Gluten, nut* and dairy free Chocolate Cake
Since posting my gluten-free Chocolate Mud Cake, I’ve had a great number of lovely people asking about adjustments to make it nut and/or dairy free. So rather than just awkwardly try and jam in replacements, I set about creating a whole new recipe. Gluten-free flour mix can be quite drying, so I’ve added creamy avocado, coconut milk and brown sugar to help keep the cake lovely and moist. The top can puff up a bit and crack a little sometimes, so I like to cool/serve it upside down. It still tastes amazing. You can either just dust with icing sugar to finish, or use your favourite icing.
*Whittaker’s chocolate is made in a factory where nuts and gluten are present, although none is intentionally added to the chocolate – if you have severe nut allergies, it may not be suitable.
Ingredients
250g good quality dark eating chocolate, chopped (Whittaker’s 50% cocoa and above are dairy-free)
1 cup grape seed, extra virgin olive oil or rice bran oil
5 free-range eggs
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
1 ripe avocado, pureed
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence or paste
2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix (without raising agent included)
1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
3 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
Large pinch of salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 170c conventional bake. Line the base and sides of a 24cm diameter springform cake tin with baking paper. Set a rack in the lower half of the oven.
Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and fit a heatproof bowl on top (not touching the water). Add the broken up chocolate and 1/2 the oil to the bowl, bring the water to a simmer and stir until everything is melted. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Add the coconut milk, remaining oil, eggs, avocado, brown sugar and vanilla to your largest mixing bowl, and beat or whisk until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and beat again to combine.
Sift the flours, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir well with a whisk to combine very evenly. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir (don’t whisk) with a whisk to combine evenly with no lumps. Scrape the sides with a spatula once or twice.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out and cool on a cake rack (the top can puff up and crack a bit sometimes, so you can cool and serve it upside down).
Dust with cocoa or icing sugar before slicing and serving warm or cold. (Or ice with icing – you could make a ganache with 50% dark chocolate melted with 50% coconut cream – let it cool in the fridge to icing consistency then ice).
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Hi Chelsea,
Any ideas to do it egg free too? Would the store bought egg replacer work (just conscience it calls for 5 eggs)? Or could I use couple mashed banana or flaxseeds? Or apple sauce – if so, any idea re quantity!? Thanks so much I adore your cooking!
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried it but do give it a go!
Hi Chelsea I was wanting to know if you could cover this cake with fondant – would it handle it? Thank you
I think so, yes!
Hi Chelsea, I halved your recipe to just make a small one for starters, as with past experiences I have found Dairy and gluten cakes never taste as good. I was wrong to have any doubts, your cake turned out great – looks good, tastes good and without the heavy feeling other cakes make you feel afterwards! Inspires me to try other healthy baking recipes, instead of just apologising to the gluten or dairy intolerant person they can’t eat the sweet treats or desserts I’ve made.
I find your tips and explanations in your recipes very helpful. Cheers :)
Thanks Jobeth!
Hi Chelsea,
Can’t wait to try this recipe, a question in regards to the flour. Instead of the gluten free flour mix can I use ground almonds or just normal flour instead? Would it be the same amounts?
Thanks heaps :)
Hi Chelsea. What can i use instead of eggs? Would apple sauce work? What quantities would you recommend?
I made this cake yesterday (the original version) and it will now be a permanent addition to my baking collection. I substituted all the castor sugar with coconut sugar with great success – my colleagues at work loved it and it tastes as good as it looks. Thank you Chelsea for a fabulous recipe that accommodates many intolerances and eliminates a few major irritants – so good! I’ll make this more recent version next time; I’m sure it will be gorgeous :).
Wow! This cake is amazing. I hadn’t baked a cake for well over 10 years so I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out but the same as all of Chelsea’s other recipes I have tried, it turned out perfect and everyone said they loved it. Thanks Chelsea!
Hi Chelsea, thank you for putting together such a beautiful alternative cake! Just wondering of this recipe would be suitable for cupcakes too?
Made this cake last night and had this morning…. OMG fabulous! I used a fan assisted oven and had the temperature down around 140-150 (ish) and had it on for 1hour 20 minutes and worked a treat! Put the ganache icing on it and oh, rich but lovely!
Hi Chelsea, I made this cake today which was yummy BUT it sank in the middle, why would that be?
Thanks Chelsea for all the time and effort that you put into creating these wonderful recipes, and then unselfishly sharing them with us. My boy is dairy lactose and soy intolerant, so to get any kind of recipe that I can make him yummy food from is gold to me. Thank you for being you Chelsea, you rock .
Hi Chelsea. Thanks for this recipe. Do you think a paleo-friendly flour mix such as lsa, tapioca and coconut flour would work?
