Am I the only one who thinks that chocolate cake is the cat’s meow?
Seriously, could there even be a better dessert?!
On that note, we all need the purrfect chocolate cake recipe… (Sorry, enough with the cat puns.) Well, this is it!
If you’re looking for the most satisfying, moistest, and healthiest Paleo chocolate cake, you’ve found it. (I can’t forget The Best Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Cake Ever {with only 6 ingredients!} either, though.)
The ganache is what every chocolate frosting should be: easy-to-make and so decadent you’ll know you’re eating dessert from the very first bite.
If you’re worried about caffeine — plug your ears, über-dark-chocolate-enthusiasts — just sub in part carob for the cocoa. I can tell you firsthand — and I am a dark chocolate enthusiast — the cake is still amazing. I’ve made the carob version multiple times, and my entire family loves it.
So, be a purist, or add carob. Either way, you’ll love this moist Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting!
One more item of note: you can make this cake into cupcakes! They’re great. My son prefers them because he can have his cupcake all to himself. 😉
Paleo Moist Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Ganache Frosting
If you're looking for the most satisfying, moist-est, and healthiest chocolate cake, you've found it. You can even make it into cupcakes! And the leftovers just get better! Makes (1) 8-inch cake.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder or substitute up to 1/2 cup cocoa with roasted carob powder
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter or lard, melted then measured
- 1/2 cup pure water warm
- 3 organic or pastured eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Grease an 8-inch cake pan, round or square.
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In a medium sized bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, cassava flour, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, blend together the wet ingredients. Alternatively, combine them in a blender.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined. Do not over-mix. There will be a few small dry pockets that remain.
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Pour into the greased dish.
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Bake for about 45 minutes in preheated oven until toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early so you don't over-bake.
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Allow to cool slightly while preparing the frosting (see below for frosting recipe).
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Pour partially-cooled frosting over partially-cooled cake. Use all or just some of frosting, depending on preference.
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Chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
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Serve!
Recipe Notes
- If you're worried about caffeine sub in part carob for the cocoa. I can tell you firsthand — and I am a dark chocolate enthusiast — the cake is still amazing. I've made the carob version multiple times, and my entire family loves it.
- You can make this cake into cupcakes!
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
This ganache is what every chocolate frosting should be: easy-to-make and so decadent you'll know you're eating dessert from the very first bite. Makes approximately 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or coconut cream, for dairy-free option
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons sustainably-sourced gelatin (certified glyphosate-free) use 2 1/2 teaspoons gelatin to have a super-thick mousse-like frosting
Instructions
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Pour heavy cream or coconut cream into a small-medium sized saucepan.
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Sprinkle gelatin over the surface and allow it to dissolve for 1 minute.
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Whisk thoroughly before adding any additional ingredients. This will help the gelatin to dissolve.
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Add cocoa powder and sweetener and whisk again until fully mixed.
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Place the pan over medium heat and whisk continually for 8 to 10 minutes, until chocolate is steamy but not simmering. Cocoa should be fragrant.
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Turn off heat and allow frosting to cool for 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
This decadent Chocolate Ganache Frosting will soon be your favorite!
This recipe was featured in 30 Real Food Romantic Dinners & Desserts For Date Night (Best Valentine’s Day Food).
What’s your favorite dessert? What do you think about this Moist Paleo Chocolate Cake?
Looking for more nourishing, gut-healing foods that your family will love to eat?
Be sure to check my cookbook: Eat Beautiful: Grain-Free, Sugar-Free and Loving It (softcover version as well).
It contains all the recipes I’ve perfected through my family’s years on a gut-healing diet.
My eBook and video package is currently 50% off. One of the bonus videos you’ll get explains the grain-free baking technique I use to make amazing panini sandwiches for our gut-healing cafe in Eugene, Oregon!
...without giving up the foods you love or spending all day in the kitchen!
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This looks amazing! And I will have a birthday boy in a few days!
Oh yay! Happy Birthday to him and enjoy the cake! 🙂
This looks so good! But I have a question, is there something that I can substitute for the cassava flour? I don’t want to buy it just for this one recipe. We are not paleo either 🙂
Hi Amanda, I don’t know, actually. I haven’t tried alternatives. Do you have any sprouted flour on hand? You might be able to sub that in. Cassava flour works well the other way around: you can often sub it in for white or wheat flour in recipes…I’d love to hear how it goes, if you try that.
