For my husband’s birthday a few weeks ago I made him a Coconut Flour Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Bacon Frosting. 
It was a big hit. (You could easily leave the bacon out of the Chocolate Ganache Frosting if you are less than thrilled about trying that seemingly crazy scheme.) Here’s a closer look at the cake after it was sliced. Sorry, but I can’t resist showing off my blue hydrangeas. I love hydrangeas!
Back to the chocolate cake. Don’t you just want to dig in?!
In the chocolate ganache frosting post I promised to provide the recipe for the cake itself in the next entry. But I lost my notes! (Can you say ADHD?) I was about 90% sure of the ingredients but needed to make it again to validate the recipe.
Poor me.
This time I chose to make the coconut flour cake with a Coconut Honey Frosting. (Hydrangeas again)
And because the layers were quite thick, I cut each one in half and made a four-layer paleo chocolate cake. The cake cooked up and tasted just like the other one so now I feel comfortable sharing the recipe. Whew!
Is it a Paleo Chocolate Cake or a Devil Dog?
My husband, G, took a few bites of the Paleo Chocolate Cake with the Coconut Honey Frosting and remarked it tastes surprisingly like a Devil Dog. What?!
At first I was mortified. I mean, Devil Dogs (along with Twinkies) seem to exemplify all that is wrong with packaged food. But I’m dealing with a man here and to him, and I suspect many others, Devil Dogs are pretty appealing. But I can assure you this particular cake recipe is nothing like a Devil Dog in terms of quality ingredients. Just look at what is in a Devil Dog:
Corn Syrup, Vegetable Shortening Partially Hydrogenated, Soybean(s) Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Canola Oil, Corn Syrup High Fructose, Wheat Enriched Bleached Flour, Flour, Iron reduced, Vitamin B, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Sugar, Water, Cocoa, Whey, Milk Non-Fat, Soy Flour, Cornstarch Modified, Salt, Leavening, Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Aluminum Sulfate, Mono and Diglycerides, Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60, Propylene Glycol, Egg(s) Whites, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Caseinate, Buttermilk, Vanilla, Flavoring Natural, Flavor(s) Artificial, Vanillin, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel Color
YUCK!
Wait until you see the ingredients for the paleo chocolate birthday cake. It looks nothing like a Devil Dog. This is an elegant dessert that has some serious nutrition in it. So take that, G! 
How Do You Like Your Chocolate Cake?
I don’t know about you, but I like a chocolate cake with some substance. People talk about cakes that are “light and fluffy” and I suppose there’s a place for that. To each his own. I make no judgements. But in my humble opinion, chocolate cake is most satisfying when it is rich, moist and dense, more like a pound cake. But when I think of pound cake I think of those boring loaf pans. Blah. So I like that this recipe gives me that moist and dense feel of a pound cake with the beauty of a round cake presentation.
Don’t be mad at me. I made this in odd-sized cake pans. I know, I know, everyone has those 8 or 9 inch cake pans. But when we have smaller family birthday parties we simply do not need that much cake. Having so much leftover dessert leads to dietary stress. (At least it does for me. My boys would completely disagree) So I invested in a couple of 5-inch pans and have been really happy with the results. (I also made this recipe in 9-inch pans and will provide the ingredient quantities for that too in case you prefer the “full size” version.)
Four-Layer Paleo Chocolate Cake!
This paleo chocolate birthday cake recipe makes for some pretty thick layers (in the 5-inch pans), perfect for cutting in half to create the four-layer cake you see in the photos below. 
If you think you might enjoy a dense, moist, chocolatey coconut flour cake then this recipe is for you. No, cavemen would not be making this cake. But WHO CARES?! I feel confident calling it “paleo” because it is gluten-free, grain-free, legume-free (yes, some gluten-free cake recipes have legumes) and dairy-free. This paleo cake is also nut-free which is why I can use it for kids’ birthday parties where nuts can be problematic for some guests.
Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients (two 5-inch cake pans)
- 2/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup high quality cacao powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (butter or ghee), melted (more for greasing pans)
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee (or water)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- parchment paper for lining cake pans
;
Ingredients (two 9-inch cake pans)
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 3/4 cup high quality cacao powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 9 eggs
- 3/4 cup coconut oil (butter or ghee), melted (more for greasing pans)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3/4 cup brewed coffee (or water)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- parchment paper for lining cake pans
;
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Combine coconut flour, cacao, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with whisk attachment, whisk the eggs.
- Add the oil/butter/ghee, maple syrup, coffee and vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated – about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl (you may need to do this a couple of times) and beat cake batter on high speed for about one full minute so that the batter is fluffy.
- Divide batter between the two prepared pans. It will be thick. (Spread it out evenly in the pan)
- Bake for 25 minutes (for 5 inch pans) or 30 minutes (for 9 inch pans) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn out onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Check out how nicely the 9 inch layers turned out!
Coconut Honey Frosting (Paleo/Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold pressed palm shortening
- 3/4 cup (approximately half a can) full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup honey (or vegan honey substitute)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape down sides of bowl and continue beating on high until the frosting is fluffy and thickened.*
* The frosting will “break” when you first start mixing it. Just keep going and it will eventually come back together and be light and fluffy like whipped cream.
Making the Four-Layer Paleo Chocolate Cake
Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Then cut each layer in half lengthwise.
Begin adding the frosting to each layer until you have a four-layer cake like this one. The frosting is slippery and you could easily have a disaster on your hands if you are not careful while putting this together. I don’t recommend trying to put too much frosting in each layer.
The coconut honey frosting was very wet at first and I was afraid it would just melt into the cake. But once I got it onto the cake it actually set up quite nicely. I did put the cake in the refrigerator at first just to make sure the frosting set. But after that I left it sitting out for a day in a glass-covered cake stand and it is was totally fine. The frosting is very light and fluffy in contrast to the heavier cake. It made for a delightful combination. If you are making the larger version of the paleo chocolate birthday cake you may want to increase the frosting recipe. But I found it was enough for a two layer cake.
Enjoy! Please let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by.
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WOW! This looks amazing. I am going to pin it for a later use!
I can’t wait to try this. Thank you for a cake recipie without nuts. A nut allergy makes paleo interesting to say the least.
This looks amazing!! Can you tell me if Palm oil and palm shortening are the same? I’m in Australia and can find Palm oil (my daughter is horrified even tho I told her it was from a sustainable source) but not shortening. what could I use instead.
Thanks
Hi Sue, I believe palm oil and palm shortening are the same. At least the one I use is 100% palm oil shortening. It is white and solid at room temperature. That’s the key. You could potentially use butter as a replacement. Another option would be to use the coconut fat skimmed off the top of a can of full fat coconut milk. Putting it in the refrigerator first helps. I have not tried it for this recipe so I can’t say how the consistency would work for a frosting – I think it would be fine on top but maybe wouldn’t stick to the sides. Makes me think I should try it out. I hope that helps. Good luck!
Lea
I have not personally tried this cake, but I have made several “paleo” coconut cakes and this one looks amazing.
I do usually use the fat from the full fat coconut milk. It gives amazing flavor and texture.
Thanks Lea, my palm oil is sort of orangy colour. I’ll try to do a bit more research and then give it a try. Love your website:-))
Sue, the palm oil you have is oil from the flesh of the fruit itself, but the white/clear coloured palm oil is palm kernel oil, oil from the seed. Palm oil has a very strong flavour and it would ruin the recipe in my opinion.
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Stunning cake and photos, Lea! Hehe on the devil dogs comment, but I bet if you tag this post “gluten-free devil dog” and “paleo devil dog,” you’ll get tons of hits from those terms! Love your smaller cake, too. Yes, a big cake is just too much for most families. Anyway, gorgeous job on this healthy, tasty cake! And I love the hydrangea. My hydrangea is so very different in color, but they are all beautiful.
Shirley
Hi Shirley,
Thanks so much for the compliments and the link on your Facebook page. It’s just like a man to think Devil Dog = awesomeness. LOL. I appreciate the SEO advice. I went and put in the tags you suggested. I love my hydrangeas – I’ve learned the color depends on the acidity of the soil as well as the species. They sure do require a lot of water. I’ve been out in the heat today watering them so they don’t totally wilt and die!
Cheers, Lea
Yum, must try this one soon! Question tho: What would the ratio’s be for just a single layer choc cake in a reg size round cake pan?
Hi Michelle,
) Or you could possibly use the 5-inch recipe and just put it all in one pan. It would just be a fairly thick layer and I’m not sure how much time it would require to bake – probably 35 minutes? Next time I make it I will make an attempt at one 9 inch layer because there are probably plenty of people like you who want something less than a giant cake but don’t necessarily have the 5-inch pans.
I just made it yesterday in two 9-inch pans per the recipe and it turned out perfectly, albeit thinner than the ones in the 5-inch pans. You could probably just half that recipe. (Not sure how to do 4.5 eggs!
Make two and freeze one? Wonder how well they’d freeze. Or make two and give one away. I read a story about a woman who made one cake every day for a year and gave it to someone to cheer them up
Julia,
I haven’t tried freezing it but can imagine it would freeze pretty well. Making a cake for a different person every day is a nice deed. Sounds a little exhausting unless you love baking. This cake isn’t cheap either so it certainly would be quite a nice gift.
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Wow this looks great! Can’t wait to try the honey frosting too. Devil dogs used to be my favorite junk treat when I was a kid, so I am actually glad to hear it tastes like one.
Beautiful looking cakes! I will have to give this one a go! I’ve not had a great relationship with coconut flour so far – but I’m hoping this will sort out our differences!
P.S. I’m loving the hydrangeas! I have a huge Hydrangea plant by my front door – ours are a beautiful pink. I’ll have to snip off a few heads and use them in future post!
Yes, coconut flour can be tricky because it is so dry. I hope you will like this cake. I don’t know about you but I end up watering my hydrangeas every day when it’s hot. High maintenance in that way but well worth it IMHO.
Thanks for your comment. Lea
Love this recipe, and will try it once I order the 5″ pans. Question, did you buy the 2 inch deep 5 inch cake pans, or the 3 inch deep pans?
Thanks!
Hi Kim,
I may have linked to the 5″ x 3″ pans in the post but I just checked and mine are the 5″ x 2″ pans. good luck!
Lea
Thanks so much! I will order mine online today and make this next weekend. I will let you know how it comes out! Happy 4th!
Any idea what could be used as alternative to palm shortening in the frosting? No idea where I’d get hold of that here in the UK.
It has the same consistency as other types of shortening (though I would certainly recommend you NOT choose a hydrogenated one). I thought it would be interesting to create a “dairy-free” and vegan frosting. But if I had not chosen palm shortening I would probably just use a high quality butter.
OMG!!!! I made this cake yesterday for my birthday and it is literally the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I did add a 4 ounce bar of 99% chocolate, melted just to boost the chocolate flavor. It was phenomenal. I used butter instead of coconut oil.
For the “icing” I made chocolate mousse. Whipped heavy cream from my local dairy farmer, and 99% dark chocolate, melted with some honey to taste, and folded that together.
I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this was. My family didn’t even know it was flour and refined sugar free until I told them!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know Christy. The chocolate mousse for “icing” sounds delish. Now you know why I didn’t mind testing the recipe a few times!
Thank you so much for the paleo cake recipe. I have been going paleo strong now for 2 months, but my birthday is tomorrow. and growing up non paleo. it was a family tradition to at least have a birthday cake. so you could imagine my mothers horror when i told her i wasn’t aloud to eat grains. thank you for giving me an excellent substitute for this day.
I will most certainly be trying this recipe as soon as my current Whole30 is up!
If you are wanting an excuse to try this recipe again, I would love to know the amounts and baking time for a cupcake version! (A great variation for parents providing goodies at school, sports, etc.!)
Thanks so much for the delicious recipes *and* photos
Dana,
Thank you for giving me that excuse! I’ll try cupcakes this week. Today I’m planning on working on a peach tart because they are so delicious right now. Good thing I’m not on a Whole 30 this month! Good luck with that, it can really do wonders.
Lea
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I made this cake for my birthday… it was so good! I made the 2 9″ rounds.. and I think next time I make this, I may increase the incredients by 1/2 so that the cakes are a little thicker.. other wise, it was paleo perfection!
That looks absolutely divine! I love that it doesn’t use nut flours. Bookmarked it!
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup?
Robyn,
You could probably use honey. The only thing is maple syrup is more liquid than honey and you need the liquid because the coconut flour is so absorbent. I also think honey is somewhat sweeter because it is more concentrated. Just keep those things in mind and adjust accordingly. If you do try it please let us know how it goes.
Lea
Just wondering if anyone tried this with cupcakes yet?? It looks amazing! I’d love to use it for my daughter’s birthday this weekend
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made the cake yesterday and couldn’t decide which frosting to use–they both sounded so tempting–so I filled the cake with the Coconut Honey Frosting and iced it with the Ganache, minus bacon. It’s scrumptious! I’m sure we won’t be able to eat it all tonight and I wanted to prevent dryness (though it doesn’t seem like it will be a problem with this cake), so while I was filling the cake I brushed each layer with the coconut milk I had left over from the frosting (I would normally use simple syrup, but this seemed like a good non-white sugar substitute). Hope someone else finds it helpful also!
Thanks for the tip Andrea. I’ll bet the combination of chocolate frosting and coconut filling was amazing.
Made these for a church brunch this morning as mini cupcakes with ganache on top. I have been wanting to make it but didnt want leftovers at home. So I had a great opportunity. I used flaxseed/water blend in place of eggs. DELICIOUS!!! My kids thought I was their hero. They can’t wait for me to make them for their birthdays! Seven different cakes were made for this brunch. Guess which cake disappeared first? Thanks for the recipe!
Kelly, how many mini cupcakes did the recipe make, and for how long did you bake them?
It made 36 minis and 8 regular. I cooked them about 15-18 minutes for the minis a little longer for the regular.
Awesome! Made as is, but into cupcakes. I made the 9in Recipe and it made a full 24 cupcakes, and baked for about 22min. I must say I was a bit nervous with the batter as it was very thin, not thick like it said it would be. Not sure how it could be thick with 9 eggs, the coffee, coconut oil, maple syrup… But turned out great. I used full flavor coconut oil so they are a bit like chocolate macaroon cupcakes! Yum. No icing yet, and not sure they even need it! Kids are currently enjoying fresh from the oven. Need to put them away to make sure they last until the party.
