Dig into this totally delicious Paleo Double Chocolate Cake.  It’s Completely Sugar Free and has a smooth Paleo Chocolate frosting sandwiched between healthy layers of Paleo Chocolate Cake.  It’s best made ahead of time, because it needs time in the refrigerator to chill.

This Paleo Double Chocolate Cake is, in my mind, the quintessential Birthday Cake.  My husband is a total chocolate lover, and for his birthday every year, I make some variation of this cake. 

It looks fancy, but it’s really easy to make.  The cake layers are quick to pull together, and it only bakes for 20 minutes.  While the cake is baking, you can make the Paleo Chocolate Frosting. Then chill the cake layers in the freezer and the frosting in the refrigerator for an hour.  After that, you’re ready to assemble. 

The cake does really benefit from sitting in the refrigerator for about 3 hours after being assembled so that the frosting firms up and the cake holds together.  This is a cake you could easily make the night before or even the morning of if you’re planning on serving it in the evening as dessert.  We eat cake for breakfast on birthdays – it’s our family tradition – so I always make this the day before and then we start the birthday out with cake and continue enjoying slices throughout the day. 

I kept the decorations simple with just some halved strawberries on top.  This cake is kind of a blank slate – get creative and have fun decorating the top.  Please share your ideas for decorating in the comments below to inspire the rest of us.  I hope you’ll make this cake to celebrate someone special in your life (that means yourself, too, of course!)! 

Why You’ll LOVE this Recipe:

• Decadent chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
• Paleo
• Gluten Free
• Dairy Free
• Completely Sugar Free!
• Easy to make
• Can make ahead

Ingredients for Paleo Double Chocolate Cake:

• almond flour
• cocoa powder
• baking powder           
• kosher salt
• eggs
• Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
• vanilla extract
• stevia
• chocolate chips
• coconut oil
• Spectrum Organic All-Vegetable Shortening
• strawberries

Notes on Ingredients:

Almond flour – This low carb Paleo flour is high in fiber and protein, so it gives the cake a wonderfully tender texture, and it will fill you up faster. 

Cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) – Use unsweetened cocoa powder that is NOT Dutch-processed and NOT alkalized.  I used Hershey’s brand, and it worked great.

Baking powder – This is the leavener for the cake.  

Kosher salt – For flavor in the cake and also to help the egg whites in the Italian Meringue frosting whip up better and fluffier.

Eggs – Whole eggs in the cake, for structure and binding.

Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks – This neutral tasting shortening behaves very similarly to butter, providing good structure and flavor to tastes without heaviness or greasiness.

Vanilla extract – For flavor.

Liquid stevia – This is the only sweetener in the cake.  I always use liquid stevia, never powdered.

Chocolate chips – For making the frosting.  I use Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, but use whatever sugar free brand you prefer.

Coconut oil – The coconut oil helps the chocolate chips to melt smoothly, and it also makes the frosting firm up when the cake is chilled.

Spectrum Organic All-Vegetable Shortening – This makes the frosting thicker and fluffier so that it is actually frosting and not just a chocolate glaze.

Strawberries – For decorating the top of the cake.  Totally optional, but my daughter has been conditioned to believe that any cake must have strawberries on top.  So there you go.

How to Make Paleo Double Chocolate Cake From Scratch

Make the Cake Layers

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by greasing the bottoms and sides with Spectrum Organic All-Vegetable Shortening.  Line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Melt the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.  Add the melted Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, eggs, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia to the dry ingredients.  Stir until there are no more lumps.

Spoon the cake batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in the pans for 20 minutes.  Run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes pans to make releasing the cake easier.  Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack. 

Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 hour.

Remove the cakes from the freezer.  Use a cake leveler to level the tops of each cake and then slice each cake into two layers.  You should now have 4 layers of cake.

Make the Chocolate Frosting

Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil.  Stir until completely smooth.

In a stand mixer, beat the melted chocolate chips with the Spectrum Organic All-Vegetable Shortening until smooth.  Add the almond flour, and beat until combined.

Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  You want the frosting to be spreadable.  I made this cake recently on a really hot day, and the frosting was a bit too much on the runny side.  Don’t rush it.  Make sure you allow time for the frosting to chill.

Assemble the Cake

Place one layer of cake on a cake stand.  Spread with the Chocolate Frosting.  Repeat until all cake layers have been used.  Spread the top and the sides of the cake with Chocolate Frosting.   

Decorate the top of the cake with 6 strawberries sliced in half.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours before serving so that the frosting firms up.  This is important so that you can cut clean slices.  Once the cake comes to room temperature, though, it gets really deliciously gooey.  But it’s also fantastic straight out of the fridge.  There’s really no way to lose with this cake.  It’s a win-win situation, so eat up and enjoy!

More Sugar Free Cake Recipes:

• Paleo Black Forest Cake
• Paleo Orange Chocolate Cake
• Paleo Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake
• Paleo Chocolate Olive Oil Bundt Cake
• Paleo Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting
• Paleo Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting