Everyone needs an amazing chocolate cupcakes recipe, and this one is ours! These Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes are moist with a deep chocolate flavor and simply delicious. They’re also dairy-free and made without any refined sweeteners. Grab a bowl and a whisk and head straight to the kitchen to whip some up!
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
In my opinion, a chocolate cupcake should be at least three things: moist, rich and heavy on the chocolate flavor. These gluten free Chocolate Cupcakes check all those boxes and more! These simple-to-make cupcakes are a bit on the healthier side because they are dairy-free, made primarily with almond flour (hello nutrients!) and contain no added refined sugars. And the bonus is you only need two bowls and a whisk to make them! We have a few different options to frost them, including this dairy-free chocolate frosting. Whip them up for your next celebration or your next I-need-a-chocolate-cupcake kind of night!
Ingredients Needed
Almond Flour
Cocoa Powder
Coconut flour
Baking Powder and Soda
Pinch Sea Salt
Espresso Powder (optional)
Eggs
Coconut sugar
Milk (We use almond)
Avocado Oil
Vanilla extract
Frosting Options
We’ve made a few different frosting options over the years. This recipe uses a traditional chocolate buttercream, though it does use butter so it isn’t dairy-free. This recipe is for a vanilla buttercream.
If you need a dairy-free and paleo-friendly version, check out this recipe! It is a whipped chocolate ganache frosting that is simple to make. It’s also the version shown here in the photographs.
If you like this sweet treat, check out these others:
This Gluten-Free Carrot Cake is so easy to make, has such classic flavors and is perfect to serve a crowd. This healthier, more nutrient dense take on the classic carrot cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo friendly and made without any refined sugars! It can be topped with a classic cream cheese frosting, or made dairy-free with homemade fluff. Either way it will be welcome at any celebration or holiday dinner (or just a regular tuesday afternoon)!
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
We are so in love with this Gluten-Free Carrot Cake! Aside from the fact that this carrot cake is just darn delicious, our version is so much more nutrient dense and healthier than a traditional cake that we don’t feel so ridiculous eating it for breakfast. It’s the perfect cake to serve at a celebration of family holiday and is a breeze to make! The cake itself is also dairy-free and paleo, plus we give options below for changing out the cream cheese frosting..
This Gluten Free Carrot Cake is SO EASY to make because it’s made all in one bowl! So we wanted to keep the rest of the cake simple too by making it a sheet cake. We baked it in a 9×13″ cake pan, but it will work in any similar sized baking dish. We’ve done layer cakes in the past year (see chocolate and vanilla versions) so this just felt like the way to go, though you can bake this as a layer cake if you wanted. In the past we’ve recommended always baking our style of gluten free cakes in 6″ pans because they are slightly more delicate while also being heavier than traditional wheat cake, but this one might work well baked in 2-8″ cake pans if you’d like to make it a layer cake.
Which gluten free flour is best for cake?
As always we love our favorite blend of almond and coconut flour. It is so moist and tender and really easy to use. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the cake was gluten free. If you are looking for a nut free cake, check out this recipe here.
Other frosting options:
We’ve opted to top this with a classic cream cheese frosting, but you can feel free to use either a dairy-free cream cheese with this recipe or instead top it with our Marshmallow Fluff recipe which is dairy and refined sugar free. This cake is also delicious by itself and can be served alone, but this gluten-free carrot cake uses less sugar than most carrot cakes so you may notice it more without a frosting.
Tips for Making Gluten-Free Cake
Sift your almond flour and coconut flour first if they are lumpy. It makes it easier to fully incorporate.
Use an electronic kitchen scale if you have one. It makes it easier to measure the gluten free flours, and we’ve included grams in the ingredient list.
Gluten free cakes are a little tricker to check when they are done. Some signs to look out for: the cake is nice and golden brown, it has completely puffed up throughout, cracks are not uncommon, when you stick toothpick it it should come out clean, and when you gently press in in the center of the cake it will spring back as opposed to leaving a dent (which is a sign it is underdone).
Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
The cake can be made up to two days in advance. Leave it at room temperature covered until ready to frost.
We direct you to use a parchment paper sling to bake the cake in. If you plan to serve the cake inside of the baking pan you do not need to use this. If you want to take the cake out and serve on a different platter the sling will help you easily take it out of the pan.
Once it is frosted it needs to be kept in the refrigerator. It can be assembled up to two days in advance. As most cakes, it will get more moist each day it sits.
To the bowl add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt and whisk it together until it's fully combined.
Fold in the carrots, pecans, coconut and raisins.
Place batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth down the top with an offset spatula.