Kim,
Thanks for the update!
I’m so glad you did the “hard” work testing this recipe as cupcakes.
Lea
Tried to copy this recipe, but the batter was nowhere near as thick as in the pictures, it was as runny as cocoa-milk actually. Maybe because of the fact we used shredded coconut i.o. coconut flour. But we can not get our hands on it here.
Second the frosting was a disaster…. at first it did not combine at all, put it over a heat and then it did, but after it went nowhere to the consistancy of whipped cream..We did substitute the palm shortening by butter, but that’s supposed to be a good alternative.. But no chance…
We’re just starting at baking paleo type cakes and stuff, but what did we do wrong?? It’s like everything is going wrong, nothing has the right consistancy or colour.. Tried another frosting/icing recipe, but it should turn out white.. it’s honey coloured and again, still quite runny.. it’s more a glaze than a frosting..
HELP???!!!!
Diana
Diana,
I’m sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. The biggest problem is your substitution of the coconut flour with shredded coconut. Coconut flour and shredded coconut are two totally different things. Coconut flour is extremely dry and powdery. Shredded coconut still has much of the moisture in it. Coconut flour is so dry, in fact, that recipes using it require a LOT of moisture in the form of eggs and other liquids. That explains your batter problem. I’m not sure where you are located but if you have access to Amazon.com you could order coconut flour from there. I have some links in my online store. Here’s one. http://astore.amazon.com/paleospirit-20/detail/B003XB3NNE
As for the frosting, I have made other frostings with butter in the past but have only made this particular recipe with palm shortening. If you are using butter and having problems with the frosting I suggest you search for a recipe that is specifically butter-based to make sure your experience goes better. Also, in order to get the consistency of a whipped frosting instead of a glaze you have to use an electric mixer. There’s almost no way to whip enough air into this recipe without a stand mixer or an electric hand mixture.
I hope that helps.
Lea
I used coconut flour as well and mine is runny. Not sure where I went wrong. This isn’t my first time using coconut flour either, I use it for banana bread a lot and it is fine. Hmmm…
Mine was way runny too, I wonder if my coconut flour is old? When I tasted it, I could feel a grainy texture from it not soaking up the liquid. But the batter still tasted good! Popped it in the oven and everything came out just as fabulous as I expected!
Thank You for posting this recipe!!
I made the nine inch cake. My cake batter came out very watery but cooked beautifully, I used a bear pan cause its for my sons first birthday tomorrow. The frosting on the other hand I have no idea what to do!!! I’m in a furnished apartment now with no electric mixer so everything has been done by hand with a silicone whisker, what a arm workout! I’m guessing that if I had the right tools it would’ve turned out.
Yes, the frosting recipe really needs an electric mixer. It takes time and a lot of speed whisking before it comes together. I’m glad the cake worked out though!
You rock! I went grain-free some years ago due to allergies. I gave up trying to find edible gf bread a couple of years ago. I figured looking for gf cake would be worse. This cake is just beautiful. I have copied the recipe and am going to make several over the holidays. Just can’t thank you enough!
You’re welcome and I hope you like the finished product!
Hi,
I also have made this cake (a few weeks ago) for our grown daughter’s birthday, and it was DELICIOUS! I bought the 5″ pans on Amazon, and the cake, with the chocolate frosting (minus the bacon) was truly wonderful, and allowed us to stay on our diet (Beyond Diet), yet snack on some home-baked goodness. THANK YOU! I will be making this again.
Coconut can be a problem for some with nut allergies, I would be cautious about serving it to a potentially allergic population like kids.
Also, honey is not vegan. It’s an animal product.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I was about to pull my hair out looking for a paleo chocolate cake for my daughters 4th birthday and this is perfect!! She saw the pictures and her frown flipped upside down with lightning speed!
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Thank you so much for this recipe! I love eating clean, paleo food…BUT I also love chocolate and cake! My cake batter was also pretty runny so I added a couple Tablespoons of coconut flour and it turned out perfectly moist. I broiled the bacon and it was a bit too crunchy in the ganache, so I think baking or frying would be best. Again, thank you–recipe is perfect.
WOW! Looks totally delicious! I have a birthday party tomorrow and this cake will be the center of attention I’m sure! I think I might add some fresh berries between the layers…
I hope it turned out well for you. The berries sound delicious.
Hi,
I am horrible at baking but seeing as I am making my husband eat Paleo, I should probably bake him a birthday cake!
Just wondering what difference the coffee or water makes to the cake?
It looks amazing! And I totally agree with you about the ‘light and fluffy’ cakes, never liked them. In fact I haven’t had much trouble going paleo cause I never ate cake to begin with. I think people who love cake have it harder.
So from someone who doesn’t like cake, this looks so delicious and I might have to make a test cause I’m so horrible at baking, (and maybe so I can try it) sometime this week before my boy’s birthday next Sunday.
thanks!
Hi Kate,
I don’t believe the coffee makes a huge difference. You need the liquid so you could sub with water. The coffee just accents the chocolate flavor a bit but it’s not critical. If you are not used to baking and you are concerned about getting it right you might want to do a trial run. Also, I just remade my “Chocolate Paleo Snack Cake” yesterday. But instead of making it in a 9×9 glass pan like brownies, I made it in a 9 inch cake pan. I greased the pan and lined the bottom with parchment paper. Otherwise the recipe and cook time is the same. I topped it with frosting and it was delicious and looked more like an actual cake. It might be another option for a birthday cake. It only makes one layer though. Just something to consider.
Good luck!
Lea
Ok thanks, I’ll check the other recipe out! Since his birthday is on Sunday, I was planning on taking a cake to church for morning tea! So I will need a fair bit. Just measured my single cake tin and it it 8″ wide by 3.5″ deep.. so not sure which recipe to follow. And should I divide it in two? Or will it work as a single thicker cake? thanks! Love your site by the way!
The chocolate snack cake would probably be fine in an 8″ inch pan. My pan was 9″ so you might need to tweak the cook time slightly but otherwise I think it would work well. That would be just one single layer. The chocolate “birthday” double layer cake was also made in two 9 inch pans but I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work in two 8″ inch pans. I just haven’t tried it.
Thanks for the compliment. I hope you enjoy whichever cake you make.
Hi Lea,
I made the test cake today and it turned out amazing! It’s the most complicated thing I have attempted and I am so glad it worked out! Thankyou! This will now be my go to cake for birthdays! Do you mind if I link to your recipe on my blog?
thanks!
Kate
Great. I’m so glad it turned out well. I would prefer you not repost the entire recipe but linking to it is perfectly fine.
Thanks!
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I messed up another recipe but used most of these same ingredients (i used palm sugar instead of paste with the other) and this recipe worked replacing the syrup & extra cup of water with 1/2 palm sugar. Should’ve made the icing too but I had a sweets craving and was too lazy to make to things! It worked and wasnt too sweet. I cant wait to try this recipe and do it correctly. This recipe is fantastic (even when done incorrectly
!!!
Wow, your recipes and the photos of the cake and your hydrangea all look terrific! I am diabetic, following the Wheat Belly program, so don’t want to use honey or maple syrup. Do you think it would work to use stevia plus something liquidy (coconut oil???) to make up for the moisture that would be lost without the honey? Thanks!
