If you’re looking for a quick and easy nut-free paleo birthday cake recipe, look no further. This Gluten Free Birthday Cake was devoured by the boys and their friends, and I thought it was amazing, too. Who can resist chocolate cake smothered in rich, creamy chocolate frosting? I can’t!
Both of my boys are well into high school now, so I am absolutely cherishing each and every birthday we celebrate before they are off to college! Between the two of them, I can count the number of high school birthday celebrations that remain on one hand. Goodness, how time flies.
Even though the boys are super independent now, and I have more time on my hands, I still have a commitment to creating simple recipes with as little fuss as possible. This homemade birthday cake recipe has only 7 ingredients, and the batter is thrown together in a food processor in a couple of minutes. This cake recipe is easier to make than one from a mix.
Gluten Free Birthday Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup honey
Instructions
- Pulse together dry ingredients in a food processor
- Pulse in wet ingredients
- Grease two 6 inch springform pans with coconut oil
- Pour batter into prepared cake pans
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes
- Cool and frost with a double batch of Chocolate Frosting
- Serve
This Gluten Free Birthday Cake recipe is based on my Paleo Chocolate Cupcake recipe. The batter I created above will fill two 6-inch cake pans, which are significantly smaller than traditional 9-inch cake pans. I like to use a smaller sized cake pan as it results in a cake that is elegantly tall. The height of this cake really seems to impress the boys and their friends. On that note, this recipe won’t work for standard 9-inch cake pans as you will end up with a pancake, rather than a birthday cake.
I experimented with this Gluten Free Birthday Cake recipe and made it with butter which worked incredibly well. The texture was unbelievably moist and the flavor very sweet. If you want to use butter it is a 1:1 substitute for the coconut oil in this recipe.
This gluten-free, dairy-free birthday cake yields around 10 servings and is absolutely amazing with my dairy-free Paleo Chocolate Frosting. During one test batch of the cake, I changed up the frosting and created an easy chocolate buttercream recipe, which I’d be happy to post. Leave a comment and let me know if you’d like to see it here on the blog! Update: the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe is now live!
If you’re in the mood for easy, gluten-free desserts, take a peak at my second book Gluten-Free Cupcakes. It has everything from Red Velvet Cupcakes to Triple Chocolate Cupcakes, and oh so much more.
Here are some of my other nut-free paleo dessert recipes for you!
Ella carr says
Hey,
I want to try this recipe in a bundt pan. What kind of pan spray should I use? Also I seen your chocolate ganache, how would the chocolate turn out after reheating??
Elana says
Hi Ella, I would grease the pan with coconut oil. If you do experiment with a different size pan please let us know if it works. Per the Chocolate Ganache I haven’t tried reheating it so not sure how that will go. Good luck!
M.R.S.O. says
I haven’t tasted the cake yet, as I just pulled it from the oven. I am sure it as delicious as you recipes always are. I wanted to let readers know that a greased pan lined with parchment paper releases beautifully with this cake, in case they do not have a springform pan. I used a single 7-inch, round, cake pan and the height of the cake is perfect. I would double the recipe and use 7-inch round pans for a layer cake. One 7-inch round took 35 minutes in my oven.
Elana says
Thanks!
Noel says
Im about to pull it out of the oven!!!!!!!!!!
Elana says
Hi Noel, hope you love it :-)
Jen says
Hi, I’m thinking of trying to make this in a larger sheet like cake. Maybe 9×11. Was thinking of doubling or tripling the recipe so the pan is half full before putting in the oven. Do you have any pointers?
Elana says
Hi Jen, I haven’t tried that so not sure. Please let us know if your experiment works :-)
Erica says
Did you try this? I can’t find 6″ springform anywhere and need to make this cake today!
Abeims says
I did this, and it turned out perfect for a get-together.
Jenna Hendrekson says
Hi i just made the cake and ws the half cup of coconut oil for the batter or to grease the pan?
Elana says
Hi Jenna, thanks for your question. The coconut oil is for the batter. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Myrtle levesque says
It said grease the pan with coconut oil which I did the cake stuck I the pan what should I have used to grease the pan. Cake is good
Elana says
Hi Myrtle, thanks for your comment. We use a springform pan which is key to getting the cake to release from the pan.
Amy says
When I want to get cake out of pan, I put grease on pan bottom and sides then place a piece of parchment paper in bottom of pan and grease that too. Then when baked it comes out of bottom easily and all I do is peel paper off.
star says
greetings elena!
This cake looks amazing and I am excited to try it for my son’s 6th birthday this week. I have one questions for you and/or anyone on here who has experimented with variations on this recipe: do you think i could use a different sweetener such as just stevia or a stevia and xylitol combo?
Our family has been on a Candida Cleanse and I am just not ready to do any sugars yet, aside from the sugar alcohols (xylitol derived from birch, not corn). We can do some berries and citrus fruits though.
Many thanks and blessings,
Star*
Elana says
Hi Star, I haven’t tried making this recipe with a different sweetener in place of the honey. If you do please let us know how it goes. Happy Birthday to your son :-)
Mila says
Absolutely love this recipe and it is so easy to make (even for someone who usually cannot make ANY desserts, like me…). So excited to have something my husband and I can enjoy, without “cheating”! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPE! :)
No Udder Protein says
Looks great! Rich and moist like cake should be. And 7 ingredients is a bonus!
Rae says
Hello Elana,
So you just dump the eggs in all together in the processor? No separating and whipping the whites, and then folding in chiffon style? Excited to try it!
Elana says
Hi Rae, yes! It’s that simple. I like to keep the recipes I write as easy as possible :-)
Heather Hedderman says
I have been making this for my daughter – I separate the eggs and BEAT the whites and add them in LAST!
Makes it a bit lighter…we also cannot have honey so we do granulated stevia and a bit of almond milk.
Stephanie says
Hi Heather! In a similar sugar-free boat here. Did you use 1/2 tsp stevia with 1/2 cup almond milk to replace the honey? I’m still learning to bake for my strictly stevia boyfriend and would love to have a gluten/dairy/sugar free cake recipe for his birthday. :) Thanks so much!
heather says
could you use an egg sub in this i am looking for a egg/milk/gluten/soy free
cake
Elana says
Hi Heather, I haven’t tried that so not sure. If you do, please let us know how it goes.