Hi Chelsea
Thanks for this recipe. Do you think if I made my own paleo-friendly flour mix, with coconut flour, lsa and arrowroot, it might work?
I have long been on the lookout for good GF recipes and more recently for GF and Dairy free recipes for friends of mine with allergies. I have found that the Healtheries Baking Mix often givea a chalky tooth feel to the finished product. Is this something all GF baking mixes have? Have I just picked the wrong brand, or does the avocado, oil, and coconut cream fix this problem?
I love your recipes, and as my baby is dairy intolerant he misses out on alot a hes not a fan of all his dairy free food lol this would be something for me to try :) and i cant wait :)
Is it possible to bake these as muffins?
Looks and tastes amazing!!! I used coconut cream instead of milk. Thanks for the great recipe Chelsea!!!
I don’t have gluten free flour mix but plenty of coconut flour, do you think I can replace the gf flour mix with coconut flour?
Hi Chelsea, just wondering if it is fine to use plain flour instead of gluten free mix? Thanks for the wonderful recipe, I can’t wait it try it!
Give it a crack!
Can I use coconut cream instead of coco milk? Trying to save a trip to supermarket but still want it to be dairy free?
Yes!
Made a lovely light cake by adding 3 avocado and half cup of flax and chia mixed with water to make 1 cup…….subsitute for the eggs and oil. fun making cake with the avocados
Hi Chelsea Thinking about making a variation on this for my birthday……I’m gonna leave out the fat and eggs as there should be enough with the avocado and chocolate. I’ll let you know how it goes
Hello, wondering if you could please help; is there any way I can use this as a base recipe and change to a plain vanilla flavour? What are the implications of removing the chocolate & cocoa? Also keen to amend to a red velvet flavour, would removing the chocolate and adding the vinegar & coffee & red colouring have any negative affect? Thanks heaps :D <3
Hey Jasmine, sorry but without testing it I really can’t answer that – you’re talking about a completely new cake :)
How do you manage to stay sane, and I’m a Chef. Thanks for the creation we will make and use this in Catering. Perfect for what we require.
Hi Chelsea,
My daughter is allergic to rice so can’t use the GF flour, if i used plain flour 2.5 cups would it work the same?
Love your recipes and converting them to dairy free is normally easy to do which i love and they still turn out great for my daughter.,
Thank you for making them so easy.
Hi, what would you recommend for an egg replacement? Thanks
Hi Chelsea….what could I use as an alternative to the avocado? Sometimes so expensive or hard to get a good one. Great to have a GF/DF recipe thanks ;)
Try a mashed banana!
I have just put this cake in the oven to try out, what a great recipe hope it’s delicious as firm enough to use for decorating! Exciting hurry up 1 hour 10 mins! Thanks Chelsea
Hi Chelsea,
Is it possible to substitute the sugar for honey? If so how much would you put in?
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it :D
Can you use banana instead of avocado – I have some lovely ripe ones, perfect for cooking, and no avocados…..
Sure!
Thank you so much Chelsea for putting this recipe together. I have recently been diagnosed with Crohns Disease and have been trying to change my diet to help things. I made this cake last night and split the brown sugar amount with coconut sugar and it was amazing and hubby enjoyed it too.
Thank you again it is a real winner!
Sarah better luck next time!!
Other than bulk bin, what brand flour can I use, as I’m finding it hard to find
Sarah where does it say its allergy free? It only says gluten, dairy and nut free. This cake was never intended for a vegan, it was made to suit the fans that asked for a GLUTEN FREE cake to be adjusted to a NUT FREE and DAIRY FREE cake. If you can do better send us your recipe.
What brand flour do you use Chelsea?
Hello Chelsea.
Would you have any knowledge of where I can, or if it’s even possible to, buy a chocolate block, minus the Soy ? Oh and be Dairy-free ?
Thank-you. All fingers crossed !
Well, I don’t want to be even MORE difficult but I was wondering what I could use instead of eggs? My brother is allergic to nearly everything and my Mum is gluten free so this recipe is perfect (minus the eggs!)
Hi I really like the sound of your gluten free mud cake the only problen is I can’t have dark choclate could it be replaced with anything also thanks
Debbie
It’s not allergy friendly unless it’s egg free also. I admire your efforts but natural egg replacement such as banana or apple sauce would have actually made this worthwhile. If you’re going to claim to have an allergy friendly recipe it needs to be vegan, nut and gluten free. But thanks for trying.
Where does it say its an allergy friendly recipe? I see it says nut*, dairy and gluten free. No food that has multiple components can be allergy free. If you replace the egg with bananas or apple you run the risk of people who have severe reactions to those run into problems.
As someone who bakes and decorates cakes for a living, I believe this recipe is very worthwhile and Chelsea has done an amazing job creating this cake. Cant please everyone I suppose.