Thank you Ellen,
Some of my close relatives are currently following the Wheat Belly program. I think you could make this cake using stevia and some extra liquid. I’m not sure you would need to add oil, maybe just a little extra water? I don’t want to steer you wrong because I have never used stevia in cooking and coconut flour can be tricky to work with as it is. If you do give it a try I hope you will let us know how it goes.
I was excited to make this cake to surprise my hubs for his birthday tomorrow. My batter also turned out very runny. I’m a pretty good cook and baker, and I followed the directions to a “T”. I used all of the exact ingredients that it asked for. I’m really hoping it turns out. Any reason my batter would have been like regular cake batter instead of the fluffy/thick batter that yours showed?
Amanda,
It’s the coconut flour. There can be a pretty significant difference in how it “behaves” among brands and depending on how it is stored. For instance, I saw a post recently that showed that 1/2 cup coconut flour can vary between 45-59 grams. I have made the cake a few times now and it has turned out good even when the batter was more “wet” and less fluffy. If your batter was like a regular cake batter you are probably fine. I’m hoping it turns out!
I was wondering if you’d let me cross post this onto my blog. I’m always looking to share good recipes and this one sounds wonderful. I hope to get some coconut flour tonight and give this a try.
Kris,
I would prefer if you post about the recipe that you not repost the recipe in its entirety. I would love to see you post about it and get your thoughts on the results. You may even use one of my photos if you like with a link back to the original recipe on my site.
THanks, Lea
That sounds perfect, thank you! I hope to make the cake in the next couple of days. I just got the coconut flour today.
I’ve made the chocolate cake recipe with butter instead of coconut oil, and it looks amazing. (Two 8″ pans, and I’d like to cut them laterally to make a four layer cake like yours!)
I need to now frost it for my son’s birthday dinner tonight. The problem is I cannot get palm shortening (I’m in the UK) except by ordering it from the US for absurd amounts of money in customs and shipping.
Two questions:
1) Should I try to make the frosting with butter, or coconut oil? I have both.
2) Is it important to use the coconut milk with gums added to bind it? I usually buy the coconut milk without, which is much runnier and doesn’t stay together long after mixing it with an electric mixer. I’m guessing the coconut milk with the added gums is going to be more likely to stay firm enough to hold up the rest of the cake but some confirmation would be helpful.
P.S. I love your hydrangeas. I’ve always loved hydrangeas, and also grow them since moving to the UK from my native Canada, a very cold region where hydrangeas couldn’t grow.
Hi Diana,
For the frosting I would definitely recommend the butter over the coconut oil primarily because I have had more success with butter in frosting than coconut oil. Just keep in mind the color will not be as white as the one you see in my photos because the yellow of the butter is not cancelled out by a ton of powdered sugar. I use canned coconut milk in this recipe and I have only ever used the full fat variety which is much thicker (usually without a lot of added thickeners) than the ones that you might find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. If you only have the other variety just be mindful that you might not need as much. I’m not sure how it will work simply because I haven’t tried it. But I’m crossing my fingers hoping yours works!
Lea
I just had to thank you for this amazing recipe! I made the cupcakes version, and they made a special birthday picnic at the zoo even more special. My husband and I both eat gluten free, mostly paleo, but since he is sensitive to almonds its very hard to find good cake recipes without almond meal. I am also somewhat sensitive to sugar (which is mostly what caused me to go to a paleo-type diet) so I needed something that used a more acceptable sweetener.
Btw, I did use butter instead of palm shortening in the frosting. Like I said, we’re not totally paleo since we still eat dairy. But I thought some people might like to know, it does work just fine as a substitute. I’m looking forward to using this recipe again and again.
I thought your chocolate cake looked amazing! and as im new to Paleo i thought i would give it a try as i have visitors tomorrow!
I added more coconut flour, maybe another 1/4 cup but it made no difference at all!?
I had all of the ingredients and followed the recipe, however i found my batter was as liquid as water! I know others have found this as well and i understand its down to the coconut flour? Ive found it hard to find more than one brand of coconut flour in the UK, without spending a fortune on it from the internet
I baked mine in 2x 6″ pans and firstly for 25 minutes, as directed, but they were still completely liquid when i checked them!? Ive put them back on for another 20 minutes and ill let you know how i get on!
Update! after the extra 20 minutes cooking they came out beautifully! Oh ye of little faith!
Mine are fairly coconutty in flavour, maybe becasue i added the extra flour to try and thicken it, but they look like decent chocolate cakes to me!
Well, Natalie, reading your comments was a bit like riding a roller coaster! I was nervous then relieved. That coconut flour really absorbs moisture. I hope the cake wasn’t too dry with so much more added. It’s tricky because the brands are different. Bon appetit
Dear Lea,
Brilliant results from your recipe: I’ve just followed your coconut chocolate cake recipe, and like Natalie, I’m in the UK. I’m using Tiana Organic Fairtrade Coconut Baking Flour as well the same brand Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. For the Cocoa I’ve used Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa.
My mix was also much more liquid than I was expecting and, as more of a savoury cook, I’m not that practised with baking cakes. However, I needn’t have worried.
My oven manual (a newish AEG model) recommends using a lower temperature 160C (which is 320F) for baking a sponge cake. I thought I’d best go with that recommendation as it says simply to add on time as necessary. After 30 minutes my toothpick came out very wet, but I did another 10 minutes, and then another 10 minutes – and the cakes are perfect. I should say that I didn’t have 9-inch tins, but I used 8-inch silicon round cake pans, and the two cake discs look and smell amazing! They are now cooling on the rack. I’m going to tackle the your chocolate ganache recipe next, and then we will take half the iced-cake, and the other half-portion of the cake which will (by then) have been incorporated into my wife’s Black Forest Trifle recipe – which includes black cherries and kirsch, topped with cream, with shaved dark chocolate on top. We’re normally both strict paleo, but this is a special Sunday Lunch invitation from one of our neighbours, and we offered to do dessert!
Thanks again for your lovely recipe. I’m going to subscribe to your blog.
Regards, Steve
Hi…
Just started a paleo-ish diet. Loving the coconut flour option in baking. As a chocoholic…this cake has got me über excited! Got a question though…I live at an elevation of 5,500 feet. Have had issues with cakes before. Would you have any suggestions for high elevations? Thanks a mint!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. The kids really enjoyed making it with me – it was sliding all over the place! You certainly weren’t kidding about the slippery part! My husband, who isn’t crazy about cake, absolutely LOVED it. My cousin said it was the best cake she’s ever eaten. I’m going to surprise her with one for her upcoming birthday. This time I will include some decaf espresso instead of water that I used last time, just to see how it enhances the chocolate. This is a remarkable recipe.
I just baked this cake (two 9″ pans) for my husband’s birthday tomorrow and they are cooling as I type this. It turned out beautifully and the batter tasted yummy! I used the coffee and got a slight taste on the batter which I loved. Now I have to decide which frosting to use when I finish it off in the morning. I don’t have the palm shortening which is required for the coconut honey frosting and I noticed you replied to somebody to use butter over coconut oil….however the butter I have would not make it dairy free (which I would like it to be) so I will look into another frosting. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I can’t wait for my husband and children to taste it!