Baking in the middle rack for 45 minutes, or until the top is puffy and the cake springs back when lightly pushed down in the center.
Let cool completely. This step can be done up to two days in advance.
To make the frosting:
With an electric mixer beat the butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until the mixture has lightened up, about 3 minutes.
Add the salt and sugar and mix on low speed until well blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
To assemble:
Place the frosting in the center of the cake and smooth it over the cake with an offset spatula, creating waves.
You can swap out the avocado oil for another baking oil you have on hand, such as melted coconut oil or light olive oil.
Looking to make a smaller cake? We've included a halved recipe below. You can bake it in either an 8x8" square baking dish, or a 8" cake pan. Baking time will be between 30-35 minutes. Look for a lightly browned top that has puffed up all over and the middle springs back when lightly pushed in.
Ingredients for a half recipe of Gluten Free Carrot Cake:
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
This Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake may just be the best chocolate cake we have ever eaten, gluten-free or not. It is super moist, with deep chocolate flavor, and truly easy to put together. The chocolate cake layers are dairy-free and paleo-friendly, and we can promise this gluten-free cake will be a hit for any occasion!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
We heard you! After we published the BEST Gluten-Free Layer Birthday Cake recipe a while back you’ve been asking us to make a chocolate version. We got to it right away and we are CRAZY HAPPY with the results. This truly is the best chocolate cake we’ve ever tasted! You won’t know it’s gluten-free (not that that matters around here) and it is so rich and moist!
Making this recipe wasn’t as easy as adding in chocolate to our vanilla layer cake. A chocolate cake is a whole different beast. We started with a base of almond and coconut flour, which we love. It lends itself to have just the right crumb and moisture level. And then we added in cocoa powder and adjusted the level of sweetener to balance the bitterness. We added some coffee in to boast the chocolate flavor, but feel free to swap it out with additional milk instead. It took us a few tries to get the right amount of fat, which we use avocado oil here, but once we did this cake was SO GOOD.
The cake layers themselves are dairy-free. We choose to frost it with a chocolate buttercream, but if you don’t tolerate dairy you can certainly use a dairy-free chocolate ganache made with coconut milk and dairy-free chocolate to frost your cake.
As we said above, this cake does have nuts. If you’re looking for a nut-free and school-safe cake recipe, go for the two in my cookbook or this July 4th Classic Cake!
Tips Tools Needed to Frost a Cake Like a Pro
It’s not essential to frost the cake like we did. But if you want to give it a whirl, getting these tools make it easier to get an even and smooth cake!
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and grease 3 6" layer pans (we used avocado spray) and line with parchment paper that fits directly inside. Skipping this step could result in a cake that sticks to the pan. Set aside.
Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and whisk to combine completely.
Divide batter evenly between 3 cake pans and bake in pre-heated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted and removed is clean or any wet cake batter.
Let cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing by running a thin knife or offset spatula around the side of the pan to loosen the cake and turning over pan on wire rack. Remove the parchment paper liner if still on the cake. Cool completely before frosting.
For Buttercream Frosting:
For Buttercream Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until well blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of almond milk (or more if needed) and beat on medium speed until lightened in color.
To Assemble the Cake:
Once cake is cooled place first layer on serving plate and frost with a buttercream layer to prevent the cake from moving once assembled.
Add next layer of cake and repeat with layer of buttercream, smoothing over, and place last cake layer on top.
Place cake in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, to let set up and to make frosting cake easier.
Once cake has chilled, add about half of frosting to the top of the cake and using an offset spatula frost cake starting with the top and moving excess down the sides of the cake and smoothing as going.
Decorate as desired with additional frosting, chocolate cups and sprinkles on the side.
Cake will keep 3-5 days in refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
You can omit the coffee and substitute in 1/4 cup almond milk or water. Coffee helps bring out the chocolate flavor, but is not essential.
We have a heavy hand when we frost our cakes. If you think you'll want less frosting, swap the recipe with 3 sticks of butter, 1 cup cocoa powder, 4 cups powdered sugar and follow the recipe as stated. If you do end up with leftover frosting, you can freeze it for later use.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
Lexi’s Clean Kitchen turns FIVE today and to celebrate, we made The BEST Gluten-Free Layer Birthday Cake. Seriously, it’s the best cake ever. It tastes like the real deal cake you’ve been wanting!!!
The BEST Gluten-Free Layer Birthday Cake
We took my nut-free cake and made it even more amazing. SO if you’re looking for a nut-free cake recipe, go for the two in my cookbook or this July 4th Classic Cake!