Great response Kim, Sarah was very negative towards something wonderfully alternative.
Might be good to re-read the title of the recipe again.. (Gluten, nut & dairy free chocolate cake) Your comment is not very fair, due to the fact that she doesn’t mention ‘allergy free’ anywhere. You do realise that if it was an ‘allergy free’ cake there would be no ingredients in it?
Thanks for making a recipe that fits those who are Gluten, Nut and Dairy Free, Chelsea :)
Where does it say it is allergy friendly? Also, it doesn’t matter if it’s vegan, many of people are allergic to vegan items as well – people allergic to coconut, nuts, etc.
She’s called it a gluten, nut and dairy free cake. If you’re allergic to eggs you would use a different recipe or adjust this one. She’s done bloody well to get this many allergies covered.
Sarah it doesn’t say allergy friendly! she has done a fantastic job as always and she doesn’t need to share her recipe’s with us but she does, so appreciate what she has done or move along! Chelsea i can’t wait to bake this cake! <3
It doesn’t state it’s allergy friendly Sarah.
a) “natural egg replacement such as banana or apple sauce” Sorry? I didn’t realise eggs were considered unnatural now?
b)She never said it was “allergy friendly”, she said gluten, nut and dairy free – which it is.
c) Veganism is not an allergy, so even if she had claimed “allergy friendly” – which she didn’t – why on earth would it need to be vegan as well?
d) Again, even if she had called it “allergy friendly” – which she didn’t – that is not the same thing as calling it allergy free. NOTHING is allergy free; no matter what the ingredient is there will be someone allergic to it somewhere. In fact, I actually know more people with banana allergies than I do with egg allergies.
How about instead of complaining about Chelsea’s AMAZING efforts to include people, go and try making your own everything-free cakes and start a blog? If you think it’s something people need, feel free to fill that need rather than telling others to.
I agree Nicky you are 100% correct. Thank you for your post
Where did she state it was allergy friendly? I think instead of beating an effort down it is more useful to praise one for an awesome recipe that will be a great help to a lot of people with the conditions that she did mention. Perhaps an email to Chelsea requesting a particular recipe would have been met with a more favorable outcome for you.
Sarah, you sound a bit jealous. Also, I am allergic to banana, which is awful since I work at a hospital and there is always baking around, a lot of it banana based. Your comment is silly and unnecessary- fair enough to give feedback but no need to be rude about it also. Why don’t you go away and make yourself Chelsea’s incredible crispy pork belly with her crispy potatoes, it might make you feel a bit better.
Gluten, dairy and nut free doesn’t equal allergy free Sarah! But it’s the negative tone of your comment that has obviously raised a few hackles! A different approach such as an email to Chelsea requesting an egg free version would have been more appropriate. To Chelsea, keep up the amazing work chick!
How long will this cake keep for, please?
Hi this looks lovely – i especially like the idea of adding an avocado. My boys are ģluten, dairy and starch free…. instead of the gf flour mix can i use almond and coconut flours, and coconut oil instead of the other oils? Many thanks!
Looks gorgeous!! I’m wondering how much honey (or other sugar alternative) I would need to use instead of the brown sugar? Thanks!
The best flour mix is Rice, potato and tapioca flour from the bulk bin place.
Its the best flour that ive ever used.
My mother, younger sister and brother are Gluten free, wheat free and dairy free. So when i bake i cater for them too.
this will be awesome for my granddaughter, being both wheat and dairy intolerant it is so hard to give her treats and so expensive to buy
Hi! Does the block of chocolate not contain dairy?!
Not Whittaker’s 50% or more :)
Thanks so much for creating this recipe. My son was diagnosed with Coeliacs Disease 2 weeks ago, and it now seems he is also dairy intolerant which makes all meals/treats extremely challenging! :-( Keep these recipes coming please :)
Yum!!! Thank you, this looks great!!! Can’t wait to try it!
Please keep thwonirg these posts up they help tons.
Could you recommend anything to replace the coconut flour and coconut milk with? My partner is allergic to nuts, including coconut. Thanks!
You could use normal milk for milk, and use extra GF flour in place of coconut flour.
Good to hear I’m not the only one! People think I’m odd when I check for nuts and coconut- they don’t consider coconut to be one!!
What do you mean by “flour mix”?
The gluten free flour available at supermarkets is actually a blend of different flours.
Thanks for this Chelsea, it looks and sounds amazing! I also have an aversion to coconut flesh (the milk is fine) so am wondering what kind of flour you would suggest in place of the coconut flour? I know that coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid which makes it quite different from other gluten free flours. Very excited to try this :)
Thank you Chelsea for taking the time to figure out a dairy free alternative. I love your recipes and since becoming dairy free as my baby is intolerant its great to see these new ideas for tasty family friendly recipes! ;)