This coconut flour chocolate cake is perfectly moist with a rich chocolate flavor.
This is the best coconut flour chocolate cake recipe ever! With one bite, you will be convinced. My friend kept requesting I make her that chocolate cake with that tasty icing. She has discerning tastes and doesn’t eat gluten-free. It felt like the biggest compliment.
Coconut flour has a reputation for creating baked goods that are dense and taste like sawdust. Even if you overmeasure your coconut flour, creating a thicker cake, it will just taste like a brownie. No sawdust taste, I promise!
Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake Tips & Tools
For this recipe, you will need:
- Two 8-inch Cake Pans
- Parchment paper
- Three medium to large mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Measuring spoons & cups
When measuring your coconut flour, scoop the coconut flour and then take a knife and run it over the measuring cup to remove any excess. Never add a “heaping” cup of coconut flour to your recipe. Coconut flour is very absorbent and can cause your batter to become too thick.
Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Because we’re baking with coconut flour, which is naturally gluten-free, we’ll need extra binders (think eggs), so don’t be shocked when you see how many there are! Most of the ingredients are pretty typical, but I’ve included comments where quality matters or you can DIY an ingredient for extra points.
- 8 large eggs, room temp
- 3/4 cup sugar (you can also sub in coconut sugar)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (I linked to my favorite storebought coconut oil – here’s how I find good-quality coconut oil; you can also make your own coconut oil at home)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (can also make your own vanilla extract at home)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour (here’s how I identify good-quality coconut flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (you can DIY baking powder very easily)
- 1 cup peanut butter/almond butter/cashew butter/sunbutter
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoon powdered sugar/maple syrup/raw honey
- 1/2 cup water (more if needed)
What brand of coconut flour should I use?
I prefer to do all of my baking with Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour, but you can use any other brand of coconut flour.
Can I use almond flour instead?
I only tested this recipe with coconut flour, and I do not recommend you use almond meal instead. The two flours aren’t easily interchangeable. (Almond flour can tend to lead to greasy bakes if not properly balanced.)
Can I make this recipe egg-free?
I tested this recipe with eggs, but you could try using these egg replacement ideas to replace the eggs. You can try replacing the eggs with a “chia egg,” bananas, applesauce, or whatever you usually use in place of eggs. Beware the cake will be denser if you use an egg replacement.
Egg replacement options:
- chia egg: 1 tbsp of chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp of water = 1 large egg.
- 1/4 cup ripe mashed banana replaces one large egg
- 1/4 cup of applesauce replaces one large egg
How can I make this recipe sugar-free?
You can easily make this chocolate cake sugar free by using erythritol instead of coconut sugar. But you must use a sugar replacement that is measured cup for cup. Stevia does not work as a sugar replacement in this recipe. For the icing, you would need to use powdered erythritol.
PrintCoconut Flour Chocolate Cake
This coconut flour chocolate cake is perfectly moist with a rich chocolate flavor covered in a chocolate peanut butter icing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 cake layers, 12 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 8 large eggs, room temp
- 3/4 cup sugar (coconut sugar and erythritol work well)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup peanut butter/almond butter/cashew butter/sunbutter
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoon powdered sugar/maple syrup/raw honey
- 1/2 cup water (more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, using a sifter, sift the cocoa powder, coconut flour and baking powder to remove any clumps.
- Stir in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Pour half of the batter into each cake pan and immediately place in the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Place the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
- Store decorated or undecorated cake in the fridge or freezer. Can be refrigerated for up to 7 days. Do not store at room temperature because the cake will go mouldy fast. Coconut flour baked goods tend to go bad faster than regular baked goods.
For the frosting:
- In a large-sized mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar and start whisking or use a hand mixer.
- Add tiny amounts of water until the icing is at your desired thickness but still spreadable.
- Can be stored in the fridge for 7 days.
Notes
Nutrition is based on cake made with coconut sugar, without frosting.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 191
- Sugar: 12.5g
- Fat: 13g
- Carbohydrates: 15.5g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Protein: 5g
Learn the basics of baking with coconut flour with these coconut flour recipes!
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