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!
Sara says
Hi Elana,
I truly cannot believe this recipe! I have tried for years to find an appropriate cake recipe for our celebrations (my youngest is dairy and gluten free). Year after year I’d make cakes, serve them, then throw the majority of it away when doing the clean up after the party…you know, discarded portions smushed into paper napkins with barely a bite taken. So my expectations of this were low. I served it at my son’s 8th birthday party in December and guess what? I literally ran out of cake! Kids were coming back for seconds and adults were lining up as well. I’m actually still in disbelief and can’t thank you enough. Thank you!
Elana says
Sara, I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was unbelievably good and that so many people went back for seconds that you ran out of cake!
Eliza says
I made this cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday. It was delicious! My other daughter does not like anything chocolate, and she really is mine! Ideas on what I can substitute, bulk wise, for the cocoa powder where it is more a “yellow” cake and not chocolate? Thanks!
Elana says
Eliza, Happy birthday to both of your daughters! Here’s a link to my Paleo Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe for you:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-vanilla-birthday-cake/
I’m so glad that my Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake was delicious!
Elana
Eliza says
Excellent! Thank you Elana, and kudos to you for sharing such delicious recipes with everyone!!
Elana says
You’re welcome Eliza!
Leslie says
Elana, thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!! We have made it for the past couple of years for both of our boys’ birthdays. Thankfully all of us can have all of the ingredients!! It is a lifesaver, and helps us have such wonderful celebrations!
Elana says
Leslie, You’re welcome! I’m so glad to be part of your celebrations and to hear that this cake is a lifesaver!
Rajitha says
Hi Julia, I am trying to make this fructose friendly. I know its odd. But is there any option other than honey ? Please let me know.
Sandy P. says
I used your recipe as written for an 8″ cake (x3 for a three layer cake). I love how it’s self leveling an easy to make!! I can send you photos if you like!! Thanks for the recipes!!
Elana says
Sandy, that’s so great to hear!!! I’d love to see your photos of the cake on Instagram. If you do so be sure to use the hashtag #elanaspantry so that I can find your pics :-)
Ruth says
Made this for my kiddo, worth the wait for the 6 inch springform cake pans.
He was absolutely thrilled to have a cake he could eat. Thank you Elana!
(Slight adjustment on the icing to decrease caffeine content.
I will comment with my successful substitution of carob powder/palm oil for chocolate chips
on the icing site.)
THANK YOU ELANA!
Elana says
Ruth, happy birthday to your kiddo and you’re very welcome :-)
Naomi says
Hi Elana,
I am thinking of making this cake for a birthday that needs to serve 20ppl. Do you think if I doubled the recipe and split that between two 9inch cake pans, that would work and not be a pancake as you mentioned previously??
So ultimately I would be making 2 cakes to stack on top of each other, but each cake would be made of the one batch that originally would fill 2 6inch tins. Does that make sense? I understand I would need to increase cooking time if i doubled batter for a larger tin. What do you think?
Thanks, Naomi.
Elana says
Hi Naomi, I haven’t tried that so not sure. If you do please stop back by and let us know how it turned out :-)
Denise Penta says
Did you try the cake doubled? I would like to know if it was successful and if you tweaked it. Thanks!
Elana says
Denise, I haven’t tried that. If you do please let us know how it goes :-)
Hannah says
Thanks so much for this recipe, Elana! I was really craving chocolate cake, and wanted a healthier option. But didn’t want to make a whole cake just for myself and my husband, so I cut everything down to a mug-cake size and reduced the honey for a darker chocolate. It turned out amazing, and I can’t wait to make the full-size version for my family’s next birthday!
Elana says
You’re welcome Hannah!
Ruth says
September is a birthday month in our household, so this is very timely. My son(s) have informed me I have to make one of each: chocolate and vanilla. Just ordered springform pans. I have never used them before, but cannot wait. Thank you so much, as always, Elena!
Elana says
You’re welcome Ruth! Happy September Birthdays :-)
Julianna says
YUMMO! I made this cake for a combined birthday cake with my brother-in-law and it was a huge hit! I can’t believe how much this is like a ‘normal’ cake! Ok, so it obviously isn’t like a normal cake, but it looked like one and tasted so similar to one. Amazing! I cannot wait to try the Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe that you’ve just posted!!! Thanks for the delicious and simple recipes.
Elana says
Juliana, so glad to hear this was amazing and tasted like a “normal” cake!