Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake With Tahini Chocolate Icing Recipe
This healthy chocolate cake is a favorite gluten-free dessert that tastes as if it could be from your favorite bakery. With three layers of moist chocolate cake and tahini chocolate icing, this cake will look beautiful poised on your countertop, though surely will be eaten up quickly because it’ll be everyone’s favorite treat.
I love making this Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake recipe for birthdays, get-togethers, or just as a delicious treat. It can be made into an indulgent layer cake, or made as gluten-free chocolate cupcakes instead! Easily make it dairy-free by substituting the butter for vegan butter and milk for plant-based milk. Every bite of this delicious cake is SO good!
RELATED: 25+ Healthy Chocolate Recipes
What You’ll Need To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake
- Eggs
- Oil – Any type of cooking oil works great! Avocado oil, canola, or coconut oil (melted) are some of my favorites.
- Coconut sugar – A natural sugar that blends well and gives the cake a nice flavor.
- Maple syrup – The maple syrup helps sweeten the recipe and makes the cake oh-so yummy!
- Full-fat coconut milk – A creamy, sweet plant-based milk that’s perfect for making chocolate cake.
- Vanilla
- Almond flour – The almond flour adds the bulk of the flour blend to this gluten-free chocolate cake (and nutrition too!)
- Tapioca starch – Tapioca starch helps gluten-free cakes be moist and spongy.
- Coconut flour – A fine texture and creamy flavor, coconut flour adds smoothness to the cake
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
Healthy Chocolate Frosting
- Butter – Feel free to substitute with vegan butter!
- Tahini – Tahini makes the frosting smooth and nutritious.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Cocoa powder
- Salt
- Milk as needed to thin – Plant-based milk works great, too!
How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake With Tahini Chocolate Frosting
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 3, 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Either shake up the can of coconut milk so the thick white and more liquidy parts are well combined or blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together all wet ingredients.
- Sift the flour right into the mixing bowl along with all dry ingredients. Cocoa and almond flour are the most important to sift as these tend to be lumpy.
- Whisk until you get a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans, filling each evenly. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans for about 15-20 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Cream the butter and tahini for 2-3 minutes to make the frosting. Beat in the cocoa and salt for an additional 30 seconds.
- Slowly mix the powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy) until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the vanilla and milk as needed to thin. If it’s too thick, add more milk or powdered sugar to thicken it.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, frost it with about 1 cup of frosting between each layer, then use the rest around the cake and decorate as desired.
- Enjoy!
How To Store Leftovers
This cake can be stored at room temperature for about 2-3 days, then moved into the refrigerator to be kept for another 2-3 days. Use a round cake storage container for the best storage. You can also freeze this cake! Place the sliced cake in an airtight container or cut individual slices and store in plastic bags (make sure to remove all air), then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator and enjoy!
More Healthy Chocolate Treats You’ll Love
- Superfood Chocolate Bites
- Dark Chocolate Breakfast Protein Oats
- Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos @jar.of.lemons!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake w/ Tahini-Chocolate Icing
Ingredients
Healthy Chocolate Cake
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2/3 cup oil
- 1 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Tahini Chocolate Icing
- 1 1/2 cups butter or vegan butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- milk as needed (to thin)
Instructions
Bake Healthy Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 3, 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Either shake up the can of coconut milk so the milk is well combined, or blend until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, eggs, oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Sift the flours right into the mixing bowl along with all dry ingredients. The cocoa and almond flour are most important to sift as these tend to be lumpy.
- Whisk until you get a smooth batter.
- Transfer to the prepared pans, filling each evenly.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans for about 15-20 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Make Tahini Chocolate Icing
- To make the icing, cream together the butter and tahini for 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the cocoa powder and salt for an additional 30 seconds.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy) and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the vanilla and milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) as needed to thin. If it’s too thick, just add more milk, or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, frost with about 1 cup of frosting in between each layer, then use the rest around the cake and decorate as desired.
- Enjoy!
Doug Wicks says:
Bake at what temp?
Christine McMichael replied:
Oh my goodness, can’t believe I left that out! So sorry. The oven should be preheated to 375 degrees F.
Lila says:
It looks great! Do I need such a tall pan? Also you think I can replace the whole wheat flour with almond meal or rice flour?
No need for any baking soda or powder?
Thanks!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you, Lila! I actually just used 2 6-inch round pans. You can make it less tall by just making one pan! I’m not sure you would get the same results using almond flour or rice flour….maybe try gluten-free flour or oat flour? You’ll have to let me know how it goes!
And yes, there are 3 tsp of baking powder in the recipe. 😉 Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy!
Nupur Mehra says:
I am gonna make this!!! It looks super awesome with the sprinkle on top. Is that Pistachios?
Christine McMichael replied:
Enjoy the recipe, Nupur! Yes, those are just crushed pistachios 🙂 Feel free to top it with your choice!
Jane Moffat replied:
This sounds amazing! I can’t have honey, agave or sugar. Could I
use stevia instead?
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks, Jane! 🙂 Could you use maple syrup? If not, you could try liquid stevia!
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says:
Such a beautiful cake you got right here! Mmmmm that tahini chocolate frosting sounds incredible! I would want to eat that with a spoon lol! Great Recipe!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you, Bethany! 🙂
Kelly | Maverick Baking says:
This looks so good, and tahini is such a clever ingredient for healthy icing. I can definitely see me trying this out!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks, Kelly! 🙂
Jess @Nourished by Nutrition says:
This sounds like a wonderful dessert! Everything about sounds incredibly delicious, especially with all the wholesome ingredients! Also, all the heart eyes for you cake stand!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thanks, Jess! 🙂 AND YES! The cake stand!!!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says:
Healthy Chocolate Cake sounds like music to my ears! Is that even possible? I have never heard of using tahini in icing but it sounds like something I want to try. Beautiful!
Christine McMichael replied:
YES! So good! Thanks, Karen!
Danielle says:
I cannot believe that in the world today exists a healthy chocolate cake. And it comes with a tahini icing too?!?!? Seriously you make me want to drool on my computer because it looks delicious! And with so few steps in the recipe it looks pretty easy to make. Great post as always <3
Christine McMichael replied:
Haha, it’s really great! That’s so awesome. Enjoy the recipe, Danielle!
[email protected] A Dash of Cinnamon says:
I LOVE chocolate too haha and a good moist chocolate cake is so yummy. I’m also a huge fan of tahini so I think this would be awesome