Chocolate cake is one of those life luxuries that need no introduction. And if you know me well, you know I am a fan of baking with almond flour. I had originally shared this Maple-Sweetened Almond Flour Chocolate Cake recipe back in 2017, and it has been a reader favorite ever since.
Since then, I have also created other almond flour cakes like Almond Flour Carrot Cake, Strawberry Almond Flour Cake, Almond Flour Apple Cake, Lemon Almond Cake, and Almond Flour Brownies. I based all of these recipes on this cake made with almond flour with minor ingredient changes.
With this update, I am answering all the questions I have received over the years and even showing you how to turn this healthy flourless cake into a birthday cake. If you need a dark, decadent and elegant cake recipe, you are in for a treat, even if you are new to making a cake with almond flour.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
If you ever needed an excuse to make this chocolate almond cake recipe, then this one’s for you!
I love it because it’s:
- Mixed in just one bowl with a whisk in under 10 minutes using only 7 simple ingredients. No other equipment is needed.
- Can be served in several ways: Serve it by itself, spread it with frosting or whipped cream, or make two batches and make a layered cake.
- Perfect for parents who are looking for a chocolate cake recipe made without processed sugars for their children. My recipe here is mildly sweetened with less than a cup of maple syrup.
- Flourless, low carb, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, paleo-friendly.
- Super forgiving and can be made with a number of substitution swaps – keep reading to learn more!
Ingredient Notes:
The ingredient list is short and sweet, with only 7 pantry staples. Gather together coconut oil, almond flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, large eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. It is best if they are all at room temperature.
Below are a few helpful notes, including a few substitutions:
- Almond Flour: Almond flour and almond meal can be used interchangeably in this recipe. You can also make your own almond flour
- Make it with honey: Use ½ cup of any light-colored honey instead of maple syrup
- Make it with agave nectar: If you want to substitute maple syrup with agave, be sure to use an equal amount of it
- Cocoa Powder: This recipe uses Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, and it will not taste good if you use its Dutch Processed version.
How to Make
This low carb chocolate cake recipe comes together in minutes in one large bowl. Simply;
- Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Line an 8-inch* springform pan with parchment paper and grease it generously with melted coconut oil using a pastry brush. Set aside.
- To make the cake batter: Mix the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the almond flour mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. You can whisk wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls, but I have found success in mixing them in the same bowl, so I no longer bother dirtying two bowls.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let it cool on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife over the edges and transfer the cake onto a cake plate. Let it cool to room temperature.
How to Serve / Topping Ideas:
My favorite thing about this almond flour chocolate cake recipe is that it is so versatile. Here are a few ways to serve it:
- Serve it by itself: This is one of those incredible chocolate cakes that can stand on its own with a cup of coffee, tea, or even a glass of almond milk. You can lightly dust it with powdered sugar (if you must) or top it off with ice cream as well.
- Spread it with Whipped Cream: Make a batch of my Maple Whipped Cream and spread a generous amount on top. Garnish it with fresh berries or any other seasonal fruit.
- Frost it with Chocolate Frosting: If you’d rather have a dairy-free alternative as a spread, use my Healthy Chocolate Frosting recipe made with almond butter, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
How to Turn it Into a Paleo Birthday Cake?
If you want to take it a bit further, you can turn it into a celebratory layer cake. How to do this was one of the most asked questions I received, especially from young moms (with children with strict dietary restrictions) looking for a low sugar and low carb birthday cake recipe.
To make a layered chocolate birthday cake (or a cake that would work for any celebration), simply:
- Make two batches of the same cake (aka double the recipe)
- Place them on a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
- Place the first layer of cake in the middle of a large plate (or a cake platter), spread half of the chocolate frosting evenly over the top. Place the second layer on top. Spread the rest of the chocolate frosting and garnish with strawberries (or any seasonal fruit would also work)
Because I like that deep chocolate flavor, I used chocolate frosting, but you can use whipped cream to layer as well.
How to Store & Freeze
- Storage Instructions: The cake can be stored, unfrosted, and without the fruit in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, I recommend first slicing the cake into eight pieces. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer the now frozen cake slices to an airtight container or large plastic freezer storage bag with small squares of parchment between each piece. Seal tight, label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing Instructions: To thaw, leave it out on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes for the cake to loosen up, then enjoy!
If you make the layered version, I recommend keeping it in an airtight container in the fridge. It should keep fresh up to 2 days.
Tips for Success:
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder rather than Dutch-processed cocoa. The baking soda needs the acidity in the cocoa to react and add lift while baking. Dutch-processed cocoa would result in a flat cake.
