Satisfy your chocolate craving with this Dairy Free Chocolate Cake! Perfectly moist and decadent, made with ZERO dairy!

This cake is the chocolate cake version of paleo lemon bars.
Not because they taste like lemon (that would be strange) but because I worked on this recipe SO MANY TIMES to make it perfect.
Ask me to make a paleo German chocolate cake completely without oil or a chocolate avocado cake or even a chocolate vegan crepe cake and I can do it!
But a simple dairy free chocolate cake that isn’t even gluten free?
It got the best of me.
The FUDGIEST Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
A cake recipe is in store for you today, simply because cake makes people happy! On the blog, we have LOTS of cake recipes to indulge in, including recipes that suit your dietary preferences and needs such as gluten free sugar free carrot cake and sugar free angel food cake! Today’s recipe is PERFECT for those of you who are vegan, lactose intolerant, or choosing to not include dairy in your diet: enter in Dairy Free Chocolate Cake! It’s perfectly moist (sorry to use that word but it’s so true), fudgy as ever, AND doesn’t use any dairy products to make. Serve it up for a special occasion or just because, and your crew is going to love it!

Ingredients Needed
This tender and rich cake is the perfect choice for all my chocolate lovers out there! It uses healthy fats to replace butter and the result? Chocolate cake perfection! Here’s what you’re going to need to get started on this cake:
- All purpose flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Eggs
- Avocado Oil
- Vanilla
- Boiling Water
- Chocolate Frosting of choice
How to make Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Prepare
Turn on the oven and let it preheat. Meanwhile, line the bottom of two cake pans with parchment and rub the sides with oil.
Whisk
Add all the ingredients up to the almond milk (but not including the milk) to a large bowl and whisk to combine them.
Mix
Add in the almond milk, eggs, oil and vanilla and continue whisking until thoroughly combined. Pour in the boiling water and whisk to combine once again.
Bake
Pour the batter into the 2 cake pans, making sure to divide it evenly between them. Place the pans in the oven and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy
Let the cakes cool completely. Frost, serve and DEVOUR!

How to frost a Double Layer Cake
A cake simply isn’t a cake without a generous amount of lucious, rich and sweet frosting! To frost a double layer cake, you’ll want to lay the first layer rounded-side down on a plate. Spread about a ½ cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread it around evenly with a knife or spatula. Next, add the second layer of cake by placing it rounded-side up on top of the first layer. Carefully coat the sides of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting, so as to seal in all the loose crumbs if there are any. Add about 1 cup of frosting to the top and sides of the cake and use a knife or spatula to evenly coat the entire outside of the cake.
Top Tips for making Dairy Free Cake
- Measure Correctly: In order to make sure you have the right amount of flour for your cake, you’ll want to measure it right! Firstly, you’ll want to fluff up the flour with a spoon or fork in the container you keep it in. Next, gently scoop the fluffed flour into a measuring cup. Once filled, gently level it off.
- Don’t overmix: Once everything is just combined, your batter is ready to be put into the pans and go into the oven. Overmixing can cause dryness in the cake which you don’t want!
- Use room temperature eggs: This will improve the finished result of your cake. Room temperature eggs will allow the cake to bake perfectly, whereas if you use cold eggs it may throw off the baking time.
- Measure liquid in liquid cups and dry ingredients in dry cups: Don’t try to measure liquids in dry measuring cups or vice versa. If the ratios of ingredients are thrown off, the cake won’t bake like it’s supposed to!

Recipe Substitutions
If you’re looking for the PERFECT gluten free dairy free chocolate cake there ever was, this one definitely takes the prize! To make this recipe gluten free, all you need to do is use your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour mix instead of all purpose flour and it’ll turn out fab! If you don’t need it to be dairy free, you can use regular milk or any other type of milk you desire. Also, feel free to use grapeseed or coconut oil instead of avocado oil if you want to-the coconut oil will give the cake a nice chocolate coconut flavor if you are into that!

More chocolate baked goods to try
- chocolate paleo zucchini bread
- flourless gluten free chocolate cookies
- healthy chocolate peanut butter muffins

Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All purpose flour, sifted (255g)
- 2 Cups Granulated sugar
- 2/3 Cup Cocoa powder, sifted (60g)
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1 Cup Unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
- 2 Large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Avocado oil (canola or grapeseed would work too)
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1 Cup Boiling water
- Chocolate frosting, of choice (I linked one I like in the notes)
Instructions
-
Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and rub the sides with oil.
-
In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients up to the almond milk (not including the milk)
-
Add in the almond milk, eggs, oil and vanilla and whisk until combined.
-
Pour in the boiling water and whisk until well mixed.
-
Divide the batter between the two pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 mins.
-
Let cool COMPLETELY.
-
Frost and DEVOUR!
Notes
I like THIS chocolate buttercream.
Recipe adapted from Add A Pinch
Nutrition

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