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!
Lori Smanski says
This looks so yummy. Thanks. I would love your buttercream frosting. I used to always make the regular. But since then we have changed our eating habits, so I am always on the look out for something we will enjoy.
Patricia R. says
I happen to have two 6″ cake pans and would love to make this but I think I will wait for the buttercream frosting. I love butter!
Mary Himmer says
I just did a search for 6 inch cake pans, but there don’t seem to be any in stainless steel, glass or stoneware. I did find them in anondized aluminum, which I am trying to avoid, and I prefer not to cook in silicone either (which was out of stock) as it has not been studied for health effects. Does anyone have any suggestions? Perhaps I will make it up as cupcakes. It certainly looks like a great recipe though. My husband just had his birthday this week, and he would have loved this cake. I make him a Paleo key lime pie instead.
edie says
Need the chocolate buttercream recipe, please,
I’d like to use it on this cake. Thanks for your
great books, I have them all!!!
Elana Amsterdam says
Edie, so glad to hear you are enjoying my books!
Sunny says
Yes, please. Butter cream! Yeah!
Elana says
Sunny, here it is:
https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana
Janet says
M going to make this for me and my friends for My birthday —in December?‼️
karin s. says
You are my go-to place to find the best recipes! Thank you for this wonderful resource.
I’d love to see the butter cream chocolate frosting recipe
Bridget McCormack says
Hi Elana,
We love your recipes!! Any substitute for the coconut flour as my daughter and I are intolerant to fruit and cannot have it. Yes on the buttercream!!
Thanks
bob says
You can substitute another flour for coconut, but it won’t turn out the same Start with double the amount, and replace a few of the eggs with the same amount of a different liquid so it’s not too eggy (other flours don’t need as many eggs as coconut flour). I am sometimes intollerant of coconut flour and have used other nut or seed meals instead. Try and get them as fine as you can is my advice though (I use a coffee grinder if making my own).
Lori says
This looks amazing! My husband is diabetic and can’t do honey. I would like to substitute xylitol, but then would probably need more liquid. What would anyone recommend?
Michele says
I’ve used applesauce or canned pumpkin in other recipes to sub the liquid then used xylitol or stevia, worth a try!
Jennifer says
In a recipe from The Slim Palate blog I found this substitution:
For 1/2 cup of honey – 1/2 tsp of liquid stevia stirred into 1/3 cup of water
I found it to taste better if you can still add about a tbsp of honey to the mixture! My almost five year old is also diabetic.
Martha E. says
I would love to see the butter cream recipe.