Chocolate Cake (Paleo-Friendly & Grain-Free)
This chocolate cake is proof that chocolate and grain-free baking can live happily ever after. Moist, rich, and deeply chocolatey, it’s the dessert you’ll want to bake for birthdays, dinner parties, or those late-night cocoa cravings.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Big chocolate flavor: Every bite is pure, fudgy indulgence.
- Naturally grain-free: Made with coconut flour and sweetened with maple syrup.
- Flexible style: Make it all chocolate (my favorite) or create a fun checkerboard pattern.
Ingredients at a Glance
(Full measurements and directions are in the recipe card below.)
- Coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Eggs
- Coconut oil and maple syrup
- Mini chocolate chips
- Lard or coconut oil for the ganache
Step-by-Step
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Mix the batter. Whisk coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Combine wet and dry ingredients until smooth.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Finish with ganache. Melt chocolate chips and lard (or coconut oil) in a double boiler. Pour over the cake and chill until set.
Tip: Use a springform pan with a baking sheet underneath—it can leak a little as the cake bakes.
Can’t get enough chocolate? Keep baking with more SouthernKissed favorites like fudgy Walnut Brownies, creamy Cheesecake Brownies, and the ultra-rich Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Each one is perfect for satisfying those next-level chocolate cravings.
Black & White Cake from The Paleo Kitchen
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¾ cup coconut flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 10 large eggs
- 1 cup coconut oil plus extra to grease the cake pan
- 1 cup maple syrup
For the Ganache
- 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- 2 Tablespoons lard coconut oil works as well
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with coconut oil and insert a round piece of parchment paper cut to the size of the bottom of the pan.
- Make the cake: For a solid vanilla cake or black and white cake, whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. For a solid chocolate cake, whisk together the coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and ½ cup cocoa powder in a small bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Mix until well combined. Once the wet ingredients are blended, add the coconut flour mixture and blend until smooth.
- If you are making a checkerboard cake, pour half the batter into a separate mixing bowl. Add one-third cup cocoa powder to the large mixing bowl and blend.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If you are making a checkerboard cake, place the batter dividing ring in the pan and pour the chocolate batter in the center and outer sections and the vanilla batter in the middle section.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
- When the cake is completely cool, make the ganache: Combine the chocolate chips and lard in a double boiler over medium heat and stir until melted and well combined, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Once the cake is covered, transfer it to the refrigerator and let the ganache solidify. Trim off the excess chocolate before plating. Slice and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Kitchen Notes
- Liquid coconut oil (the kind that stays liquid at room temp) makes mixing easier.
- My oven needed closer to 37 minutes for the cake to be perfectly set—bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Patience is key: let the cake cool completely before adding ganache so it sets beautifully.
About The Paleo Kitchen
This cake comes from The Paleo Kitchen, co-written by popular Paleo bloggers Juli Bauer (PaleOMG) and George Bryant (Civilized Caveman Cooking).
In the book, Juli and George share personal stories of moving away from processed foods and embracing whole-food cooking. You’ll also find a Paleo pantry checklist, smart shopping tips, and plenty of approachable, flavor-packed recipes. This chocolate cake is one of their showstoppers—and now a favorite in my own kitchen.
Final Bite
Have you tried this recipe or baked other goodies from The Paleo Kitchen? Share your experience in the comments or tag @SouthernKissed when you post a photo. I’d love to see your chocolate creation!