- Cake Pan: Both an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan will work. The baking time remains relatively the same, but I would start checking the 30-minute mark for the best results.
- Coconut Flour? Do not replace almond flour with coconut flour. Coconut flour is super absorbent and bakes up entirely different. Stick to blanched almond flour or almond meal.
- Use different fruit depending on the season: I am a big fan of berries but come the holiday season, I use pomegranate seeds. I also love decorating it with fresh mint. If you love the combination of chocolate and mint, it works wonderfully in this almond chocolate cake recipe.
- Love dark chocolate? If you want a cake with a deeper chocolate flavor (more of an Almond Flour Dark Chocolate cake), melt a teaspoon of espresso powder in two teaspoons of water and add that in the batter.
- Want to turn this into cupcakes instead? No problem, try my Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes recipe instead (Hint: It’s the same recipe!)
Equipment Used:
More Chocolate Recipes:
I have heard so many of my readers refer to this as the best chocolate cake recipe that they have ever made. I hope you get to try for yourself and feel the same way. And if you cannot get enough of chocolate, here are a few more reader favorites that you might also like:
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
- Nut Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Can’t get enough? Check out all my favorite Easy Chocolate Desserts
Want more recipes made with almond flour?
Here are a few of my favorites:
- How To Make Almond Flour At Home – Cheaper!
- Foolproof Almond Flour Recipes For Beginners
- Almond Flour Pancakes
- Quick Almond Flour Bread
- Easy Banana Nut Muffins with Almond Flour
- Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes
- Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies
If you try this Chocolate Almond Flour Cake recipe or any other one of my Almond Flour Cake recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Almond Flour Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil to grease the pan
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour or almond meal (5.25 oz. or 148 gr.)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1.5 oz. or 43 gr.)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup (approximately 230 ml)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
As Topping (optional)
- 1 cup maple whipped cream or healthy chocolate frosting
- 1 cup fresh berries and other seasonal fruits
- 3-4 leaves of fresh mint thinly sliced (julienned)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 F degrees. Line an 8-inch* spring form pan with parchment paper and grease it generously* with coconut oil. Set aside.
- To make the batter: Mix together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let it cool on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife over the edges and transfer the cake onto a cake plate. Let it cool to room temperature.
- When ready to serve, spread the maple whipped cream or chocolate frosting over the top and decorate it with fruit and mint. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to grease the pan well. Otherwise it might not come off easily.
- This recipe makes one 8-inch cake. You can serve it as it is or spread it with maple whipped cream or healthy chocolate frosting.
- To Make it a Layered Cake: If you want to turn it into a layered cake make two batches of this cake. Let them fully cool to room temperature. If you want to follow my footsteps (like I did in the photos), use my healthy chocolate frosting recipe in between the layers and on top. Garnish it with fresh strawberries or any other seasonal fruit.
- Cake Pan: If you do not have an 8-inch spring form pan, a 9-inch pan would work as well.
- Honey instead of Maple Syrup: If you want to use honey instead of maple syrup, simply use 1/2 cup light flavored honey and follow the rest of the recipe as it is.
- Storage Instructions: The one layer cake can be stored, unfrosted, and without the fruit in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, I recommend first slicing the (one layer) cake into eight pieces. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer the now frozen cake slices to an airtight container or large plastic freezer storage bag with small squares of parchment between each piece. Seal tight, label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing Instructions: To thaw, leave it out on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes for the cake to loosen up, then enjoy!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in August 2017. It has been updated with new photos and helpful information in May 2021 based on comments and questions I received throughout the years.
Lauren
Absolutely brilliant recipe. I’ve really struggled to find a recipe that actually tastes chocolately and has a nice texture and actually bakes as it’s supposed to! It ticks all the boxes. Will definitely be making again!
Aysegul Sanford
This makes me so happy Lauren. Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review.
Marcella de vuono
Amazing recipe! So easy to make and taste is Wonderful. I doubled the recipe to make the layered cake and baked them into two small pans. In between the layers i put strawberry jam and chocolate ganache. I covered the whole outside of cake with ganache as well and topped it with berries. Loved it!! Thanks for recipe again :))
Aysegul Sanford
Oh I love the idea of using strawberry jam. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. So happy to hear that you liked it.
Lyn
It is a success at first attempt. I’m making this as a birthday cake for my toddler. Moist, spongy and not overly sweet. I baked it for 45 min at 170 deg c. I find it a little bitter though. Not sure if it’s the cocoa powder (Hershey) used. Thank u!