I have some soft white wheat on order from my natural grocers. Once it gets here, I am going to attempt making sprouted flour (my first time ever). I’ll try making the cake after I get done with that adventure and let you know how it goes 🙂
Great! I’ll look forward to hearing!…. 🙂
Where do you even get cassava flour? I looked it up online and the only place that came up was Amazon.
While I’m all for experimentation with different ingredients, it’s really not practical if they’re not easily accessible.
Yes, Amazon is one good place to get it, or directly from Otto’s. Both provide free shipping. If you live in a city with natural food stores, you can also request them to carry it. This is a flour that is becoming extremely popular; so they will benefit from carrying it. Hope this helps!
My question is can I sub coconut creme for whipping creme in frosting? Thanks!
Hi Teri! I’m just trying that actually tonight, to be sure! Such good timing for your question. 🙂 I’ll reply again tomorrow. It’s currently chilling. I expect it to be perfect! The only difference is that the gelatin won’t dissolve on its own when sprinkled on top of the coconut cream. It needs to be whisked in…
Okay~ results- the coconut cream ganache is SO good! It turned out perfectly. Enjoy!!
Can I sub the eggs with gelatin? Thanks!
Hi Kendall. 3 eggs tends to be the maximum in a recipe that will allow for a substitution, so it may be worth a try, as long as you expect some variation in the end result. 🙂
Just made this…very good…only thing I would change is adding a bit more maple syrup. .wasn’t sweet enough for us..probably will do 1/3 cup next time …but will definitely be making it again ..thanks
I just made this in a 7″ springform pan and the texture and taste were great BUT it was definitely not sweet enough. I will be adding more Maple Syrup to the next batch which I am making now. The texture is like a wonderful muffin. Loved it! Thanks…
I have looked up and down this entire post three times and can’t find the cake recipe, only the chocolate ganache frosting. But people commented about cassava flour and eggs, neither of which are in the frosting, so the cake recipe must have showed at some point.
Ditto! Not sure where the recipe went. Would have been nice to try it.
Hi Julie! So sorry about that — the cake recipe should show now. 🙂 Thanks for letting us know!
–Haniya, TCS Team
Hi there! I still only see the frosting recipe. Is it a link that I’m missing?
Oh, will you try again now? I think for some reason my changes didn’t “stick” last time.
–Haniya, TCS Team 🙂
Hi Carolyn! I’ve fixed the post to include the cake recipe. Thanks for letting us know it was missing!
–Haniya, TCS Team
How can I store the leftover ganache?can I freeze and reuse? I don’t eat sweets or bake sweets often so I would like to store it for later.
Hi Theresa, good question. I haven’t frozen before, so I can’t say how it will behave thus. But it does refrigerate well. You can put it in a small mason jar, or one that best fits the quantity you have, for about a week. I’m not sure how long it will last beyond that because of the cream or coconut cream. So it may be better to gift your leftovers to someone you know who’ll eat them sooner than later. 🙂
Hi Megan,
I’ve been wanting to try this for awhile, but forgot about it and then found it again when I wanted to make it for my dads birthday in 2 days. I don’t have the gelatin though! Would arrowroot be able to be used as a substitute? I’m new to this type of healthier cooking, but I do have arrowroot! Thank you!
Wendy
I made this a few years ago for my mom’s birthday and she loved it! doing it again, but i’m wondering if you think it would handle a bit of coffee or espresso in the batter well, for a more devil’s food like flavor?
This recipe was the very first time that I have ever used cassava flour(I used Otto’s) and I am glad I picked this recipe! It was my husbands birthday and I used both the cake and frosting recipes. I live in northern Phoenix so I don’t know if the difference in elevation combined with a difference in oven temps, whatever, my cake baked in just 35 minutes at 325. Other than that difference, both recipes were fantastic, we sliced the cake into layers…per slice…then added the frosting between the cake…omg, best cake we have had in years, literally. We have been grain-free for over 10 years and I have used, coconut flour, almond flour, flax meal, tigernut flour, arrowroot, tapioca flour and while they all have their good points when used in the right way…Cassava flour is off to a great start as being my favorite grain-free flour. Thank-you for this recipe, a great intro to using cassava flour!