Aside from the health benefits of using gluten-free flours in this cake, the combination of almond and coconut flour is so moist and tender! While you do have to cream the butter and sweetener together, this is a relatively fool proof recipe as there is no concern about the cake being tough from over-beating the batter like there is with a gluten flour containing cake. We also use all natural/homemade food dyes, see here!
I can’t believe Lexi’s Clean Kitchen has been up and running for FIVE whole years. I truly feel so blessed that this is my job and that all of you trust me with the recipes you feed your family and friends, and yourself! Thank you for trusting me, supporting me, continuing to follow along this journey, and for being a part of the LCK family. I truly mean it with all of my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Let’s celebrate!
Tips Tools Needed to Frost a Cake Like a Pro
Now not everyone is going to frost this cake like we did. But if you want to give it a whirl, getting these tools make it easier to get an even and smooth cake!
Use the video as a guide on how to build up the cake. Additionally here are some tips that make it easier to frost a cake:
Temperature matters: Chill your cake layers before assembling, and chill the cake after you have built your layers as it helps keep your cake evenly stacked.
Apply a crumb coat: Frost the cake with a thin layer of frosting that locks in any stray crumbs
To achieve a smooth finish: Once you have finished frosting the cake, chill again for 10 minutes and then heat the bench scraper or off-set spatula with hot water (make sure to dry it off completely) and make one final swoop to smooth it all out.
Video:
Tips to Making Cake Ahead of Time:
Make the cake layers and the jam the day before. Once the layers are cooked completely wrap them up or put them in a large airtight container, otherwise they will dry out.
Make the frosting and assemble the day of.
Cakes keep wonderfully fully assembled in the frige for a few days.
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6" cake pans by cutting out a three parchment paper circles to fit exactly inside the cake pan. Butter sides and bottom of cake pan and place parchment paper circles inside.
In a heavy duty stand mixer, or hand held mixer, add butter and honey/maple syrup to bowl and cream together until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, blending together after each one.
Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until well blended.
Add almond milk, vanilla extract and almond extract and beat on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Divide batter into cake pans, about 1 cup of batter each, and bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let cake cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, and then remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
For Strawberry filling:
In a medium sauce pan place strawberries, honey and lemon juice and turn on heat to medium low.
Cook, stirring frequently, until reduced, about 15 minutes.
Let cool completely before using in cake.
For Buttercream Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add the sugar and mix on low speed until well blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of almond milk (or more if needed) and beat on medium speed until lightened in color.
Add natural food coloring if using and blend.
To Assemble Cake:
Once cake and jam is cooled completely place first layer on serving plate and frost with a thin layer of buttercream. Create a 1/2" dam of buttercream on the perimeter of the cake layer by piping it, or using a offset spatula, to prevent the jam from leaking out of the cake. Top with 2 heaping tablespoons of jam and smooth over.
Add next layer of cake and repeat with layer of buttercream, buttercream dam, and jam.
Place cake in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, to let set up and to make frosting cake easier.
Once cake has chilled, add about half of frosting to the top of the cake and using an offset spatula frost cake starting with the top and moving excess down the sides of the cake and smoothing as going.
Decorate as desired with additional frosting.
Cake will keep 3-5 days in refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
We used a combination of maple syrup and honey equal to 1/3 cup together to prevent the cake from taking on the flavor too much of either one.
The butter absolutely must be at room temperature or it will not cream together with the honey. It is always best when making a cake if all ingredients are as close to room temperature (especially eggs and milk) as the cake batter comes together more easily and you get a fluffier textured cake. If the eggs are not at room temperature you can place them in a bowl with warm (not hot) water for about 10 minutes. You can also gently heat up milk using your preferred method (stove top or microwave) to bring it up to room temperature (but make sure it is not hot).
Sprinkles we use: We get them from Whole Foods because they are artificial food dye free. These are also a decent option.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
Thank you for being a part of the Lexi’s Clean Kitchen family throughout these amazing 5 years. I love you all!!
When I hosted a brunch with these Paleo Chocolate Donuts on the table, this first comment made was “are they fried?” No, no my friends. These are clean, healthy, and baked… oh, and beyond delicious. Just little chocolate cake in the form of donuts. What’s better than that?
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees °F. Grease a donut pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
3. Pour batter into greased donut pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.When donuts are done, let cool on a baking rack.
4. In two small mixing bowls, mix the chocolate and strawberry glaze ingredients seperatly and set aside until the donuts have cooled.
5. Once cooled, drizzle glaze over donuts and devour!
Recipe Notes
This recipe was updated on January 26th, 2017.
You can place the donuts in the refrigerator to help cool faster while you make the chocolate and/or strawberry glaze.
*Calories: 143
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