Thanks for this great nut-free recipe! I adapted it to make a pumpkin cake for my daughter’s birthday, which turned out delightfully moist and so much lighter than almond flour cake. Everyone scarfed it down – kids and all!
Annie,
I’m intrigued by your use of pumpkin. What did you do? Sounds good!
Lea
Using the 9″ recipe, I replaced the coconut oil with 1 Cup of pumpkin puree, and instead of cacao, I used 1.5 C coconut flour plus 1.5 T cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cloves. I used 10 eggs, although I can’t recall why I thought that was necessary! I also beat the egg whites separately and folded them in last to keep it a little more fluffy.
For the icing, I went the primal route with good ol’ heavy cream, pumpkin puree and maple syrup.
Brilliant! I think I need to make and photograph an “Annie’s Paleo Pumpkin Cake”!
I just made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it was DELICIOUS! We had a few friends over and my friend’s son who is 8 and quite a picky eater finished his plate! Everyone raved about it, and I’m so happy I found this recipe!
My icing was definitely watery, but I went along with your instructions, and found that it definitely set much better than I anticipated. Thanks so much for posting!
I tried this last night. Cake=awesome! The frosting, however, less than to be desired. Mine turned out very separated. I had lots of honey looking water left in the bottom of the bowl, and then an oily spread for the frosting. It tasted like I was eating shortening with a twinge of honey and coconut. This morning, the frosting is hard and I definitely feel like I am just eating a mouthful of shortening
I followed the measurements…how is mine not light and fluffy and creamy?
Did you use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment? That’s what I used and found that after a bit of mixing it separated into what you describe but if you keep the mixer running it does come back together and whisks into something lighter and fluffier and more akin to whipped cream. So my guess is you either tried whisking by hand or didn’t let it go long enough or fast enough. Not to say there couldn’t be other factors but that’s my best guess. Sorry that aspect didn’t work out for you!
Hmm. Well, I used an electric mixer with the two beaters (I don’t know what they are called!). I feel like I mixed it for a long time because you mentioned it would “break” but then come back together. I did see that happen but then slowly the water part started to separate off again. I wonder if I got a bad batch of something? Maybe the coconut milk was bad? Hm. Oh well! The cake was wonderful and I plan to use that recipe again, for sure. Thank you!
My frosting did the separating thing as well. And I used all the exact ingredients. I stood there with my kitchen aid electric hand mixer FOREVER! hoping that it would come back together, but it never did…
Oh. My. God. It is so good. This is better than non-gluten free cakes, from what I remember of them. It’s fluffy and light yet moist and delicious. And to think I almost gave up on coconut flour altogether. I guess you just need the right recipe. It’s amazing that you are able to find just the right balance in your recipes.
This is so delicious!! I made it for my friend’s (who is NOT paleo/primal) birthday, and she and her friends LOVED it!! Between five of us half the cake was gone in one sitting. I used the chocolate ganache recipe (SO GOOD) from this website to frost the cake, but next time I’ll try the coconut frosting. And there will be a next time!
Can I make this in a Mickey Mouse cake pan for my sons 2 yr bday? What alterations should be done if any?
Hello,
I love your paleo snack cake, but am thinking about making this one for my son’s first birthday this week. Could I possibly use a banana to sweeten the recipe instead of the maple syrup? I would love to know your thoughts!
Kendra,
Thanks for the compliment. I’m glad you like the snack cake recipe. That’s one of our favorites. I don’t recommend subbing with a banana for the birthday cake. It might work but I’ve never tried it. Plus, the texture of this cake is lighter and fluffier than the snack cake which is dense because of the use of fruit sweetener. The coconut flour also just needs the extra liquid from the maple syrup. You might be able to do it if you added some extra liquid with the banana. But, again, I can’t recommend it. You could always follow the snack cake recipe and make it in a 9 inch round cake pan as a birthday cake. I’ve done that and actually like it better that way cut as a pie-shaped slice instead of as a brownie.
Lea
I made this cake for a birthday party which included folks who eat Paleo, gluten-free folks, and folks who eat low-carb. I substituted 1/2 c. xylitol, melted in about 1/3 cup boiling water for 1/2 cup of the maple syrup. It turned out SO delicious, and was completely devoured! My husband, who hasn’t been into alternative eating, loved it so much that he asked me to make another cake two days later. It’s disappearing bit by bit from the fridge. Many thanks to you for sharing your wonderful recipes and making cooking/eating easier for those of us who don’t eat mainstream anymore. =)
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I tried this recipe a week ago for my birthday. All I can say is WOW! Instead of cake, we made cupcakes, and they came out beautifully. I don’t know exactly how long I left them in the oven, but I used the same baking method of waiting until a knife came out clean. For the frosting, I used coconut oil, cocoa and a dark chocolate bar. It was really runny but after a little time in the fridge, it was the perfect consistency.
The cupcakes were really moist, and a bit more dense than standard cake. Everyone scarfed them down and was really impressed that they were paleo. We put some coconut ice cream on the side and it was better than usual.
Hi! Actually I think its a compliment that he said it tastes like “the real thing”! Do you have any tips to ensure the cake cooks evenly?? I have not had any luck making Paleo friendly cakes. Mine burn on top long before they even start to cook in the middle.
I have that trouble more with almond flour goods than with coconut flour recipes like this one. I think you need to cook almond flour baked goods on a somewhat lower temperature.
Hello,
I have made this for three birthdays now and everyone LOVES it! I have a question – could I use this recipe to make whoopie pies? I’d like to use paleo marshmallow for the filling. I’m just not sure if the batter would behave in small dollops or not.
Thanks and be well,
Katie
I’m not sure about whoopie pies. I haven’t tried this batter for those but if whoopie pies can be made from regular cake batter I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try it please let me know how it goes. Thanks!
I LOVE this cake!! I’ve made it 3 times now and it always turns out fantastic. I’m not on a paleo diet, but I do have several celiac’s in my family including myself and kiddos, so this works out great. I do some substitutes to lower the fat and cholesterol though. I use grapeseed oil instead of coconut oil, I use 2 whole eggs and 12 egg whites and 1 cup agave nectar instead of maple syrup and it turns out amazing. I typically also just make a butter cream frosting or chocolate ganache. So tasty!! Thanks for the inspiration!
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The recipe seems nice, however honey is not vegan….
There’s a little bit of debate on that in the vegan community that I have read about. However, if honey is not for you then you can substitute a vegan honey alternative.
Hi there, I’m just getting more into GF cooking and wanted to try a good coconut flour recipe and this looks great. Do you happen to know nutritional info. like calories and carbs? Would love to get a handle on that as well. Thanks!
I ran this through the recipe calculator at LoseIt.com. Making the 2×9-inch recipe and adding the frosting recipe, then dividing into 8 servings yields about 770 calories per slice.
Dave,
There’s no way this cake yields only 8 slices. Those slices would be enormous! It would be closer to twice that many servings for a double layer cake like this. But that’s cool to know the general range of calories in the cake.
Lea
Made cupcakes for my child’s fourth birthday party. Loved them. Easy and tasty! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
which frosting did you prefer? the chocolate ganache or the coconut honey and why?
