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This almond flour chocolate cake is moist, fluffy, and needs just a handful of ingredients to make! Made in one bowl, it’s naturally gluten free and easily made low carb!
Ever since making homemade almond flour, I’ve been on a kick using it in anything and everything.
While I use it in more breakfasts (like in banana pancakes) and in cookies (like chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies), I’ve recently loved using it to make a chocolate cake!
Table of Contents
How does almond flour affect cakes?
Almond flour makes cakes fluffy yet moist, and with a lighter crumb. It works well in chocolate desserts, as it doesn’t leave you feeling heavy afterwards, and the higher fat content means you also don’t suffer a sugar crash.
Why this almond flour chocolate cake recipe will be a dessert staple-
- Even though it’s made with almond flour, there is NO almond flavor. It tastes like any excellent chocolate cake out there.
- It’s made in one bowl, so you have no excuses for cleaning up for it.
- It’s naturally gluten free and easily made keto, so it’s a perfect keto dessert.
No dairy and no grains are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is super moist and tender, layered and topped with a creamy frosting. It is rich, and full of chocolate flavor throughout.
How to make almond flour chocolate cake
The Ingredients
- Almond flour- You must use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Doing so will ensure the cake is fluffy and moist (not dense!).
- Arrowroot flour- Gives the cake structure and stability.
- Cocoa powder- Unsweetened and sifted cocoa powder. For a darker and richer flavored cake, use dark cocoa powder.
- Sugar- I used coconut sugar, but brown sugar or white sugar can also be used.
- Baking soda- Gives the cake some rise and fluffiness.
- Salt- Brings out the sweetness of all the other ingredients.
- Eggs- room temperature eggs.
- Oil- Canol oil, vegetable or any neutral flavored oil.
- Vanilla extract- A must for any good cake or dessert recipe.
- Chocolate frosting- You can try a healthy frosting or even a keto frosting.
The Instructions
Start by mixing your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Next, whisk in the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
Now, distribute the cake batter amongst two 9-inch cake pans. Bake the cake for around 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely, before frosting and layering them.
Ingredient swaps and substitutions
- Make it eggless. While not recommended, you can try using one of these egg substitutes.
- Swap out the arrowroot powder. Cornstarch is a suitable replacement.
- Lower the carbs. Replace the sugar with a brown sugar substitute or allulose.
- Use coconut oil. Refined coconut oil has no coconut flavor and can be used.
- Omit the frosting. This cake tastes just as delicious on its own.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Do not over-bake the cake, as it continues to cook as it continues to cool down. Once a skewer comes out mostly clean, it’s ready to remove from the oven!
- If you’d like to make this a single layer cake, you can halve the recipe.
- Use a spring-form cake pan for easy removal.
- Avoid replacing the sugar with monk fruit or erythritol. They both crystalize and do not dissolve like white sugar does. You would be better off making a keto chocolate cake instead.
- Do not use Dutch processed cocoa powder, as it can react negatively with the baking soda and yield a flat cake.
Storing and freezing instructions
- To store: If you intend to enjoy this cake within two days, you can keep it at room temperature, stored in a sealed container. If you’d like it to keep longer, store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- To freeze: Place slices of the cake in a shallow container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More almond flour dessert recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
No, this cake won’t work with coconut flour. You may like to make a coconut flour chocolate cake instead.
Unlike coconut flour or oat flour, almond flour is an easy flour to work with and works similar to cake or wheat flour. To ensure your cake turns out perfect, use grams instead of cups.
Without a leavening agent, almond flour cakes won’t rise. However, when made with some baking soda and/or eggs added in, they will rise.
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 dry ingredients 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.
Made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday. Swapped the oil for avacado and added a “dash” of cinnamon in the batter. One of the best gluten free cakes I have had. Beat simple mills hands down .
Thanks so much, Faith 🙂
Do you have to use Arrowroot powder or is there a substitute for that?
That’s all I’ve tried. You could try something else.
Yum! Fluffy and delicious! Can’t believe there’s no wheat flour in it. Made this as cupcakes 350F for 25 minutes—could’ve probably done a few minutes less. Also used 1 c white sugar and 1/4 c stevia. I would reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 c next time, though it wasn’t too sweet. Subbing tapioca starch (cheap at an Asian market) worked well in place of arrowroot powder. I would increase the cocoa for more chocolate flavor, as it was rather faint, though dark brown in color. We didn’t use any frosting. Next time, I want to try subbing the oil for applesauce to make this even healthier.
I made these with less sugar, since my husband is diabetic and added 1/4 cup unprocessed bran to give them fiber. I had to add more oil since the batter was too dry. I did not add the frosting for the same reason. I made them into cupcakes and baked them for 20 minutes.
Everyone that tried it liked it very much. Will make again.
This was the best almond flour chocolate cake I’ve ever made!!
Made this with two children, so the five minutes prep time was more like 30 including time to play with the gloopy mixture. Used almond meal because I didn’t read the instructions properly, and rapadura sugar because it’s what I had, and the cake was fantastic in both flavour and texture. Thank you.
I made this cake but as muffins instead of a full cake. I had to add more oil and an extra egg as the batter was really dry but could come down to the low moisture content of my almond and arrowroot flour as well as high altitude. Turned out perfect, cooked for 18 minutes for 12 muffins.
I think my grandma will like it so much and the was good.
This is 110% the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten! It’s so easy and my family had no idea it was grain/dairy free. I even substituted flax eggs with success! Thank you!
Thank you, Chloe 🙂