Aysegul Sanford
Happy to hear that you liked it Lyn. I doubt that the bitterness would have anything to do with the cocoa powder you used. I would up the amount of maple syrup or honey you use. Perhaps, one or two tablespoons next time?
I personally try to keep the amount of sure used to a minimum so instead of upping it I use juicy/ripened fruit on top to compensate.
I hope this helps.
Claire Wang
This cake didn’t taste very chocolatey to me. I can taste the maple, the salt, and even the eggs, but the chocolate is barely there. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I ran out of vanilla extract (ending up with more like 1/2 a teaspoon than a full tablespoon :/) — I’m sure that changes the flavor, but I wouldn’t have expected it to taste significantly less chocolatey as a result? Maybe I measured wrong?
Aysegul Sanford
Wow, I’m really surprised to hear that about the chocolate cake – everyone who makes this cake actually ends up saying the opposite, that it’s very rich and chocolatey. While it may not seem like small ingredients like the missing vanilla make a difference to flavor, baking is such a science and everything affects everything, including how ingredients are measured, etc.
If you do try the recipe again, I would recommend sticking to the exact measurements (including weighing out your dry ingredients). Thank you for giving it a try – happy baking!
Suman
Awesome!!
I loved the recipient..It’s so easy to follow as well 👍
Aysegul Sanford
I am happy to hear that you liked it Suman. Thanks for coming by.
Cheers!
Patty
The cake barely rose. I followed your directions exactly.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Patty,
Compared to cakes made with all purpose flour, almond flour cakes do not rise as much. There are a few reasons for that but the main one is due to its weight and its fat content. This in turn yields a more moist cake that is smaller/thinner in size. I hope this helps.
Lori
I just made this cake and it is fabulous! A few caveats regarding my experience – I only had dutch processed cocoa and didn’t realize it until I was fully committed to the recipe. After a quick “substitution” search online, I found King Arthur Flour’s suggestion to use baking POWDER in double the amount of baking SODA the original recipe called for. I thought, well, that’s all I can do for now, so I used 1 full tsp of baking POWDER along with the dutch processed cocoa. The result was excellent and I was so relieved. I cannot wait to get the natural cocoa and make this cake again!!! Thank you, this takes just like a “real” cake!!
Aysegul Sanford
Hello Lori,
This makes me so happy. I am glad their suggestion worked.
Out of curiosity, did you do a two layer cake or one layer?
Thanks for coming by.
Cheers,
Aysegul
Ramya
sorry just saw this now will be making this soon for the maple whippng cream can i use coconut cream as am a vegan i love chocolate soooooooooooo much this is perfect for me as i dont like dairy perfect for my birthday on 19 September and my after office snacks will tag you on twitter if i make this Thanks Ramya
Aysegul Sanford
Ha ha. You can use coconut whipped cream here easily. 🙂
Jen H
This recipe is officially the best wheat and cane sugar free chocolate cake in my collection. I’ve made it several times now for a friend with food allergies to wheat and cane sugar. She LOVES it. It’s moist, light, fluffy, just sweet enough, and deeply chocolatey. Folks with no food restrictions enjoy it, too, and wouldn’t have noticed it was “different” if we didn’t tell them. I paired it with a maple syrup sweetened chocolate buttercream or simply decorated with berries and a dusting of cocoa powder on top. It’s so good. It’s also unbelievably easy and quick to make. Thank you, Aysegul!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Jen,
This makes me so happy to hear. I too make this cake often and lately I have also been spreading it with a healthy chocolate frosting. I plan on sharing the recipe next week. It is the perfect perfect healthier birthday cake ever! 🙂
Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review.
Cheers!
Tarangini
Thank you for this amazing fool proof recipe!!
My 5 yr old loves chocolate cake and
I have been baking this wonderful cake whenever he asks for a cake.
One happy mama !!
Iam making one right now for tomorrow’s valentines day.
Thank you again !
Happy valentines Day to you!
Aysegul Sanford
Hello Tarangini,
This makes me so SO happy. I am thrilled to hear that you and your son liked it.
Cheers,
Aysegul
Lucia
This is out family’s new favorite cake!!! So wonderful and not too sweet….my daughter has named it the “Fabulicious Chocolate Cake”
Aysegul Sanford
Ha ha.. That is so cute. Thanks for letting me know Lucia.
PS: I am working on a birthday cake recipe using this chocolate cake as a base and will publish it soon. 😉
Shae
This is my go to recipe for chocolate cake. I’ve made it several times since discovering it in 2018. I am so glad that I found this recipe. I am going to try another one of her recipes. Everyone, even those who don’t like chocolate, enjoy this cake. It is a must try. Just follow the recipe (ingredient list and directions) and don’t tweak anything. You can’t go wrong.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Shae,
This is music to my ears. This cake is one of my go-to cakes as well and never had anyone not like it.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Have you tried any of the other almond flour cake recipes I have on the blog yet?