Rosie,
They are so different, it’s tough to decide. It really depends on my mood. It’s hard to beat chocolate but the coconut honey has a nice, fluffy texture that I enjoy. It reminds me a lot of whipped cream. In some ways that one is tougher to make because you need an electric mixer and patience if it “breaks” before whipping up again.
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I loved this cake! Very simple to make and no one would ever guess that its gluten, lactose and nut free. Unfortunately I had one small problem with making this cake, and hoping you can give me advice on where I may have gone wrong for next time.
I used the chocolate ganache frosting on the cake and between layers, which was completely delicious, however the next day after leaving the cake in the fridge, the frosting went hard and turned into chocolate and the cake very difficult to cut and eat. Was I not supposed keep the cake in the fridge? Thanks for any advice!
Hi Jovana,
I’m really glad you liked the cake. There’s no real need to keep the cake in the refrigerator if it is going to be eaten within a few days. I think you would have the same problem with just about any similar frosting – they harden when cold. If the cake is refrigerated and then allowed to come to room temperature prior to eating I believe the frosting would also soften up again. I’ve never tried this as the cake usually doesn’t last too long around us – especially if it is served to a larger group of people.
Thanks for your comment!
Lea
Thanks for the extremely quick response! I followed your advice and the frosting has softened up… i’ve also put a slice in the microwave for a few seconds and now it’s perfect!
I was pretty sure there was nothing wrong with your recipe since I remember the same thing happening to me before with chocolate ganache, at least now I know it has nothing to do with my cake making skills!
Thank YOU!!! This IS brilliant!! So moist…so dense…so rich! And best part…you only need a small slice to be satisfied! I made the 9″ version with chocolate ganache frosting. Heavenly! One question…I have it covered…do I need to refrigerate…considering it has 9 eggs?? Thanks so much for a truly decadent dessert! Oh! One more thing…it is pricey! $35 in ingredients…but for a special occasion…I’d rather spend $35 on a cake I make that tastes better than any bakery! =)
Wow, Byron so you did the math on the cake cost that I was avoiding! TMI.
So glad you like it – it’s definitely a special occasion cake for more than one reason. Good question about the eggs. I’ve never had the cake last long enough to really have to worry about whether or not to refrigerate. It doesn’t have a lot of sugar and it does has a LOT of eggs, as you point out, so if you are keeping it around more than a day you should probably refrigerate the cake.
Thanks for your comment!
Lea
This was incredibly delicious!!!!! First paleo cake I’ve ever made, and let me tell you, it wasn’t difficult and it turned out incredible! I made NO changes to the cake recipe. The only change I made to the icing was the use of coconut oil instead of palm shortening ( I don’t have palm shortening in the house). Turned out fantastic. The only complaint in the house came from my husband, who is not paleo, and he get’s upset when I make paleo desserts (he loves desserts as much as I do…but he wants the “real” stuff) The cake DOES taste like a paleo dessert…definitely isn’t sickeningly sweet and has a texture slightly different than the normal cake…but I loved it and so did my bro. Anyway, great recipe! Thanks for it!
That’s awesome Niki! Thanks so much for letting me know how it went. I really appreciate it. You’re right, “paleo” desserts are never going to be quite the same as traditional baked goods but I think tastes change over time. I personally like less sweet desserts anyway. Thanks again.
This is so delicious! I made it for my son’s fifth birthday party over the weekend, and it was a hit. I actually don’t think it has a noticeable paleo taste; my husband said it just tasted more like brownies than a traditional cake (and he generally dislikes cake, so that was good for him!).
The frosting was AWESOME. Again, my husband doesn’t like frosting, but he said it was delicious. I’ve never had a Devil Dog, but I can see how this frosting could be comparable to the frosting inside that type of dessert. I will say that I wasn’t thrilled with the frosting when it had been refrigerated, but it got soft again when the cake was out of the fridge for some time.
I only made two changes. We’re on GAPS, so I used honey in the cake, not maple syrup (I’ll bet it’s even better with the syrup!). Also, I was using a 9×13 cake pan, so I did some Googling to find cake pan comparison charts. Based on what I found, I increased everything in the 9″ round pan recipe by 1/4, and the batter went in one pan instead of two. The cake baked for about 40 minutes (I can’t remember exactly…it was 3am, and I forgot to write it down!). It was a tad drier than it had been when I made a mini version the day before as a tester, but it was still very good.
I tried to add melted chocolate to the frosting recipe to frost the outside of the cake (it was a dinosaur fossil excavation site, and needed to be brown). It only kind of worked. After fifteen minutes of beating, I still only had slightly fluffy frosting with chocolate soup in the bottom of the bowl. I added in some hefty spoonfulls of shortening, and that seemed to do the trick. It finally came together in texture, and it got fluffy, but it was nothing like the fluffiness of the frosting without the chocolate. I had to put it in the fridge to set it, and it worked out okay for the cake (it was the perfect color), but I might play with it some more to see if I can make it work better in the future.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Lea! I was wondering, coconut flour is really expensive where I live (Canada), but I do have a ton of almond flour my husband bought down in the states for cheap. Do you know how I would adjust the recipe if I were to use almond flour instead of coconut flour?
Victoria,
Coconut flour and almond flour are so very different that it would be hard for me to advise you on how to alter this particular recipe. I do know you would use far more almond flour and far fewer eggs because the almond flour has a higher fat (and therefore moisture) content. I bet you could do a Google search on paleo almond flour chocolate cake and find a decent recipe. It’s on my list to create one so maybe I’ll take your comment as motivation to try my own version – unfortunately my oldest son with the nut allergy will be a bit peeved with me! Good luck.
I have no idea if this will turn out. I followed the recipe. My cake batter isn’t thick it’s liquid! I can’t understand how it would be thick because most of the ingredients are liquid. What have I done wrong? :-/
Clare, A lot depends on the coconut flour. Coconut flour is extremely dry and absorbs a LOT of moisture. That’s why there are so many eggs and other forms of liquid. It’s important to use the right amount of coconut flour to have the cake turn out well. You absolutely cannot substitute that in this recipe. There can be variations among brands and depending upon how it is stored it can have more or less moisture content. But I have had several people tell me the batter is fairly thin and it still turns out great. I hope the same ends up being true for you.
I’ve baked it and it seems ok! A bit flat but not to worry
I just made the 9″ cake recipe and my batter was liquid too. I used 2- 8″ pans and the cake seems to be rising nicely. It smells so good, just like my favorite “real chocolate bad for you cake”. I’m making this for my honeys 41st birthday. He is going to be sooooo surprised. I hope it turns out ok. So far so good!
Im new to paleo and trying to find some decent desserts to try. I am not a fan of coconut. I’ve never baked with the flour so I don’t know how strong the flavor is. My friend made some cake the other day with unsweetened coconut flakes and I didn’t care for them. Very coconutty tasting.
I’m halfway through making it, and I realized that what I thought was cacao powder is actually CAROB powder. Can I sub? Or will this require loading the kids in the car and going to Whole Foods?
I hate when that happens! I have never used carob powder but I do believe it is often substituted one for one for cacao. Keep in mind the carob may be sweeter than the unsweetened cacao so some people suggest using less sweetener in a recipe when using carob. Carob also doesn’t take quite like sugar and can sometimes be drier. As long as you like the carob flavor you can probably get away with subbing it. I have never tried it so I can’t speak from experience. I hope it works out no matter which route you decide to take!
