Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
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This easy Almond Flour Chocolate Cake is a showstopper! It’s incredibly moist, made with almond flour and topped with the most delicious chocolate buttercream.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- The cake can be made in one 9″ cake pan or in two 6″ cake pans, making it the perfect smaller-sized cake
- It’s moist and covered in the most delicious chocolate buttercream
- I pinky promise your friends and family will never know it’s gluten free!
Table of Contents
You know I love a good cake recipe. This almond flour chocolate cake is similar to my vegan chocolate cake (because they’re both topped with buttercream), but it’s gluten free!
Lately, I’ve been really into using almond flour in baked goods. Like in these almond flour blueberry muffins and of course my paleo waffles, too. It’s versatile and provides a light, fluffy texture that will make you forget all about all purpose flour.
This cake is moist, delicately sweet and so delicious. A definite repeater in our household!
– Cheryl
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Almond flour: This cake has been tested with almond flour, not almond meal, though I do believe you can use almond meal if you’re in a pinch.
Sugar: I always have a bag of cane sugar on hand, so that tends to be my preferred sugar in baking. Substitutions include: granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
Eggs: No substitutions here. I haven’t tested this cake with flax eggs, so if you can, I say stick with regular eggs.
Maple syrup: I would NOT sub honey — maple syrup is richer in flavor, and pairs better with chocolate in this cake.
Butter: I used grass-fed butter, but you can use dairy free butter if you prefer.
Chocolate: Go for your favorite kind of chocolate. If you love 85% dark, go for it, just know that the icing may be a little more bitter tasting. I used a 60% chocolate bar and thought it was perfect.
How to Make an Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Step 1: In one bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla together.
Step 2: Combine the wet and dry ingredients by hand. Since we’re using almond flour, we really don’t want to over-mix the batter, so I recommend doing this by hand with a spatula.
Step 3: Line your cake pan(s) with parchment rounds (see “tips” section below), then distribute the cake batter evenly. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then wait at least 10 minutes before carefully inverting the cake onto a cooling rack.
Step 4: Make the icing. Start by melting the chocolate, then pour the warm chocolate over the softened butter and wait a few minutes for the butter to melt a bit. Then, add the powdered sugar and, if needed, a little milk and whisk with an electric mixer until everything is combined.
Erin’s Tips
- Be sure to stir the cake batter by hand with a spatula rather than with a stand mixer — we want to gently fold everything together so the cake stays nice and moist.
- How to make your own cake pan liners: Place your cake pans on top of parchment paper, then trace the pans. Cut the round paper out with scissors, then place the parchment round in the bottom of your cake pans. Be sure to add a little coconut oil to the paper as well so it sticks to the bottom.
- If you’re more of a visual learner, Eat the Love has a nice post on how to make parchment rounds.
- For the chocolate: I mentioned this above, but the chocolate is the main component of the icing, so choose your favorite kind! I like using 60-70% dark chocolate, because it still tastes like dark chocolate but it isn’t bitter.
Almond Flour Chocolate Cake FAQs
Yes! I’ve tested this recipe using one round 9″ cake pan, and also using two round 6″ cake pans, and both ways worked.
Alternatively, you can use a muffin tin and make cupcakes if you don’t have the correct size pans. If you’re making cupcakes, I recommend checking them after 20 minutes.
This cake will stay fresh for 1-2 days at room temperature, or 2-4 days in the refrigerator. I always prefer fresh cakes, so I wouldn’t make this too far in advance if possible.
I’ve never tested this cake recipe without the eggs, but you’re more than welcome to try it with flax eggs. With that said, you can easily make it dairy free by using dairy-free butter and milk in the icing.
More almond flour desserts
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
for the icing:
- 3.5 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp milk, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together and then add syrup and vanilla.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer.
- Line one 9" or two 6" round cake pans with parchment paper (see notes) and then pour batter evenly into the pan.
- Place cake in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave cake in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a cooling rack. Wait until cakes have completely cooled before icing them.
for the icing:
- Combine chocolate and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate has melted; set aside.
- Add butter to a bowl and then pour the melted chocolate overtop; let this sit for 3-5 minutes, then mix with an electric mixer before adding the powdered sugar. Continue mixing until icing has formed–icing should be fairly thick. If it seems too thick, add the milk.
to assemble:
- Once the cake has cooled, place a large dollop of icing on top, then use an offset knife or spatula to smooth icing overtop. Cut and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in May 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in January 2021.
I made the cake and used a mixer…I was worried after because I reread that you should mix it by hand, but it came out perfect!! I replaced cane sugar with coconut sugar. I also made a different frosting that was lower in sugar. We are trying to eat cleaner. My husband said this was the best cake he ever had!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
This is such a wonderful review — I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed the cake!
I made this INCREDIBLE cake! Best ever!!! Needed a new almond flour recipe & this was the second one I tried, and am glad I did. Made it in 6″pans, came out great.. I was surprised how good this is!!! I had to try it first being a new recipe. Now I have to make a second one for my daughter’s b-day tomorrow. She’s gonna love it. 💕
This is the sweetest comment — I’m so happy you liked the cake!
This is a great cake and the icing is amazing. Totally worth making. It was a hit with all my guests.
Thanks for the review — I’mm glad everyone liked the cake!
Can I substitute maple syrup with golden syrup? 2 cups almond flour – what is the weight in gram ?
Thank you 🙂
Yes, golden syrup should work, and I just used a conversion tool and it looks like 2 cups of flour equals about 250 grams. Hope that helps!
So this is definitely a great cake recipe. I was lazy and mixed everything into one bowl instead and I did everything by hand. I didn’t make the icing. Instead, I marked the cake into squares and topped each with a Bailey’s chocolate and sliced almonds. I put the cake back into the oven for 10 mins until the chocolate melted. Turned out super yum!
I have 2x8inch tins. How long do I bake for?
I would use just 1 8″ round tin and bake for 25 minutes (check with a toothpick to see if it’s done). You’ll have some extra batter leftover, but if you use 2 8″ pans, the cakes will be too thin.
So incredibly moist and delicious! Thank you!
Thanks Jessica, so happy you enjoyed it!
This is the perfect almond chocolate cake, and my husband loved it!
I subbed coconut sugar for cane sugar, used Cary’s sugar-free syrup since I don’t keep maple around the house, and Lily’s white chocolate and raspberry baking chips instead of dark chocolate for the buttercream icing.
This is going to be my go-to cake, it was so simple and delicious!
Thank you so much James — LOVE the sound of those baking chips (might have to try that next time!)
Hello Erin. A question for you. I need to make a chocolate cake for with no sugar and no flour. Can i just use the maple syrup?
Hi! Great question — keep the amount of almond flour and maple syrup the same and just omit the cane sugar. I think it should be ok — let me know how it turns out!
Wonderful moist cake! It almost overflowed the 9” flan baking dish i used. Frosted beautifully also.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!