Cheers!
Heta
What alternative for egg?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Heta,
Sadly this cake wouldn’t work without eggs. I am working on a vegan almond flour cake recipe and plan to publish it once I nail it so stay tuned 🙂
Hope this helps.
Micarl Hill
Ayce
I am making the Almond Flour chocolate cake later today as you inspired me! AGAIN! Thank you for making cooking much more achievable by your videos and your sweet personality. You are amazing! Mica
Aysegul Sanford
Hello Mica,
It is so nice to see you here. I can never thank you enough for all your support. Both in my previous and current careers.
Hope you enjoy your chocolate cake. Sending you the warmest hugs from VT.
Cheers!
Maria
Hello! I was going to make this cake today, but I realized that I only have 3 eggs left in the fridge and groceries won’t arrive until the end of the week. Do you think I could still make the cake? Would it work with only 3 eggs?
Thanks!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Maria,
Honestly, I have never tried making this almond flour cake with 3 eggs, but I would assume that it would work. It might be a little drier than the version with 4 eggs but I believe it would work.
Perhaps, you can add in a splash (3 tablespoons or so) milk? It is hard to tell exactly without actually trying but I believe it would work.
I hope this helps.
Maria
Thank you very much for your prompt reply! I’ll try and let you know!
Maria
Excellent!!! It did work, I added 4 tablespoons of milk and it is delicious!
Thank you for the recipe and the advice!
Aysegul Sanford
This is music to my ears. So happy to hear that it worked.
Thanks for coming by Maria.
Helen
Oh. My. Absolutely Delicious? I kept peering through the oven glass, as I couldn’t understand how this recipe could possibly work. Suffice it to say more than half the cake was gone before lunch was served… it was meant for dessert! Deliciously moist- even without sour cream! Thanks, Ice.
Aysegul Sanford
Oh this is music to my ears Helen.
I am so happy to hear that you liked it. I have a new almond flour cake recipe coming up (currently in the oven). I cannot wait for you to try it.
Cheers!
olivia rosenberg
This cake is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing, Aysegul!
It’s easier for me to find all purpose flour than it is almond flour at times. Would all purpose flour work as a substitution here, or do I need to adjust the recipe? Thank you in advance for your time, help, and amazing recipes!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Olivia,
I am so glad to hear that you liked this recipe.
I feel you about finding flour. Sadly, it is not a good idea to substitute all-purpose flour for almond flour. I wrote extensively about this in this How to make almond flour at home post, if you want to learn more about it.
And to answer your question, this recipe would not work with all-purpose flour. However, I have a fantastic chocolate bundt cake recipe you can make using all-purpose flour. That recipe is a reader fan that has a lot of good reviews. It is also my go-to recipe when I want to splurge on a very chocolate-y chocolate cake. ?
I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions. Cheers!
Jay
Hi, could you use raw cacao powder or Dutch process in place of regular cocoa powder?
Aysegul Sanford
Hello Jay,
I think raw cacao powder would work. I would not try it with Dutch processed though.
I hope this helps. Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions.
Cheers!
Jay
Definitely helps! I was about to use Droste but will opt for the raw cacao instead. Wish me luck. Thanks so much for such a prompt reply!
Aysegul Sanford
All the best of luck Jay! 🙂
Wendy Cooke
Wow this is an awesome recipe – I made the same quality but used 2 smaller pans it rose so well and was super moist and chocolatey. I made a kind of chocolate frosting using cocoa paste and powder , coconut oil, maple syrup and a bit of almond flour to thicken a little. Super super impressed!
Aysegul Sanford
Ohh this is music to my ears Wendy. Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a review.
Cheers!
Wendy Cooke
Ps must tell you I have now made these cake three times the compliments keep coming but the best part is the cake literally gets better over time I made it on fri and just had the final piece now and it was even moister!!!
Aysegul Sanford
Ah that is so great to hear. My husband just asked me to make it again so I have mine in the oven as I type this.
So happy to hear that you are loving this recipe Wendy.
Sending you all the good vibes from the snow mountains of Vermont.
Mahitha
My 5 year old loved this cake and it was a hit in our potluck, Thanks for the recipe. I am not feeling guilty either when allowing my kiddo to eat his cake , even the extra piece.
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! So happy to hear that. This is music to my ears.