essential for avoiding clumps in your cake. The easiest way to sift the flour mixture is to use a strainer over a mixing bowl. Pour the flour mixture into the strainer and gently tap the sides so that the flour is sifted through. Do this at least twice before moving onto the next step.
- Canned coconut milk tends to separate. Make sure to use as much as the cream as possible. I scrape out the cream first and then add the liquid until I have a full cup.
- If you place the icing in the refrigerator to thicken, you will want to mix it before icing the cake.