Okay, I ended up subbing cocoa powder (organic) and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Lea,
My wife and I were so excited to find this recipe and make it for our son’s 3rd birthday party this weekend. Of course, we’d not done a test run and found ourselves making it late the night before the party. We could not find palm shortening anywhere locally, and we were forced to substitute with coconut oil. I’m not sure if the substitution should’ve been 1:1, but that’s what we did. The cakes came out slightly ‘oily’ but (we eventually discovered) quite tasty! The layers, did, however, come out very flat. We used 9-inch pans. Our batter never did get thick and fluffy as it looks in your photo. Ours was, in fact, a bit ‘soupy.’ I wondered whether the coconut oil substitution could’ve been the culprit, or rather if the eggs were supposed to have been super-whisked (or even whites separated and beaten to peaks)? Anyhow, we ultimately improvised with an almond flour, dark chocolate banana bread middle layer and the result was super tasty! …but any thoughts on where we might’ve gone wrong with our chocolate cake would be much appreciated! Thank you!
George,
Happy birthday to your little guy! First of all, I have learned along the way that coconut flour does not behave in a predictable way from person to person. This happens in cake recipes and especially in pancakes. It depends on the brand and how it is stored – whether or not it has absorbed moisture, etc… So one person can follow the recipe and have thinner batter and another will have thicker batter as I did. You can remedy this somewhat by adding a little extra coconut flour if the batter is just way too thin. But as you discovered, the thin batter doesn’t always mean hope is lost. I do agree you could separate the eggs and beat the whites to peaks and that would almost certainly give you a fluffier cake. I did not go that route simply because I’m too lazy to do it! Keep in mind the cake is on the dense side in general and won’t give you the same texture as a standard cake flour would. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it as I’m sure others do who read these comments.
Lea
Thank you for the super speedy reply, Lea, as well as for the thoughts. I realize that you’d recently answered the same question for Clare, so sorry to duplicate you effort. And as someone who’s life’s been transformed by this lifestyle, who loves food, writing and photography and is considering doing something very much like what you’re doing, I just want to let you know that I think the content and presentation of this blog are really terrific, really well done. Keep up the great work! All of us out here are grateful for it!
George
George,
Thank you so much for the compliments. I really appreciate the feedback. It’s nice to know my work is appreciated!
Lea
Hello there! I just found your recipe via a sewing pattern and am really intrigued with this cake. I love sweets and this looks YUMMY! We are just now trying to go paleo, but I have 4 kids and know that cake and treats will still need to be eaten occasionally.
I have a kiddo with a coconut allergy, so I am wondering what you would you replace the coconut flour with?
Also, just an FYI, when serving this treat to someone who does have a confirmed nut allergy, I would also ensure that coconuts are safe as some kiddo’s with tree nut/peanut allergies tend to have a coconut allergy too. We found that out the hard way. It’s not common, but for us, it is more severe.
Hi there. I made this cake yesterday and it looks good. It’s for company today. I made the frosting as per the directions, except I couldn’t find palm shortening so I used vegetable shortening. The frosting tasted very bland and not sweet at all. It tasted like eating shortening, so I tossed it. Was it because I used vegetable shortening? Was it suppose to taste sweet? I made a different frosting, the cake (the little sliver I tasted as a test) was good.
the coconut frosting was yucky, lol. And I did use a stand mixer, and it did come out white and fluffy, it just tasted really bad.
And my batter was very runny, but baked well.
Hi Nicole,
THanks for the feedback. I’m not sure what to tell you about the frosting. It is supposed to be sweet but I think I warned it is not super sweet like lots of traditional frostings. I hope the vegetable shortening you used wasn’t trans fat. I’m not sure about the taste difference. My result was very light and fluffy like whipped cream and pleasantly sweet. So maybe it was the vegetable shortening. Or possibly our tastes are just different. Either way, I hope you at least enjoyed the cake.
Lea
Hi there! I made this cake for my daughters first birthday and it was a big hit! I had to use a different recipe for the frosting though. Maybe you can help me figure out what I did wrong? It looked like curdled milk, but it tasted good. It didn’t matter how long I mixed it (I used an electric mixer), any idea? Did I just not give it enough time? I tried it two times before trying a different recipe. I think it was just me.
WOW! I made this for my mom’s birthday and my husband, the cake connoisseur of the family, said it tasted like it was a gourmet cake! GOURMET! Seriously impressed – and we’ve only been doing a paleo diet for about 6 weeks, so we’re still adjusting to many tastes and textures.
I was pretty worried because my batter was not thick at all, but it obviously turned out just fine!
Also, I’m guess it was my brand of coconut milk, but the frosting didn’t turn out quite right. It was ok, but I actually had to pour some of the liquid out of the mixing bowl for it to finally turn fluffy. The taste was still good – just the right amount of sweetness for me, but then the texture was a little too much like shortening. I’m excited to try the chocolate frosting next time!
Thanks for the recipe! You have made me feel so much better about birthday parties now!
I was SO happy when I found this cake recipe!! My sister went paleo a few months ago, and I shortly followed! Our birthdays are also 3 weeks apart, so I decided to make this for our family party!
The cake turned out great! The batter was a little thin, but it baked just fine! I used 2 8″ pans, and they were too thin to cut to make 4 layers, but that’s ok.
The frosting, however, was a bit frustrating. I used the same palm shortening you suggested, but didn’t have a stand mixer. I DID use my electric mixer and mixed the frosting for almost an HOUR before it started to remotely resemble frosting, or the whipped cream consistency you mentioned. For the longest time, it just looked like curdled milk!! It also tasted like honey flavored shortening. I know it’s not supposed to be really sweet, but it tastes (and feels) like I’m eating flavored shortening! Not sure why or what I may have done wrong. I guess the big test will be tonight when we all try it!
This cake was amazing! My mom and I made it for my brothers birthday. My dad and brother don’t like coconut, but they both loved this cake and couldn’t even tell it was in it. We also really struggled with the frosting. We mixed it on high with a kitchen aid until we thought it was going to overheat. Finally mom added some guar gum and that thickened it enough to stick together so I could frost the cake. All in all a huge success!
Thank you! Thank you! I went Paleo four months ago (joining my husband who started a year before me) and am loving it
However, got nervous when preparing for my Baby Girl’s first birthday party because definitely didn’t want a mainstream cake but couldn’t afford ordering this type of cake from a bakery at this time….very expensive :0 Anyway, I had wanted to trial this one last week but we have has so much going on I was unable to. Her big birthday bash was this afternoon and I just got to making it this morning but it was so easy, everything went so smoothly and it was a total hit! My guests, both Paleo and non-Paleo loved it!!! It’s absolutely delicious! And it looked so beautiful and fancy 
I’m excited about potentially “trialing” it with different flavorings (like someone mentioned using pumpkin puree). Anyway, thanks again!
Great Silvana! Thanks for letting me know. I’m thrilled that the cake turned out well for your baby’s birthday.
I have made this a couple of times, and we love it.
We have another special occasion coming up, and – unfortunately – I now (cross-)react to both chocolate and coffee. If there is anyone who could make a vanilla cake recipe that comes close to being as amazing as this one, it would be you, Lea!
Any chance you have a similar vanilla cake up your sleeve that I could try out?
