The ultimate chocolate cake recipe perfect for any occasion. This easy one bowl, vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free cake is ultra decadent, full of rich chocolate flavour, super moist and so delicious your friends and family won’t believe it is also guilt free.

If you are like me you may be thinking there is no way this cake is simple or easy and I definitely do not have the time to commit to a two layer cake but I promise this lush cake comes together quicker then your favorite cookie recipe and with less clean up.

So what is the secret to making the best chocolate cake you’ve ever tasted? It’s a little bit of love and a whole lot of quality ingredients, so let’s dig in to what you are going to need!!

Chocolate Cake Ingredients

• Cassava flour: My favorite 1:1 substitute for most baking needs. This flour is made from the Yuca root and has a super fine texture and unlike coconut flour will not dry out your baked goods.

• Almond Flour: Almond flour is super great to keep moisture in your cakes and breads but if you over do it you will end up with a super crumbly texture so the key here is to blend it with other flours like oat or cassava for the best results.

• Powdered Coconut Sugar: When I am not using maple syrup or date paste this is my go to. You can find coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar in most grocers these days but note that it is naturally more grainy than white sugar so to help the sugar dissolve easier and create a smoother more consistent texture I blend mine down to a fine powder. You can do this in a high speed blender or a coffee grinder.

• Cocoa Powder: There is absolutely no substitute for high grade, non-alkalized cacao powder. Pure Cacao Powder is full of nutritious minerals and antioxidants found naturally in Cacao and is what gives this cake its rich chocolate flavour.

• Cashew Yogurt: The addition of the yogurt in this recipe is my secret weapon for keeping this cake extra moist. I like foragers plain unsweetened cashewgurt but a good coconut or soy yogurt would work here too.

• Brewed Coffee: Coffee is the secret ingredient to any good chocolate cake. Coffee is the perfect compliment to chocolate giving the cake depth and enhancing that rich chocolate flavour. Adding it in hot also helps with the overall texture of the final cake.

So grab your favourite large mixing bowl, hand held mixer, measuring cups, your ingredients and lets get started.

Frist prep your “buttermilk” by adding your Tbsp of vinegar to 1 cup cashew milk and set aside to curdle.

This is also a good time to brew your one cup of coffee and set aside.

Now in your large bowl add cassava flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, cacao powder, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well combined. Then add in your “buttermilk,” yogurt, apple sauce, vanilla extract and mix on medium until combined. Change mixer speed to low and slowly pour in hot coffee while continue to mix until you have one extra runny cake batter. Don’t worry it will cook up perfectly.

Divide your batter evenly between your two cake pans and bake for 32-38 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry. Allow your cakes to cool for about ten minutes before turning out of pans and as hard as it will be to wait make sure your cakes reach room temperature before trying to frost them.

Serve immediately (in my personal opinion the best way to eat cake is fresh) or store covered in your fridge for up to 5 days.