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!
Susan Doak says
Yes, please for the buttercream frosting!
Elana says
Susan, here it is:
https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana
Claire Nettleton says
Yes, your chocolate buttercream frosting recipe would be so great to have. I am a Leo and I think your timing is fabulous for this cake. I will now have to make it as a sample before next year’s official birthday cake is chosen.
AnneB says
I’ve been making your cupcake recipe with chocolate frosting for every family birthday the past 2 years. definitely will do this cake for my son’s 11th birthday next month – and I always use 6″ pans for it!! So YES, I need the butercream recipe to go with!! Thanks for so many wonderful recipes – never to disappoint!!
Beth says
I am going to make this cake this coming weekend. It looks so easy to make.
We don’t have a birthday in the house, but a month long reno will be over. Celebrating with chocolate cake seems like a good way to do it.
Would love it if you would also post the easy chocolate buttercream recipe that you created.
Elana says
Beth, here it is:
https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana
Carol says
Hi Elana
I love your recipes! They work and taste delish! Do you think I can sub almond flour for cocoanut flour? My husband is allergic to cocoanut.
Thank you
Carol
Elana says
Carol, almond flour and coconut flour are very different. For more on that please see this post:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-baking-almond-flour-vs-coconut-flour/
Enjoy!
Elana
Adrianna says
Hi Elana
This recipe looks great. If I want to make a vanilla cake do you think I can just substitute the cocoa powder for more coconut flour and add vanilla extract?
bob says
I haven’t tried it for this recipe, but other recipes calling for both cocoa powder and coconut flour I have used just coconut flour with good results. From memory I think it might affect the liquid needed by a tablespoon or two, but can’t remember which way (more or less)!
Elana says
Here’s the link to my Paleo Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-vanilla-birthday-cake/
Enjoy!
Elana
Aususacan says
This looks amazing and yes so simple. I have just purchased the 2 cake tins and am looking forward to making! I’ll make double as my girls’ 1st and 3rd birthdays are coming up and we are combining their party. One question, did you have to cut the top of the cake to make it look so flat/elegant? If so, any tips on how to make the cakes even and flat? Lastly, yes please to the buttercream !
Elana says
Hi there, I didn’t cut the cake to make it look like that, I flipped it over so that the flat bottom was on the top. Here’s the link to the frosting recipe:
https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana
Lori says
The cake looks delicious, Yes please post the Buttercream frosting recipe!! Thank you.
Elana says
Lori, here you go:
https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana
Michelle says
I made this recipe into cupcakes for my son’s 18th birthday celebration with our extended family. They turned out perfect & the recipe makes exactly 12 cupcakes. (baked them for 15 min) Elana, I have followed your blog for years & you always have the best desserts! Thanks so much for sharing.
Natalie Egan says
Awesome…I was hoping that someone would post if they had success with converting this recipe to cupcakes
Linda says
YES PLEASE to the buttercream frosting :) If real butter is what you use in the buttercream frosting, is there a substitute for that, as I’m dairy-free, I would also like to know if cacao powder could be substituted for the chocolate chunks in this frosting recipe?? I LOVE ALL your recipes!!
Elana says
Here it is Linda!
https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Enjoy!
Elana