Diana,
I feel your pain on the reaction to chocolate and coffee. That’s a double whammy! I have been trying and trying to get a vanilla cake recipe right. I’ve tried several times and while they turned out “decent” they haven’t been good enough to share on this site – sadly. I think the issue is the coconut flour just NEEDS something to moisten it beyond the eggs and other liquid ingredients. The cocoa powder plays this role beautifully in these recipes. Without that the cakes have turned out with a texture more like corn bread – not terrible but not awesome. I am testing recipes that use coconut flour along with tapioca and/or similar “flour” that might give the cake a better crumb. You’re motivating me to get cracking on that!
Lea
I know a great substitute that works wonders if you are interested.
I am looking for a birthday cake recipe to make for my soon to be 6 year old son. The cake and frosting recipe you posted look delicious. I am hoping that I will be able to make this cake for my son’s special day. Among his many food allergies, eggs are one of them. I usually replace eggs in baking with a ground flax and water mixture. I was hoping you might know if it would be possible to do so with this recipe. Thanks.
Michelle,
To be honest I think it would be very risky to try this cake without eggs. Coconut flour is tricky to work with as it is and it is so dry it needs lots of moisture – thus the large number of eggs – to balance it out. I know ground flax and water can be substituted for eggs in many recipes but I’m not sure about this one. Obviously you are free to give it a try and I would certainly love to hear the outcome. But I’m just afraid for your little one’s big day that it might not turn out as hoped. Sorry I don’t have better news on that front. You’re a good mom for trying to make your son a healthy cake that works with his allergies. You COULD try a practice run by making one layer. Maybe that’s a possibility??
Lea
Do you think it is possible to freeze these? I wanted to make cupcakes for my sons birthday and save half for the next weekend for his party. Thanks so much!
I don’t see why not. But I have never tried it. THey haven’t lasted long enough! Good luck
Is there any possible way to leave out the Maple Syrup and substitute it for something like a synthetic sugar? Or just use Honey instead?? Or will that ruin the whole scheme of things with the baking process.
See, I want to make my dad a proper birthday cake, but he’s been on this paleo diet for going on a couple years and its working real well for him. But he hasn’t had any fun surprises or cakes for a couple years either. I think it would be a nice surprise as well. But let me know asap if possible, his birthday is the first part of May and its April 16th today. Thanks so much if you can
Annie, the liquid in the maple syrup is important to the recipe. You might be able to sub honey but it’s stickier than maple syrup so I can’t say how that will go. Lots of people on the paleo diet use some pure maple syrup so that shouldn’t be a problem. But if you use honey you might want to dilute it slightly to be the same consistency of maple syrup. Good luck.
So I made this chocolate cake as cupcakes. I think I didn’t cook long enough cause the middle was very moist, but it tasted like eggs. There was not enough flavour in these. They smelled awesome and the texture is perfect.. just need to up the flavour. I will be making the chocolate frosting.. hopefully that will save them.
I am making this for my birthday (today!), and so far it looks nothing like the picture. My mixture has the consistency of melted ice cream. I’m not sure how adding 1-1/6 C of dry ingredients to 1-3/4 C liquid+6 eggs is going to come out as thick as that picture…
Happy Birthday. I hope the cake turns out for you as it has for so many others. Coconut flour is extremely dry and absorbent. It is nothing like other flours. But as a result the brand and how it is stored and how it is measured can make a difference in results. But several people have written their batter was on the thinner side and it still turned out fine.
No problems! I just left them in for a total of 40 minutes (I used 4″ pans), and they ended up very puffy but fine! The frosting is awesome too! And a little side benefit is the frosting seems to stick much better to the cake rather than the spatula, so applying it is easy and clean-up is easy too!
O. M. G.! This was soooo yummy! For some reason my cake didn’t really rise, could be because my soda expired that day or because I somehow missed the eggs until it was all mixed and then realized it and mixed the wisked eggs in. Anyway, we don’t use palm shortening so I made the honey coconut frosting with the coconut cream from the top of the can and GOOD GRAVY! Best frosting ever!!!! Turned out perfect! I made this cake for my daughters baptism yesterday and it was heavenly!!! Thank you for this recipe!
I’ve never baked a cake before, but tried this recipe and it was awesome!
Tasted great, and was a big hit at my son’s birthday party. I made the vanilla icing, it had a lot of moisture pooling while I had it in the mixer (looked like runny honey?) but I just siphoned it off and the frosting held together and tasted great.
Thank you for this recipe, we were going to have a ‘cheat’ birthday, but this cake was almost effortless and VERY tasty!
Do ya use maple syrup for sweetener in 9″ cakes like u do if you do the 5″cakes and if so like 1cup maybe?
So..I NEED YOUR HELP!! Mom’s birthday is coming up (like this weekend…procrastinating Queen here) and since I’m introducing my family to Paleo and what better way than a yummy birthday cake!? Your cake looks PERFECT, but I she doesn’t like coconut
Will this recipe work withalmond flour?? Thanks so much!!!
Laryssa,
I don’t think this cake tastes a LOT like coconut if you use butter or ghee instead of coconut oil. The chocolate seems to counteract the coconut flavor in my opinion. But if she really doesn’t like coconut then maybe this isn’t the recipe for you. But PLEASE do NOT try to substitute almond flour for coconut flour. They are very different. Coconut flour is very, very dry and a little goes a long way. Almond flour is measured in amounts more similar to regular cake flour. You should probably search out an almond flour cake specifically. Based on your comment it reminds me that I should probably make an effort to post a good almond flour birthday cake recipe.
Good luck!
Lea
Thank you so much! (And thanks for the fast reply.) You saved me a lot of head/heart ache
I’ve been looking everywhere on Google for a chocolate almond flour cake recipe and I’m running out of luck. I probably could have gotten away with the chocolate/coconut deal as you suggested, but if there is no coconut flour/almond flour ratio then I’m out of luck on this one. I have to bake something tonight to present tomorrow. EEK! 
Thank you again, I hope you’re able to post an almond recipe sometime. Honeyville Farms had a great deal on almond flour, so I now have 6lbs to go through. 
Made the cake and LOVED it! I just kept it plain.
I was wondering if you knew the calorie count?
Katy
Glad you liked the cake, Katy. I have not calculated the calories.
Please, please, please, don’t ever put hydrangeas on the same plate as food. Hydrangeas are toxic!
Made this today for Mothers Day and my family could not stop raving about it! It’s by far the best chocolate cake I have ever had (Paleo or not). I left mine in two layers since my family wanted to desecrate the cake by having Betty Crocker Whipped chocolate icing on it. I said no way and left my layer plain (I wanted to make the Coconut honey frosting but didn’t have any palm shortening darn it). Moist so even plain it’s heavenly! I agree with your hubby, it does taste like a Devil Dog ! Ad as I child of the 1970′s-1980′s I had plenty of those lol! Thanks for this recipe and I will NEVER make anything but this one when I want a chocolate cake. By the way your paleo/vegan chocolate chip cookies are also my fave recipe (and I tried about 5 other recipes).
Wondering if there would be any difference in how it would work out as a cupcake? Planning a 2nd birthday party and wanted to do 12 chocolate cupcakes in addition to 12 carrot cake cupcakes… Have you tried this recipe in cupcake form?