This easy to make and absolutely delicious dairy free keto chocolate cake is sugar free, grain free and absolutely decadent and fabulous. The fudgy frosting is made with real cacao powder and avocados and is going to blow your mind!
A dairy free keto chocolate cake, say what??
Can we take a second and really just swoon over this fabulous chocolate cake recipe? I may be new to the keto baking scene, but boy am I loving it so far.
Just earlier this month, I took my 5 minute paleo chocolate chip cookies and turned them into some fabulous keto chocolate chip cookies.
It wasn’t too hard as the base of the recipe was already keto friendly (raw cashews), and I just had to do some work with keto sweeteners and work on the textural component a bit.
Now, this cake recipe wasn’t so easy for me. This was actually my third outtake…!
Do I have to use dutch processed cocoa in this keto chocolate cake recipe?
The first time I tried making the cake, I did not use a dutch processed cocoa powder, so the baking powder did not activate. What does that mean?
The cakes did not rise. They were so tiny and sad. Be sure not to do the same thing! 😉
Isn’t it fascinating that baking recipes can be so finicky? It’s part of the magic, I think.
It’s one of my favorite parts of baking. There isn’t room for much creativity on the front end of creating a recipe but on the back end (during development), juices are really flowing!
More paleo chocolate recipes:
Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Easy Vegan Dark Chocolate Caramel Cups
Delicious, dairy free avocado chocolate frosting
Okay, let’s really get into it now. Can we talk about the avocado cacao frosting? I am OBSESSED.
I have seen recipes around on social media for frosting like this before, but I really wanted to try my hand at it.
I didn’t want there to be any reminisce at all of any avocado flavor. I think adding the creamy coconut milk and avocado oil into the frosting is what was the real game changer.
It made the frosting taste silky and so damn de-lish.
Oh, do you see how fluffy and crumby (in a good way) the cake layers themselves look? That wasn’t easy to achieve…
Don’t mess around with flour substitutions in dairy free keto chocolate cake!
Let me tell you… the first one I made, Tim said it wasn’t just moist but it was WET. It crumbled into a big huge mess, and I decided I’d mix it into a batch of dairy free vanilla ice cream or something.
Nothing goes to waste at our house.
Third round was gold though. I finally got everything right with ratios, and I’m so glad I tried again. I was ready to give up, but here’s what’s important:
Be sure to find a super fine almond flour like: Bob’s Red Mill or Wellbee’s. You want it to be this consistency so the cake doesn’t feel dense and raises well with a nice crumb!
After whipping up this keto chocolate cake, I knew we needed a big carton of non dairy milk in the fridge.
We didn’t have any, so I soaked a bunch of raw cashews and whipped up some creamy cashew milk really quick. It’s a WINNING flavor combo, I’ll tell you that much.
So satisfying.
Well, what are you waiting for?
Let’s get to baking and get this wonderful dairy free, keto chocolate cake in your life!
You can thank me later. Promise 😉
Dairy Free Keto Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup erythritol
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour super fine, SEE NOTES
- 1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
Frosting
- 1/2 cup erythritol
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder SEE NOTES
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons canned coconut milk
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 2 -2 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
Frosting
- In a food processor, combine all of the frosting ingredients except the oil until smooth and creamy throughout. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times.
- Add in oil a tablespoon at a time until it is thick but spreadable. This took about 2 1/2 tablespoons for me. Transfer to a small bowl.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line the bottom of (3) 6-inch springform cake pans with parchment circles and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip eggs on high speed for 7-9 minutes until voluminous and pale in color.
- In a separate large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, a little bit at a time. Carefully fold with a spatula but do not over mix.
- Stir in vanilla extract and oil last. Mix well with a spatula for no longer than 30 seconds. Make sure the oil has been incorporated throughout the batter.
- Immediately pour the batter evenly into the 3 cake pans. Tap them on the counter multiple times to ensure there are no air bubbles. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until set in the middle. You will know it's finished when you lightly push on the center of the cakes with your finger and it doesn't leave an imprint. It should slowly spring back at you. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans completely. Carefully remove from the pans by running a knife along the edges and inverting them onto a wire rack.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting between the layers and on the outside of the cake. Serve at room temperature. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in case you make a double batch and have extra.
Recipe Notes
Be sure to find a super fine almond flour like: Bob's Red Mill. You want it to be this consistency so the cake doesn't feel dense and raises well with a nice crumb!
For this recipe to turn out correctly, you need to use dutch processed cocoa powder. It is a cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkali, making its pH neutral. The baking powder is activated with this type of cocoa, so please do not substitute here!
Hi! I’m Monica – recipe developer, matcha addict and lover of all things chocolate, kombucha and any & all puns. I am also the blogger, real food lover, & bonafide hustler behind the blog ‘The Movement Menu.’ I’m so excited to welcome you to my happy space, where my appreciation of creative recipes and healthy & mindful eats come together to inspire you to live a healthy, balanced life.
This cake is really good. I’m impressed. I’ve used avocado with chocolate before, but the frosting really works well as a pudding too sans cake. The cake is perfectly moist and somewhat dense in a good way. I’ve eaten it shortly after baking/cooled/room yemp, out of the refrigerator, and after 15 seconds in the microwave and it’s delicious each method. I’ve got part of it in the freezer which I’ll remove and serve next week.