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My almond flour chocolate cake recipe guarantees moist, fluffy chocolate cake with a gorgeous crumb and rich chocolate flavor. It’s made in one bowl and naturally gluten-free!
Love baking with almond flour? Try my almond flour cookies, almond flour cupcakes, and almond flour waffles, and almond flour banana muffins next.
Baking with almond flour requires a bit of patience, but once you get used to it, the results can be better than regular flour. That’s why I prefer it now over conventional flour.
First, almond flour gives cakes a gorgeous, tender crumb, and its subtle nutty–almost sweet–flavor complements its richness. While my family adores my classic almond flour cake, my almond flour chocolate cake is #1 in our household.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- There’s no almond flavor. Despite almond flour being the main ingredient, you won’t taste it one bit.
- It’s made in one bowl. Meaning clean-up is done well before the cake comes out of the oven.
- Diet-friendly. This cake is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-carb, without even trying!
- The perfect flavor and texture. I promise if you didn’t tell a soul that this cake is made with almond flour, they’d never guess.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday. I swapped the oil for avocado and added a “dash” of cinnamon to the batter. One of the best gluten-free cakes I have had. Beat simple mills hands down.” – Faith
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. Definitely use blanched almond flour and NOT almond meal, which makes for a dense, crumbly texture.
- Arrowroot flour. Gives the cake structure and stability. I also tested this with cornstarch and it worked well.
- Cocoa powder. Unsweetened and sifted Dutch-processed cocoa powder. For a darker and richer cake, I sometimes use dark or black cocoa powder.
- Sugar. I used coconut sugar, but brown sugar or white sugar can also work.
- Baking soda. Gives the cake some rise and fluffiness.
- Salt. Brings out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs.
- Oil. I used canola oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work. Butter will work, but I found that it doesn’t rise as nicely as oil does.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake recipe.
- Chocolate frosting. I used 2-ingredient chocolate frosting, but any chocolate frosting (including store-bought brands) will work.
How to make almond flour chocolate cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease two 9-inch springform pans.
Step 2- Mix. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Step 4- Assemble and frost. Let the cakes cool briefly in the pans, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting and stacking them.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Save time. Use a stand mixer or electric mixer.
- Don’t have springform pans? Don’t worry about it! I often use regular 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper to keep the cake from sticking.
- Keep an eye on the cake. The cake will continue to cook as it cools, so check it periodically. Once a toothpick comes out mostly clean, it’s ready to remove from the oven.
Variations
- Make a single-layered cake. Cut the cake ingredients in half.
- Add almond flavor. If you want the almonds’ flavor to come through, add one teaspoon of almond extract and garnish the cake with slivered almonds.
- Serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries for a little finishing touch.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to one week.
To freeze: Wrap cake slices in plastic wrap and freeze them in a shallow container for up to six months.
Frequently asked questions
No, this cake won’t work with coconut flour. You may like to make a coconut flour chocolate cake instead.
Cakes sink in the middle if the batter is overmixed or if the oven temperature drops as the cake bakes. My rule of thumb is to only mix the batter until smooth, and once the oven door closes, don’t open it until the time is up.
More delicious chocolate cakes
Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar can use brown or white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil or any neutral oil * See notes
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease two 9-inch springform pans and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your almond flour, arrowroot powder, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt, and mix well. Next, add the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the batter into the two greased cake pans. Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cakes cool completely, before layering them up and frosting them.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated May 2022, updated and republished July 2024
Can I use only egg whites instead of full eggs?