Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
A rich, moist chocolate cake made without gluten or dairy, frosted with a naturally creamy sweet potato chocolate frosting. No one will guess it's free-from.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1¾ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
Sweet Potato Frosting:
- ¾ cup vegan butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 medium sweet potatoes baked
Instructions
- Bake the sweet potatoes until soft, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.
- Line two baking pans with parchment paper and grease lightly.
- Whisk almond milk and apple cider vinegar together; let sit 3–5 minutes to curdle.
- Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add wet ingredients and stir; pour in hot coffee last and mix until smooth.
- Divide batter between pans and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Peel and mash cooled sweet potatoes; mix with cocoa powder, vanilla, and vegan butter until smooth.
- Layer and frost the cooled cakes, top with dairy-free chocolate chips, chill 1 hour, and serve.
Notes
- Make sure sweet potatoes are fully soft before mashing for a silky frosting. Too thin? Add powdered brown sugar. Too thick? Add a splash of almond milk.
- Don't skip the hot coffee — it intensifies chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
- Let the almond milk and vinegar sit undisturbed for the full 3–5 minutes for the best crumb.
- Frosting can be made ahead of time.
- Keep the cake covered in the fridge; store for up to 2 weeks.
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